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A Heraklion Culinary Journey Inspired by Legacy Gastro Suites
My recent food excursion to Heraklion’s Legacy Gastro Suites left me hungry for more. So hungry, in fact, that I knew it was my mission to sample as many Cretan delicacies as I could on my next trip.
Those following my wanderings in Crete will know I was invited to the grand re-opening of Papi Caffee – an unbeatable experience in traditional fine dining. But the trip left me wanting to stretch my legs, get out there, and enjoy whatever else the city had to offer.
A quick Google search will tell you the best places to try the local fare are tavernas. Small, homely, communal, and local. Serving traditional fare and a buzzing atmosphere, the taverna is Greece’s answer to the pub, if the question is, ‘how do we make a pub, but better?’ A search will also tell you to expect music and dancing.
Along with the taverna, you’ll also find the kafeneio – further out of the cities, found in small towns and villages. This takes locals to a whole new level: a space where friends will show up to share drinks, and have a good time. Kafeneios don’t have a standard menu – they serve what they have. Like showing up unexpected at a relative’s house in the countryside and being met with a three-course imagined from the contents of the cupboards. Often, the taverna and the kafeneio will blend seamlessly – you’ll find local restaurants that have a menu but a more easy-going..Boheme attitude. But, regardless, you’re in for an unmatched and unpredictable time.
On my latest trip, I found five top-class tavernas for you to set eyes on and broaden your Cretan horizons. Prepare yourself for culinary exploration and a night of dancing, drinking, and wondering why you’ve missed out on this for so long.
Ta Tria Pefka (The Three Pines): Cretan Hospitality at its Best
My first tavern excursion came recommended. I wanted to know where the locals in Heraklion went on their downtime – where they dined, drank, and danced. Legacy Gastro Suites’ omniscient concierge seemed perfect to ask – and in return, I was direct to this fine tavern. Ta Tria Pefka, a.k.a. The Three Pines.
One of my favourite things about Heraklion (which is quickly becoming one of my favourite cities) is that everything is within walking distance. No need for taxis, cars, buses, or bikes. You want to take in this beautiful city and not miss a minute. It only takes fifteen of those minutes to walk to The Three Pines from Heraklion’s popular central shopping hub. Arriving there, you pass under one of those swinging overhead signs straight out of a classic Western. You’ll hear local Cretan music and the animated chatter of happy customers. But these diners don’t just feel like customers – they feel like old friends, old flames, and family. To each other, they are, but soon I felt like I’d known these colourful characters, local heroes, and dinnertime revellers for a mythic amount of time.
Sat together at long tables stretching out of the dining room and onto the terrace, I joined the local crowd. The more, the merrier, in this warm abode. And the warmest of welcomes was from Kostas, the owner – ensuring I was caught up in the action by seating me alongside the locals and ensuring they take good care of me. Between them and the selection of beers on the menu, I was in good company.
Presented with a menu, I quickly associated myself with the local fare. A fine showcase of veggie dishes, such as Sfouggato (local omelette with eggs, french fries, and feta cheese), Zucchini stuffed flowers and stuffed vine leaves (stuffed with rice and fresh herbs), Fried snails (typical Cretan food), fresh salads, fried local mushrooms, perfectly complementing a bevy of meats from the grill, or the frying pan (such as the gorgeous veal liver with oregano). I started with an eggplant salad, rusk with feta cheese and tzatziki, and ended with the unique veal liver and a veal tender steak.
I’m impressed with myself for ordering dessert – firstly, for having room, and secondly, for still being able to focus on the menu. A round of cream cheese pies with sugar and cinnamon on top and grape must pudding with roasted sesame seeds and coffee powder – a perfect combination of sweetness and bitterness – was just what I needed to pep me up for the pleasant amble back to the hotel.
