BROWSE HOTEL COLLECTIONS
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Cretan Gastronomy & Wine Tasting
With every corner having something delicious to offer there is no wonder why every summer more and more food travellers visit Crete, the largest island in Greece.
The island is considered to be the birthplace of Greek cuisine attracting holidaymakers seeking to explore its delicious, yet healthy Cretan cuisine and the local wineries surrounded by vibrant vineyards.
Food in Crete
When in Crete, be sure to try all these tasty dishes of Cretan cuisine, world-known famous for blending traditional and Mediterranean flavors enriched with locally produced olive oil, promising physical health and mental clarity.
Whichever Cretan village you may visit, don’t miss to try their own signature cheese usually made from goat or sheep’s milk, or even a combination of both. Must-try cheeses in Crete are, among others, the hard cheese graviera, the sweet and creamy anthotyro and the fresh cheese myzithra.
Furthermore, by visiting the local taverns and seaside restaurants in Crete you will taste some of the most remarkable Creten dishes, always accompanied with Raki, the ever-popular local - and very strong -drink which is for Crete what is ouzo for the rest of Greece.
The must-try dishes of Crete are literally endless, however, some of the most remarkable are:
Dakos, a delicious Greek salad with rusks soaked in water or local olive oil and topped with fresh tomatoes and creamy myzithra.
Fried Snails, another popular dish in Crete consisting of snails fried with flour and hot olive oil and then doused with local wine.
Gamopilafo, meaning the rice of the wedding, this is one of the most traditional dishes in Crete! Meat and poultry are boiled together for hours and then accompanied by rice cooked with butter and lemon.
Wine Tasting in Crete
Being the oldest wine-producing area in Europe, wine lovers visit Crete to discover the island’s wine tradition that is more than 4000 years old. Local Cretan wine is served everywhere in Crete, while, some hotels even produce their own exceptional wine! You will find Crete’s wine producing regions at Chania, Peza, Archanes, Dafnes and Sitia, however, although you will find local wine in every village in Crete!
The island is considered to be the birthplace of Greek cuisine attracting holidaymakers seeking to explore its delicious, yet healthy Cretan cuisine and the local wineries surrounded by vibrant vineyards.
Food in Crete
When in Crete, be sure to try all these tasty dishes of Cretan cuisine, world-known famous for blending traditional and Mediterranean flavors enriched with locally produced olive oil, promising physical health and mental clarity.
Whichever Cretan village you may visit, don’t miss to try their own signature cheese usually made from goat or sheep’s milk, or even a combination of both. Must-try cheeses in Crete are, among others, the hard cheese graviera, the sweet and creamy anthotyro and the fresh cheese myzithra.
Furthermore, by visiting the local taverns and seaside restaurants in Crete you will taste some of the most remarkable Creten dishes, always accompanied with Raki, the ever-popular local - and very strong -drink which is for Crete what is ouzo for the rest of Greece.
The must-try dishes of Crete are literally endless, however, some of the most remarkable are:
Dakos, a delicious Greek salad with rusks soaked in water or local olive oil and topped with fresh tomatoes and creamy myzithra.
Fried Snails, another popular dish in Crete consisting of snails fried with flour and hot olive oil and then doused with local wine.
Gamopilafo, meaning the rice of the wedding, this is one of the most traditional dishes in Crete! Meat and poultry are boiled together for hours and then accompanied by rice cooked with butter and lemon.
Wine Tasting in Crete
Being the oldest wine-producing area in Europe, wine lovers visit Crete to discover the island’s wine tradition that is more than 4000 years old. Local Cretan wine is served everywhere in Crete, while, some hotels even produce their own exceptional wine! You will find Crete’s wine producing regions at Chania, Peza, Archanes, Dafnes and Sitia, however, although you will find local wine in every village in Crete!
For more tasty delicacies you can check out our Hotel Collections which are almost always accompanied with worth visiting restaurants.
