Crete Lasithi Restaurants

Lasithi Restaurants: Where to Eat in Eastern Crete

Eastern Crete serves its best food on the water, from the harbour tavernas of Agios Nikolaos and the fish restaurants of Elounda and Plaka to the waterfronts of Sitia and Ierapetra. Fresh fish, Cretan salads, raki and local wine turn up across the region. This guide points you to the best dining areas town by town rather than to a single address.

Tavernas and dining areas of the Lasithi region, eastern Crete, Greece — The harbour of Elounda on the Bay of Mirabello, Crete

Region: East Crete
Harbour dining: Agios Nikolaos
Best fish: Elounda & Plaka
Local flavour: Sitia & Ierapetra

Agios Nikolaos

Agios Nikolaos has the widest choice of eating in eastern Crete. Tavernas, cafés and terraces ring the small Lake Voulismeni, the harbour and the long waterfront promenade. Many visitors simply wander the shopping streets and stop for a coffee or a drink with a view over the sea and the islet in front of the town. The mix runs from fish tavernas by the water to bars and cafés set back in the lanes.

Elounda & Plaka

Fish tavernas at Plaka and Elounda, Bay of Mirabello, Crete

Elounda and the small village of Plaka, 5 km north, are the place for fish on the Bay of Mirabello. Plaka has good-quality fish restaurants strung along the sea, facing the fortress island of Spinalonga. Restaurant Thalassa in Plaka stands out for its class and its menu of fish dishes, fish pastas, grilled meat and salads; the seabass and the spaghetti with salmon and capers earned it 9.5 out of 10 from me. Elounda itself lines its harbour with tavernas and cafés.

Sitia

Sitia keeps a long, easy-going boulevard of tavernas and coffee shops along its harbour, shaded by palm trees. The town lives from its harbour and from olives, wine and raisins, and that local produce shows on the tables. Fishing boats, yachts and the occasional ferry share the port. It is a relaxed place for an unhurried meal in the far east of the island.

Ierapetra

Ierapetra, the southernmost town in Crete, gathers its restaurants and kafenions along the harbour front by the old town. Here you can eat a snack or a full meal while watching the fishing boats and the sea, with the Venetian Kales fortress at the end of the boulevard. The narrow streets of the old quarter hide smaller traditional tavernas, and the youth fill a few trendy bars in the evening.

Myrtos & the south coast

Seafront tavernas at Myrtos on the south coast of Crete

Myrtos, 14 km west of Ierapetra, sets most of its tavernas and restaurants along the seafront, with the small hotels tucked into the back lanes. The village has a lively but easy feel, with pots of flowers and whitewashed trees. Further east, the resort of Makrigialos lines its little harbour and promenade with tavernas beside the long beach. Along the whole south coast the cooking leans on fresh fish and Cretan staples.

Neapoli & the inland villages

The main square of Neapoli, an inland town of Lasithi, Crete

Inland, the mountain towns and villages serve simpler, cheaper Cretan food on their squares. In Neapoli, the Driros Snack Café has comfortable chairs on the main square by the cathedral, with good coffee and low-priced snacks such as toasted sandwiches and hamburgers; I scored it 8 out of 10. Villages like Kritsa, Ziros and those on the Lasithi Plateau keep small kafenions and tavernas where the food is home-style and the pace is slow.