Kato Vrisi, Astritsi: A Magical Forest Feast
My next stop took me to a kafeneio (to check out the difference between a kafeneio and a tavern) out of Heraklion, to the postcard village of Astritsi, just half an hour out of the city by taxi. I had revealed my gastronomic plan to my fellow diners sometime around pint three at The Three Pines and this is the direction they eagerly pointed me in.
Soon, I was out in the countryside in a picturesque land of possibility. Where would I eat? Where would I drink? These questions were quickly answered by Kato Vrisi, my first kafeneio and a departure from the communal chaotic good in Heraklion. Here was tranquillity. An untouched, elven woodland. With ducks, in a duck pond. Nestled under the trees like a Neverland campsite, the café was quite the magical site. A paved terrace, woodland, flowing water in the background, wood fires, a little white church nearby, and that sort of mystical ambience seldom found in a dining experience. This was something special – dining as a fantastical art form – and something you shouldn’t miss.
Popular with the whole family – the place is ideal for taking your kids due in thanks to its fairytale feel, small ‘meze’ plates, friendly foods like homemade Cretan fries (similar to French fries, but Cretan), traditional ntolmadakia, gruyere & anthotiro cheese, little cheese pies (sarikopitakia) and little herbs pies (hortopitakia), and fava dip. My lunch consisted of a welcome portion of gemista – tomatoes stuffed with minced beef and risotto rice, perfectly cooked over the wood fire – along with some lamb ‘fricassee‘, and ‘gida kokkinisti‘ – goat in fresh tomato sauce.
I don’t want to say too much about this one – it’s splendour and majesty in the forest made for an unforgettable, otherworldly experience. Not only traditional in its fare and flavours, Kato Vrisi introduced me to the Crete’s nature, and its storybook atmosphere is just something you’re going to have to immerse yourself in. Make a day of it and stay for Astrisi’s Fairy Caves – a labyrinth of tunnels, gorges, and springs doused in the same magnetic folklore that seasons Kato Vrisi.
Erganos: Music, Mantinades & Meze
The following evening’s cultural collation was only a ten-minute walk from the hotel and across the road from the famous open-air Manos Hadjidakis Garden Theater. I was heading there for a night-time performance of Mikrasiatissa when I discovered Erganos tavern. Dining there served as a matinee and an overture for the performance I was to experience later that night. Immediately, there was music. There was dancing. There were pints. When I eventually had to call for the cheque and cross the road for the start of the show, it was a disappointment that Erganos wouldn’t be joining me. The show was excellent, but the rehearsal beforehand in this thrumming bar set the night up perfectly.
Erganos immediately tells you what it means hospitality… and it is traditional homely Cretan goodness. It’s designed to look like a house in your typical Cretan village – rustic and warm, cosy – like stepping into a childhood memory at your grandparents’. The place has an immediate soundtrack of lyra, bouzouki, mandolin, and acoustic guitar. It feels cinematic, like you’re living in a travel film and just stepped into the scene that inspires the protagonist to change their outlook on life. But the music’s diegetic – it’s not just permeating out the walls or from the speakers – it’s happening in real time, with real musicians, just sitting in the corner! I quickly discovered that this was an everyday occurrence, and these musicians weren’t hired to provide entertainment. They were just locals, coming down to their local taverna, picking up an instrument, making music and mantinades (lyrics), and enjoying being there. It was eye-opening, to say the least.
When it comes to ordering… the menu is huge. Something like seventy menu choices, not including dessert. Picky eaters – you have no excuse. They’ve helpfully split the menu up into small plates and starters you can snack on between songs, and bigger grill plates you can sit back and graze on. I’m, unfortunately, not adventurous enough to try gardoumakia – lamb intestines (I’m sure they’re lovely, but even as a Scot, I shy away from haggis on most nights). Nor were any of the goat-related dishes taking my fancy. But the courgette flower croquettes, minced meat sfakianopita pies, and skioufichta with anthothyros cheese would serve me well between musical numbers. The latter of those dishes was a type of Cretan pasta boiled in ram stock, topped with a very fine goat’s cheese, and absolutely delicious. The perfect accompaniment to the cheesy nonsense I was trying to remember the words to and bash out the chords for on guitar. The locals didn’t seem to notice; they appeared to like Abba very much, and I only remembered that Mamma Mia is set on a Greek island during the second verse.