The best hotels for gastronomic and wine tasting experiences in Crete
Formerly wineries in Crete have been transformed into hotels with marvelous suites to stay offering at the same time wine tasting experiences, while all around the island you will find beach resorts with restaurants offering upscale breakfast, lunches, and dinners!
Scalani Hills Boutari Winery & Residences, Heraklion – Learn how to make traditional Cretan recipes, taste fine wines of the estate, and sleep well within spacious rooms overlooking vineyards and olive trees!
Swell Boutique Hotel, Rethymno – What about starting your every day with an enriched breakfast based on traditional Cretan recipes? Choose among a variety of tasty pies of the day, fresh local fruits like figs, bananas, oranges, and apples, all kinds of cold cuts, local cheeses, and fresh vegetables to prepare your morning salad. Last but not least, your eggs are prepared on the spot!
Lato Boutique Hotel, Heraklion – We love its Herb’s Garden Restaurant offering delicious dishes combined with beautiful panoramic views of the old city harbor and the Venetian fortress while it’s open from 13:00 till late at night
Domes Noruz Chania, Autograph Collection, Chania – Not only it is one of the best beach resorts to stay in Chania but also it has a fantastic restaurant/bar, Raw Bar, serving fresh sushi and a fine selection of local wines, champagne, and summer cocktails.
St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas, Lasithi – American breakfast lovers will find their place in this stunning resort! The breakfast is served on the Club House Terrace consisting of hot dishes, freshly baked bread, pastries, cheeses, local fruits and vegetables, as well as Cretan delicacies.
Scalani Hills Boutari Winery & Residences, Heraklion – Learn how to make traditional Cretan recipes, taste fine wines of the estate, and sleep well within spacious rooms overlooking vineyards and olive trees!
Swell Boutique Hotel, Rethymno – What about starting your every day with an enriched breakfast based on traditional Cretan recipes? Choose among a variety of tasty pies of the day, fresh local fruits like figs, bananas, oranges, and apples, all kinds of cold cuts, local cheeses, and fresh vegetables to prepare your morning salad. Last but not least, your eggs are prepared on the spot!
Lato Boutique Hotel, Heraklion – We love its Herb’s Garden Restaurant offering delicious dishes combined with beautiful panoramic views of the old city harbor and the Venetian fortress while it’s open from 13:00 till late at night
Domes Noruz Chania, Autograph Collection, Chania – Not only it is one of the best beach resorts to stay in Chania but also it has a fantastic restaurant/bar, Raw Bar, serving fresh sushi and a fine selection of local wines, champagne, and summer cocktails.
St Nicolas Bay Resort Hotel & Villas, Lasithi – American breakfast lovers will find their place in this stunning resort! The breakfast is served on the Club House Terrace consisting of hot dishes, freshly baked bread, pastries, cheeses, local fruits and vegetables, as well as Cretan delicacies.
Lot's of hotels offer unique food experiences so don't be the one to miss it out!
The Top Places for Food Lovers in Crete!
Endless restaurants and wineries in Crete guide you through the island's best food and wine secrets.
Best Restaurants in Crete
Whether you are visiting Chania, Heraklion, Lasithi, or Rethymnon, all the regions of Crete have local taverns offering Cretan dishes, beach-front ouzeris to taste the freshest seafood, and fine-dining restaurants with panoramic views to the sea and island’s surroundings.
One of the best traditional taverns to taste delicious Cretan dishes is the gastronomy centre of Dounias in Chania, popular for offering gastronomic pleasures based on locally produced raw materials and cooked in wood stoves. Moreover, seafood lovers should not miss visiting O Gero Tsegas, one of the best sea-side restaurants in Chania region to enjoy tasty fresh fish and seafood.
While gourmet enthusiasts will fall in love with the culinary pleasures of Brillant Restaurant in Heraklion, a luxurious restaurant with elegant atmosphere within Lato Boutique Hotel’s premises. Your culinary experiences go beyond the ordinary with exceptional local meat dishes, wild green salads, hand-made pasta, fresh fish and delicious homemade desserts, accompanied with selected wines, or refreshing cocktails.
