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Cafe Bar Corina - Mirtos
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Only a small menu here in Cafe Bar Corina in Mirtos, on the southcoast of Crete: breakfast, ice cream, yoghurt with honey and a beautiful cup of Illy coffee. Not much, but what they serve is okay. It is situated on the boulevard where most of the restaurants are.
Our verdict: an 8,5 out of 10

Taverna Karovastasi - Mirtos

Karovastasi is situated on the seaside at the promenade of Mirtos. We sit down here here because we like a to eat some fish. Then we suddenly appear to have entered a different country. You are requested not to make any photos and the owner of the taverna thinks he can claim a copyright on some piled stones (see pictures). The menu of Karovastasi is limited to but there is fresh fish so we order this. The man with mustache that serves at the taverna not particularly friendly, but oh well, just as long a the fish tastes good who cares? First we get two thin slices of bread and the wine. The wine is good, the fish is small and not particularly good. It's not served with fries, but only with some tomatoes and cucumber slices and a couple of pepper rings. We aske for the bill which is written on a sheet of notebook. The cash register stays untouched? We get the impression that there might be an attempt to evade the tax. No raki or fruit or something sweet after, as usual in Greek tavernas.
Our verdict: a 4 out of 10

To Bogazi Restaurant - Mochlos

This restaurant is located on the waterfront in the center of the village of Mochlos. It is run by a very friendly couple from Switzerland. The woman takes our order from the menu and we see also her husband, the cook, who brings some food to the table. Nice is that there are a number of original and delicious vegetarian dishes on the menu here as well. We order tzatziki, the Potato Manolis Way (a hollowed out potato with a delicious cheese sauce) and a Dorado fish. The tzatziki and the house wine are very tasty. Everything tastes fine. The vegetables are perfectly cooked, just a little crunchy. A very good restaurant in a nice location.
Our verdict: a 9 out of 10

Driros Snack Kafé in Neapoli

Driros Snack Café has a terrace with comfortable chairs on the main square of Neapoli. You can have a drink, coffee or a simple snack like a toasted sandwich or a hamburger. It's very cheap here. The cappuccino is Lavazza and comes with a glass of water. The coffee is very good and with whipped milk (as it should be) instead of cream. The toasted sandwich with ham, cheese and tomato costs only 1 euro and 50 cent and the very generous hamburger is 2 euro (2010).
Our verdict: very good for what it is: an 8 out of 10

Nopigia Restaurants - Taverne Café Porto Alegre in Nopigia - unfortunately closed

This is a nice small taverna on the coastline of Nopigia Beach, overlooking the sea. There are banana trees and grape vines in the garden that surrounds the taverna. Not everything on the menu is always available but there is a good variety of choices for a lunch or a dinner. We tried the stuffed zuchini flowers which were delicious. The fried fava balls and the reasonably crispy fried potatos with oregano were also very tasty. They have a good and cheap white house wine. The bread was fresh and in one piece (meaning it had not been on other tables before it reached us). After lunch we received some sort of sweet fried small dough balls in a sauce and a small bottle of chilled raki.
Our verdict: an 8 out of 10

Nopigia Restaurants - Taverne Porfira

Tavern at the organised beach of Nopigia. We order several small dishes such as mousaka, spicy cheese dip, courgette balls and tzatziki. The house wine doesn't have much taste, but the tzatziki has plenty of garlic and the mousaka is quite tasty. It is a nice location directly at the sea.
Our verdict: an 8 out of 10

Ombros Gialos Taverna - Ombros Gialos

Ombros Gialos restaurant
The location of this taverna is worth a visit on its own. It is situated in the Apokoronas area, close to Kefalas, and set at the sea, with beautiful views. The food is very good as well, mainly honest traditional and original Greek dishes.
Our verdict: an 8,5 out of 10

Aerides Cafe - Pachia Ammos

The Aerides Café is located along the beach of Pachia Ammos. They sell snacks and sandwiches, ice cream and crepes. The cappuccino is reasonable and you get a glass of cold water as well when they bring it. The club sandwich is good and cheap.
Our verdict: a 7,5 out of 10

Porto Restaurant - Pachia Ammos

This cosy taverna is situated at the beach of Pachia Ammos and they serve different kinds of coffee, appetizers, spagetthi, omelettes, salads, grilled meat and fish, pizza's and several other dishes. The woman that runs the place has got a good sense of humor and she's very friendly. The cappuccino gets a thumbs up, with milk, like it should be. The tzaziki could have done with a bit more cucumber, the Greek salad is okay, with paprika, onions and olives, the cheese qroquettes are tasty and the bread is in one piece and it's fresh.
Our verdict: an 8 out of 10