After a pint or two more from the extensive local wine menu, the staff were very happy to join in too. I can see why these places are always busy – it’s just a good night origami-folded into a small building and packed with great people. And it’s simple. Stellar food, flowing wine, the best hospitality, and an acoustic atmosphere. It’s been this way in Crete for as long as anyone can remember – probably since Knossos still had a ceiling – and it’s not for changing. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
I bid the increasingly bubbly minstrels and swaying staff a good night and crossed the road for more music, checking first if Erganos would still be open for another round when the show finished. It was. To be fair, it didn’t seem the kind of place to end a party at any sensible hour, and that suited me just fine.
Xylouris Taverna: Sunset, Seafood & Aussie-Approved Barbecue
Twenty minutes in the opposite direction from my hotel would be the next stop on my local dining trip. In slight recovery from the previous night’s hospitality, Xylouris Taverna was the perfect place to unwind and take it all in. More spacious than Erganos, but still anointed with that traditional charm, homemade food, and hospitality, Xylouris showed me a more laidback, fine-dining approach to the Cretan night out.
Located on the coast of Heraklion, Xylouris offered me a cool breeze and a beautiful sunset whilst I dined outside under ivy-draped pergolas and lantern light. Me, myself, and I enjoyed the more romantic vibe – the tranquillity, the view, the wind, and the wine list. My date for the evening would be a bottle of Domenico made from local thrapsathiri grapes, and together we chilled. You want to try the antikristo here, where they fire up a hunk of lamb and potatoes at your table, a process that really brings out that smoky, barbecue taste. A table of Australians nearby were loudly singing its praises, so if the barbecue’s good enough for the Aussies, you know you’re onto a winner.
A medieval banquet’s portion of roasted chicken arrived – more than enough for Domenico and I – but the Australians were managing to flame some lamb and pork too. If you don’t have all night to work through such a feast, or if you prefer smaller bites, Xylouris also has a wide appetiser menu. This features both warm and cold snacks, including tirokafteri dips, dolmades (stuffed vine leaves), oven-baked feta and grilled halloumi cheeses, and various salad options.
All that was left after dinner was a digestive walk along the coastline to the historic Venetian Port. The Australians didn’t seem in any rush to finish, but Domenico was drained and I thought it best to call it a night.
I Avli tis Chrysanthis: Hidden Romance in the Vineyards of Katalagari
It was late one afternoon, and I’d grown fond of letting the concierge at Legacy Gastro Suites decide my evening for me. When I said I wanted “something authentic, a little romantic, and totally off the beaten path,” they smiled knowingly — the kind of smile that says “we’ve got just the thing.” I scribbled down the name: I Avli tis Chrysanthis, in the village of Katalagari, about 20 minutes south of Heraklion.
By the time I arrived, the sun was melting behind the hills, casting a pink-gold glow across the vineyards that framed the tiny settlement. I’d barely stepped into the courtyard — the “avli” — when I knew I had found a Cretan treasure. Ivy curled around pergolas, herbs spilled from clay pots, and the air was perfumed with something unmistakably homemade. You don’t stumble upon this place — you’re sent here by someone who knows it’s worth the trip.
Chrysanthi, the owner and namesake, greeted me with the warmth of a childhood friend. No formalities. No menu thrust into my hand. Just the kind of welcome that involves eye contact, a gentle smile, and the question, “Are you hungry?” — to which the only correct answer in Crete is always yes.
What followed was a slow symphony of Cretan flavors: handmade pies bursting with myzithra and herbs, sun-dried tomatoes swimming in olive oil, pork with rosemary and honey, and a glass (or three) of local wine that seemed to taste better with every story Chrysanthi told. The ingredients? From her own garden, of course. The meat? From a friend in the next village. The wine? Pressed just up the road. The love? Everywhere.