Best Wineries in Crete
Offering a wide range of red, rose, and white varieties, visiting one of the many wineries in Crete is among the best ways to experience the island’s ancient wine culture. Overlooking the sea, Lyrarakis winery in Heraklion is one of the best wineries to taste rare Cretan wine varieties accompanied with Cretan mini platters, while the winery of Manousakis in Chania is also very popular for producing 100% organic wines since 1997.
Best Restaurants in Crete
Whether you are visiting Chania, Heraklion, Lasithi, or Rethymnon, all the regions of Crete have local taverns offering Cretan dishes, beach-front ouzeris to taste the freshest seafood, and fine-dining restaurants with panoramic views to the sea and island’s surroundings.
One of the best traditional taverns to taste delicious Cretan dishes is the gastronomy centre of Dounias in Chania, popular for offering gastronomic pleasures based on locally produced raw materials and cooked in wood stoves. Moreover, seafood lovers should not miss visiting O Gero Tsegas, one of the best sea-side restaurants in Chania region to enjoy tasty fresh fish and seafood.
While gourmet enthusiasts will fall in love with the culinary pleasures of Brillant Restaurant in Heraklion, a luxurious restaurant with elegant atmosphere within Lato Boutique Hotel’s premises. Your culinary experiences go beyond the ordinary with exceptional local meat dishes, wild green salads, hand-made pasta, fresh fish and delicious homemade desserts, accompanied with selected wines, or refreshing cocktails.
Best Wineries in Crete
Offering a wide range of red, rose, and white varieties, visiting one of the many wineries in Crete is among the best ways to experience the island’s ancient wine culture. Overlooking the sea, Lyrarakis winery in Heraklion is one of the best wineries to taste rare Cretan wine varieties accompanied with Cretan mini platters, while the winery of Manousakis in Chania is also very popular for producing 100% organic wines since 1997.
Featured Hotel Collections in Crete
Food Tips
As Crete has some of the oldest wine-producing areas, it is highly recommended to take part in a wine tour where you will taste some of the best collections of wine.
Peza Area is a major wine-production region in Heraklion of Crete as 70% of the local wine production comes from that area.
The most popular red grape varieties which produce delicious wines, are Kotsifali, Mantilari, Liatiko, Tsardana, and the outstanding Romeiko.
The traditional beef stifado is one of the most popular dishes in Crete, made of meat cooked with whole, small and sweet onions. There is also an alteration made with rabbit, which is even more tasty!
Don’t forget to leave some space for dessert - from the simple yogurt with honey to more complex sweets like almond cake and 'galaktompoureko' (pastry stuffed with fresh milk cream and syrup).
Don’t get carried away with “raki”; this Cretan drink is very strong and you may see locals drinking it as naturally as water, but keep in mind they are used to it.
The most popular Cretan dishes are made with lamb, chicken or rabbit. Make sure to try the amazing ‘gamopilafo’ (made with rice and lamb in the oven).
The traditional salad of Crete, Ntakos, is one of the most tasteful & healthiest salads you can eat! It has tomatoes, feta cheese and olives laid on a barley rusk, and is served with pure olive oil.
A typical meal in Crete starts with salads served with freshly baked bread or pies (don’t neglect to try 'kalitsounia' - sweet or savory). Moreover, before the main course, you should try an aromatic soup and some delicious pulses (delicious fava dominates).
Travel Info
How to get there
- By ferry
- By air
Move around
- Buses
- Taxi
Ideal for
- Beach holidays
- Sightseeing
- Road trip
- Family holidays
- Lgbt holidays
- Couples holidays
- Local gastronomy
- Wine tasting
- Wellness & spa
- Art & culture
- Beach parties
Destination Type
- Island
Average weather
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Hotels for Food Lovers
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