Sunrise Bar - Paleochora

This is a bar in the harbour of Paleochora. The Lavazza cappuccino costs 2 euro 50 (2007). On the menu are breakfast, omelettes, cocktails, sandwiches and yoghurt with honey. Long waiting time before our order arrives. Nice seats and great view though and both the coffee and the yoghurt taste good.
Our verdict: an 8 out of 10

Exodos Café in Palekastro

Exodos Cafe is located opposite the big yellow church on the village square of Palekastro. The serve Illy coffee and you can get sandwiches and ham and cheese toast. The cappuccino with is served with milk and a glass of cold water. It is perfect: very tasty and also cheap, like the snacks that you can order here. The toilets are lovely. A good place to take a break on your way to one of the beaches or to Kato Zakros.
Our verdict: an 8,5 out of 10

Restaurant Cafe Meltemi in Papadiana - THE WORST EVER

The Restaurant Cafe Meltemi can be found just outside Papadiana, south of the town of Kissamos (in the southwest of Crete). Some people will pass it on the way to the Chrisoskalistissa Monastery or the beach of Elafonissi, which are two main tourist attractions in the southwest of the island. Meltemi is the name of the wind that sometimes blows over the Greek islands, but that doesn't always have to be a bad thing. There is a red Illy coffee sign stuck to the building so this means the coffee is usually good. So we sit down and we order two cappuccinos with the waitress that has an expression on her face like her house has just burned down. And then she brings us two cups of nescafé (which isn't even coffee, it is chemical) with milk and sugar in it. Tasted like some very bad medicine you might obtain from your pharmacy in case you are ill.
So I get up to ask what happened, that I saw the Illy coffee sign, wanted a cappuccino and get a nescafé with sugar instead. The "cook" comes with a face like it is that time of the month and she starts giving me a whole lecture about cappuccino. It was what I had in my cup. And if I wanted an Illy cappuccino I should have ordered an "espresso cappuccino". According to her it was like that everywhere on the island. Well, I don't know where she has been the last ten years, but probably stuck on her mountain, because for me it was the first time it happened (with an Illy sign) and I order it almost every day. But the coffee is changed and we get an Illy "espresso" cappuccino with cold milk on the top. She definitely knows how to make a cup of coffee.
Than when that b i t c h passes our table she starts to give me the whole lecture again and how it was MY fault and that all her customers LOVE the coffee that she first gave me. I ask her which ones, maybe only the Greeks? They seem to be the only ones drinking it. No, it was the Germans that loved so much. Anyways: attitude, the most unfriendly of service and the worst coffee. I say that if you don't like and don't know what you are doing and you don't like people, you shouldn't be running a restaurant. Try the small taverna in Amygdalokefali just before this one as you come from the north: the friendliest owner ever, nice service and better views.
Our verdict: the worst and most unfriendly place we have ever been: a minus 10

Taverna Onicimoc in Peza

In this taverna we have eaten a few times. It is situated on the main road that runs through the village. We tried the beetroot salad, zucchini balls, lamb chops, okra, tzatziki, the fava, an omelette, fries and a feta-cheese dish from the oven. All the food was actually okay, the white wine was tasty, the lamb chops wer tender and low in fat and also the fries were good.
Our verdict: an 8,5 out of 10

Taverne Snackbar in Pirgos

A nice little snack bar with comfortable orange seats, situated on the main road (with the supermarkets) as you drive into the village of Pyrgos coming from the west. The owner is called Sebasti and she is a super friendly woman. There are simple snacks offered as sandwiches and hot dogs. The coffee is fine and even if it is early in the afternoon, we still get a raki afterwards.
Our verdict: an 8 out of 10 for the experience