There was no music, but there didn’t need to be. The clinking of glasses, the laughter from the neighboring table, the soft rustling of vine leaves overhead — it all became its own melody. And I sat there thinking: this, right here, is the soul of Crete. No performance. No pretense. Just food, people, and stories shared under the stars.
If you’re after the kind of taverna where you arrive a stranger and leave as family, let this be it. Come before sunset. Sit in the courtyard. Say yes to whatever’s cooking. Let Chrysanthi take care of you.
Prodromos Tavern – Rustic Flavors in Kasteli (Fourni) / Agios Nikolaos
Another evening, when I was chasing late sunsets and authentic buzz, I found myself in Kasteli in Fourni, in the Agios Nikolaos area of Lasithi, at Ston Prodromo — known simply as Taverna Prodromos. It is a place away from the main roads where the locals go, where the cuisine is simple but intense in flavor, and the hospitality generous in spirit.
The tavern is located to the left of the main road of the village. It has a colorful courtyard with tables and in the – smaller – interior space there is the kitchen, the counter, the refrigerator and 24-5 tables for the winter patrons. And because even in winter, middays are warm in Crete, visitors still prefer the courtyard. Upon arriving, I was greeted by the smell of grilled meat mixed with herbs. We sat down, started with a glass of wine, and continued (for starters) with delicious stuffed stuffed cabbage rolls.
I ordered appetizers to share: dakos, freshly grated oregano with extra virgin olive oil on toasted homemade bread, delicious local fries, fried zucchini flowers stuffed with cheese, delicious crispy pοrk. The wine came from a local producer in Fourni, strong and slightly smoky. A group nearby was clinking glasses, laughing at jokes that I couldn’t follow, but they invited me to share in the festive atmosphere.
Prodromos is not polished. It doesn’t have to be. Its charm lies in its honesty – food rooted in the land, cooks who use what they have, not what they could buy. Dusk came and the shadows lengthened. Fireflies lit up the mulberry tree. I ordered raki, asked the owner about his garden, tasted the sweetness of tomatoes pulled from the soil that morning.
If you want a taste of Lassithi that recalls old Crete, Prodromos is the kind of place that reminds you why travel is about more than just the sights. Bring cheer, an appetite and good company.
Why Taverna-Hopping in Heraklion is a Must
Dining in Crete is not passive — it’s participatory. Someone is always dancing. Someone is always playing music. Every meal is a celebration. It was fortuitous that I found an appealing mix of tavernas and kafeneios, both in culinary style and atmosphere – especially when each felt so distinct and interesting.
Transcendentalists climb Tibetan mountains to get a sense of everything – a cosmic connection to everyone around them. They should just have an evening in a taverna, invent creative ways to dodge more raki and fail and take part in a conversation that no one has any grip on whatsoever.
I’ve gathered that fried mini pies, olives, gruyere, snails, and lamb dishes are Crete’s equivalent to pub grub and that the locals love it in the same way that my people gorge on chips, mushy peas, and binge drinking. I’ve been all over the world, but the vibe is different here in Crete – people are more involved whilst eating out. Someone’s always dancing to something, even if there’s nothing to dance to. Something appetising is always making an appearance too. Like so much of Cretan culture, the taverna just feels right. It feels comfortable and inclusive, and completely crackers… but I’ve not experienced a place like it.
So, next time you find yourself in Crete, consider straying away from the populous eateries with the burgers and pizzas. Cross the road away from the restaurants punting the fare you can have back home. Go through the mysterious wooden door, point wildly at a menu of colourful local dishes, pick up an instrument, and find yourself in the middle of a conversation that has no start, beginning, or end. You’ll be talking about it for quite some time.
And when in Heraklion, let Legacy Gastro Suites be your base. The hotel’s perfect location puts you within walking distance of many of these spots — and its knowledgeable concierge will ensure your Cretan dining adventures start off right.
Yamas!
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