Location: Heraklion
Top Restaurants in Heraklion
Top Things to do in Heraklion
- 1. Douloufakis Winery
- 2. Heraklion Archaeological Museum
- 3. Lyrarakis Winery
- 4. Historical Museum of Crete
- 5. Domaine Paterianakis Cretan Organic boutique Winery
- 6. The Natural History Museum of Crete
- 7. Castello del Molo (Koules)
- 8. Cathedral of St. Minas
- 9. Agios Titos Church
- 10. Old Venetian Harbor
Where to Eat in Heraklion: The Best Restaurants and Bars
Heraklion (/hɪˈrækliən/; Greek: Ηράκλειο, Irákleio, pronounced [iˈraklio]) is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete. It is the fourth largest city in Greece. According to the results of the 2011 census, the population of the city proper was 140,730 inhabitants, the municipality's was 173,993 while the Heraklion urban area has a population of 225,574 and it extends over an area of 684.3 km (264.2 sq mi).
Things to do in Heraklion
1. Erganos
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 594 reviews
The restaurant is going to be CLOSED from 13/09/16 to 15/09/16
Reviewed By CombatAddict - Oxford, United Kingdom
Fabulous tavern, just outside the city walls. Serves wonderful local dishes based on slow-cooked lamb or goat. We arrived at 8 pm, which is early to eat locally, so while the restaurant was quiet when we arrived, it got much busier later. The waiter was extremely helpful in recommending great local food. Really worth seeking out.
2. Ippokambos
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 958 reviews
Reviewed By eoika - dundee
fantastic experience - the atmosphere at the restaurant is lovely, the staff are kind and helpful, the food is delicious, the portions are large, the price is low, the wine is good. cannot recommend it highly enough!
3. Herb's Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 458 reviews
Here's the finest "balcony" in the city embraced by the soft breeze of the Cretan Sea, offering the most beautiful panoramic views of the old city harbor and the Venetian fortress you'll ever see. The inspired menu primes your palate for fresh fish and seafood cooked to perfection, tender meats, refreshing vegetables and season salads, fine appetizers accompanied by ouzo or raki, and a variety of fine wines.
Reviewed By balgorfirenze - Firenze, Italia
The restaurant is on top of the hotel boutique side. You can easily reach it with the lift. It has a beautiful view of the Venetian harbor. The tables are a bit crowded since the space is not much. The service is fine. They speak Italian, English and French. Portions are abundant. Prices, too. It's a restaurant to pamper yourself a bit.
4. Ladokolla
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 422 reviews
Reviewed By mark5360
A little different from what we tried the rest of our days in Iraklion, Ladokolla was a place we remember for the way they treat food. It was one of the restaurants that we admired the know-how to combine the ingredients together to create something good looking. It was a pleasure only to look at their plates. It means they give a good reason for people to talk about the restaurant as something ‘different’. Well, the plates we tried were tasty as well…
5. Paralia Seaside Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Welcome to Crete. Discover the secrets of famous Cretan cuisine flavors from a patio with an enchanting view of the imposing Castle of Koule. Let your senses travel to this place envied by corsairs and savor amazing delicacies in the heart of the Venetian harbor in Heraklion. Experience unique varieties and preparations of both seafood and meat at great prices that will imbue you with a love of the tastes that celebrate Crete's traditions.
Reviewed By Gpaiano - Florianopolis, SC
We wanted to celebrate our arrival in Greece, so we wanted a restaurant by the beach but were a little concerned about those touristic and expensive ones. Paralia was a perfect option combining great location, gentle staff, good prices and specially great and abundant food. I ordered a fish and my husband ordered octopus, fantastic dishes. And to complete and reaffirm the cretan great hospitality they offered us fruits, amazing loukoumades, cinnamon liqueur and Raki! The taste of their grilled octopus could not be found anywhere else in Greece, and we tried. Unforgettable.
6. Kouzinerie
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 322 reviews
Reviewed By Dimitri H
It was a really mixed experienced. The location is really nice. We order appetizers which were really good. The wine recommendation was also really good and the freshly baked bread was so tasty. But and that a big but, all the meat we order was medium or medium-rare and we all got expect one person a meet which was well-done and that is very disappointing for a meat restaurant. Then we got some issues with the bill and we had to recount it 3 times until we could finally settle it. I believe we might just have been unlucky because this restaurant seems to be a must do but please make sure they cook you the meet the way you asked.
7. Vranas
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 197 reviews
Reviewed By Meli M - Province of Varese, Italy
We have been visiting this restaurant before catching the flight back home. It's just 15 min from the airport in very characteristic area of the city (fish market). The charming waiter (who looks like an actor from a pirate movie )was very honest saying what was fresh or frozen, upon my request. We took a delicious grilled "dorada" and some fried little fish....plus a giant Greek salad...everything was great! House wine included! at the end of the dinner we had a plate of fruit plus home made pannacotta with raki offered by the restaurant. The best way to end our holiday in this wonderful island!!!
Extremely suggested.
Ps: I don't have the pics of the dorada cause we devoured it!!
8. Kastella
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By kerrypuppy - Fife
Excellent food, lovely staff. A definite must when in Heraklion. Highly recommend the fresh seafood platter. Close to fort with lovely sea views.
9. Peskesi
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
Peskesi restaurant in Heraklion Crete, is an effort to discover the secrets and enjoy the benefits of the Cretan diet. Our cuisine is based on pure and natural products of the Cretan land and our aim is to highlight the traditional Cretan aromas and flavors that have been forgotten. Peskesi is open from morning till late and aims to provide an integrated experience based on the quality, the diversity and the value of the Cretan lifestyle. We brought the traditional "Cretan house" near you in the center of Heraklion, with modern aesthetics and functionality while retaining ancient traditional methods, such as food-gathering and meal preparations.
Reviewed By Laurel B - Cambridge, Massachusetts
Loved, loved, loved this restaurant. Hidden away in an an alley off of a side street, Peskesi offers a modern take on authentic Cooking from the island of Crete. Roast pig in honey and thyme will melt in your mouth and have you swooning. Goat baked in yogurt wrapped in parchment paper. Four giant pork chops brought to your table while smoking in a tent infused with sage....the scent is heavenly. Fresh salads. Ancient grains/legumes presented in new ways. An amuse buche of beet root salad, homemade bread. The wait staff was great and made some excellent suggestions so we didn’t go crazy and order too much food. They also suggested some very good local wine. For dessert we had the traditional halvas, but the way it was prepared was unlike any other I tried on the island..silky, smooth, sweet....just wonderful. And the traditional drink of raki...wow. Their speciality is an ambrosia flavor but I loved the rose and the peach was damn good as well. Go and enjoy.
10. Arismari & Varsamo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 277 reviews
Open from 11:00 in the morning until 02:00 after midnight
Reviewed By ntolmaria
There was a nice variety in appetizers and traditional food in Arismari and Barsamo. The restaurant was nice and friendly, the prices were reasonable. For starters we some grilled vegetables and beetroots, we appreciated both and also we ordered the feta cheese in olive oil. The ingredients were very fresh, it was something we noticed from the start. There were some traditional types of food, some seafood and meat on the grill. Since we are fans of souvlaki, we had a chicken and pork souvlaki. The meat was juicy, very enjoyable. We wanted to have a fresh dessert and it was cheese with honey that grabbed our attention. Very nice dessert, the cheese was fresh and the honey was intense in its taste. We loved it.