Taverna - Grill House Plaka Souvlaki - Plaka

THIS TAVERNA NOW HAS NEW OWNERS / MENU / WAITERS, SO THE SITUATION HAS CHANGED!!
Below the old review.
Taverna Grill House Plaka Souvlaki is situated on the large village square of Plaka. They have quite an extensive menu with lots of salads, appetizers and Greek specialties. There are lots of meat on the list like chicken, turkey, pork, lamb and meatballs, but also fish. Not everything on the menu is available though (which is quite common in Crete at the end of the season). We wanted an avocado salad, a rocket salad with parmezan cheese, mousaka, a grilled giros plate and half a liter of white wine: nothing fancy and easy to prepare you would think. We waited and waited for somebody to take our order, but it took a long, long, long time before somebody noticed us. Then we found out that there was no avocado salad because "they were out of season" (we just bought some in the supermarket next door the day before) so we skipped that. The white wine came after about 15 minutes and it was not cold but luke warm and it tasted like some awful village retsina (or I could say: paint stripper). Then about 30 minutes later, while we were still waiting, they brought a second caraf of white wine (which we did not order, so I brought it back and inquired when the food was finally coming). In the meantime the waiters and the cooks are all shouting at eachother and walking around asif they have no clue of what to do. We see the cook a couple of times, but only as she comes outside to smoke a cigarette. After been sitting at our table for AN HOUR somebody brings us a piece of mousaka (this is usually already prepared and it takes a minute to heat up in the microwave). We wait but nothing else is brought to the table. The bread is partly in one piece (so maybe hasn't been on another table before) and it has seperate pieces underneath (which other people before us probably have had in their hands). When I ask again what is keeping them from bringing the rest of our food and that I am not eating alone, a waiter shows up with a bowl of what looks like chopped grass. So I ask him what it is, and he says it is rocket salad and I should taste it. When I ask him where the parmezan cheese is he brings it back with some cheap sprinkle cheese (the kind you buy in the supermarket to put over your macaroni - nothing to do with parmezan) and a couple of pieces of tomato. There is still no giros plate with French fries. Than one and a half hour after sitting down he brings us a pita giros (a small take away version of my plate with giros and French fries). The mousaka is cold by now so I ask him to heat it up. We must be really stupid to have stayed seated here and wait for our food and you must think we are a couple of idiots, but at least we are smart enough to never come back to Taverna - Grill House Souvlaki of Plaka.
Our verdict: we have to go back to give a new verdict since the taverna changed owners. We did try it again in 2010 and we arrived at 12.30 in the afternoon, sat down and waited for 10 minutes, than found out there was nobody there.

Café Plateia - Plaka

The place is nice, the chairs are comfortable and the coffee is good here on the square in the village of Plaka, but it takes endless waiting (French girl) and the club sandwich (usually 3 or 4 sandwiches together with bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese, ham etcetera) is simply a sandwich ham and cheese with toothpicks through it and doesn't even taste good. The French fries that come with the "club sandwich" are so fat and flabby that I left most of them on the plate. No success.
Our verdict: a 5 out of 10

Restaurant Una Faccia una Razza - Plaka

This Italian restaurant in Plaka is a real asset to the village. The restaurant is run by Italians and the wines also come from the country. Una Faccia Una Razza sits next to the supermarket of Plaka and is not open every day of the week, so check in advance if you want to go and eat there. If possible reserve, because it can get busy. The lovers of pizza and pastas have come to the right place here. The food is very tasty and the service is excellent en very friendly.
Our verdict: an 8,5 out of 10

Elpis Traditional Cretan Restaurant - Plaka - TIP!

This fantastic restaurant is located in the large village square of Plaka. The restaurant itself is quite large and there is a garden in which you can see a banana tree. The friendly owner is called Michalis. There is a wide choice on the menu with lots of different salads, fish, chicken and meat dishes. I order the chicken with onions, sundried tomatoes and walnuts in a cream sauce: I haven't had such delicious chicken in a long, long time! After dinner we get a big plate of Greek yoghurt with grapes and apples with cinnamon. Highly recommended!
Our verdict: a 9,5 out of 10

Cafe Tavern Harokopos - Plaka

Cafe Tavern Harokopos is situated on the main square of Plaka village. It is run by a friendly lady called Fotini, and we order a few of the suggestions she makes, like the fava (a puree of split peas with herbs, onion, vinegar and olive oil), the anthoesa (stuffed zucchini flowers) and a fish fillet with vegetables and fried potatoes. All the food tastes great and the prices at Harokopos are really low.
Our verdict: an 8,5 out of 10

Emerald Restaurant - Plaka

Emerald is a rather fancy (or should I say "posh") restaurant situated in Plaka. You can't beat the views here. You can find it if you take the left hand road at the old school of Plaka, as you drive up from Almyrida. Emerald is run by professionals and they serve special dishes like sushi, or they take an ordinary Greek dish and turn it into something special. The perfect place to spoil yourself.
Our verdict: an 8 out of 10

Restaurant Thalassa - Plaka (near Elounda)

Restaurant Thalassa is situated in the seaside village of Plaka near Elounda. In our view the appearance had just a bit more class than the other restaurants in the village. There are many fish dishes on the menu, pastas with different kinds of fish, grilled meat and lots of different salads. We try the seabass and the spaghetti with salmon and capers. The grilled fish comes with a dish of rice and grilled vegetables with balsamic vinegar. Everything we try tastes delicious, including the house wine.
Our verdict: a 9,5 out of 10

Gerianotis Beach Resort - Platanias

We ended up here by accident when we were looking for a place to have breakfast at the beach of Platanias. I have not seen such an amazingly extensive and beautiful breakfast buffet in my entire life. For 15 euros per person (2017) you could choose what ever you wanted and eat unlimited. Really very good. Only the coffee may be needs some upgrading.
Our verdict: a 9 out of 10

Stamna Grillhouse - Platanias

Stamna restaurant
Sort of a fastfood restaurant on the main road that runs through Platanias (between Kolimbari and Chania). We order cappuccino's, a baguette with tuna salad and a club sandwich. On the menu are breakfasts, snacks, omelettes, pita's, pizza's, giros, salads and many fast kind of foods. it's inexpensive and they serve great Illy coffee, crunchy fries and nice sandwiches.
Our verdict: an 8,5 out of 10

Café Panorama - Platanos

We have already tried a tavern here before (upstairs next to the church) and in 2010 we made another stop at Platanos and went to Cafe Panorama (down the road) for a drink. It is a good place for a break because there are such beautiful views here. Cafe Panorama had low prices and comfortable seats. I asked for iced tea and it came not from a can or a bottle but it was made fresh in the cafe: Very good.
Our verdict: an 8.5 out of 10

Waves on the Rock Taverna in Ravdoucha

On the menu on the Waves on the Rock Taverna are several traditional Greek dishes such as omelettes, various salads, fish, mousaka, spagethi and various appetizers. We wanted to eat but only a little something and we ordered the zucchini balls, tzatziki and saganaki (cheese from the oven). On arrival there was immediately a large jug of water put on the table and we got a salad with cucumbers, tomatoes and olives for free. The white house wine is just fine, the bread is crispy, the tzatziki was delicious and the rest is all good as well. The place is also very nice. Afterwards we also get free fruit and a bottle of iced raki.
Our verdict: very nice experience, a 9 out of 10

Kotapi Taverna in Rodakino on Crete

Kotapi Taverna is situated at the east side beach with the parasols and sunbeds. It is set back a little bit away from the beach and has a nice terrace where you can sit out of the wind and in the shade. The counter holds all kinds of trophees, cups and medals because the daughter of the cook is a famous athlete. We visited this taverna at the end of the season so the choice was limited (always good, at least you know it will be fresh). We could choose either fresh fish or a number of other dishes including goat, chicken and a vegetarian dish. The cook was really very friendly. We ordered a Greek salad and something we didn't know (with cheese and vegetables and a crust with sesame seeds on the top - looked like some kind of mousaka). The Greek salad looked like a painting and had red cabbage, white cabbage, andive, carrots, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, croutons, olives and different kinds of fresh herbs in it. The bread was in one piece and fresh, which is good: it had not been on another table before which is usually the case when you get all kinds of different pieces of bread. The cook is super-hygienic: we caught her in the kitchen with a hair net on her head. The toilet needs mentioning: both the mens room as the ladies room was just a hole in the floor. We thought it was funny.
Our verdict: clean, fresh, friendly and a nice experience: an 8 out of 10

Thalassinos Kosmos Taverna - Sisi

Thalassinos Kosmos Taverna, which is situated on the "river" at Sisi is brightly decorated with Greek wall paintings. Working there is funny and friendly Adriaan (on the picture with my friends). The menu is very extensive. We always come here for their sliced fried zucchinies with parmezan cheese, which are very delicious. Last time we also tried the tzaziki, the tuna salad and some other dishes. No real complaints, only one: the bread that was served was not in one piece (so maybe a collection from other people that were served again and again??) and it was also not fresh.
Our verdict, I would have given them a higher rate but because of the bread: a 7,5 out of 10

Apostolos Taverna - Sisi

Apostolos Taverna is downstairs at the "river" and it is the place where you can feed the ducks. You can have breakfast here as well. The menu is extensive. There are several appetizers, salads, omelettes, grilled fish or meat. We tried the octopus salad, tzaziki, herb pies, the hamburger and the yoghurt with honey. They didn't serve bread but warm buns with butter instead.
Our verdict: an 8 out of 10

Pyramida Cocktail Bar - Sisi

Pyramida restaurant
Pyramida Cocktail Bar is located on the corner of the sea towards the "river". There are comfortable seats and a nice view of the sea. We have often had a drink here. You are always served very quickly and your order usually also arrives quite fast but if you want to pay the bill that seems to always cost a lot of time. Nobody seems to notice you and eventually you will walk to the cash register in the hope that someone will see you there. The cappuccino the last time came with a big fat dot of whipped cream on top of it and it was also much more expensive than average. Moreover, it didn't taste really good. For us this was the last time in Pyramida.
Our verdict, okay for the old memories: a 6 out of 10

Pink Flamingo Restaurant - Sisi - Recommended by Gherghiceanu Maria-Magdalena

The restaurant is across the street to beach, very nice, clean, cool place, green garden with all kind of flowers, places for kids to play, and George & Maria, the owners, are brilliant. Very good food, good presentations, tasty, quickly served, very careful if you are satisfied about all. They speak very good English, and their daughters, 2 sweet girls, Katerina and Alexandra.

© Hans Huisman, https://www.angelfire.com/super2/greece/ 2018