6 Best Restaurants in Chania, Crete
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We’ve compiled the best of the best in Chania - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Pasteleria de Dana
Apostolis
On the quieter end of the harbor next to the Venetian arsenals and removed from the tourist joints that surround the port, this lively taverna caters to locals and discerning tourists alike. Fresh fish and seafood are the standouts here, but also consider the stuffed aubergines, stifado, kleftiko (lamb), or the meats from the charcoal grill. The views from the waterside tables across the bobbing boats to the lighthouse are serene, the raki and sweets offered as a gift at the end of the meal most welcome.
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Portes
Relocated from the somewhat cramped alley it occupied in the city center to a pretty harborside spot in Nea Chora, Portes continues to offer some of the best cooking in Chania. Irish-born Susanna has a flare for hospitality, and the dishes on offer are always assured and pretty as a picture. Make sure you read the specials board, but memorable regular plates include rabbit with prunes, roast lamb with yogurt, and chicken with figs. Fish, landed just feet from the restaurant and baked in paper, is a knockout, and if the chocolate cake with Guinness is offered, please indulge.
Tamam
Steps away from the busy harbor, Tamam feels like a giant leap back in time—it's an ancient Turkish bath that now houses one of the most atmospheric restaurants in Chania's Old Town. Tamam means "alright" in Turkish, but the plates presented are certainly more than okay. Under the former bath-house's cool arches, Politiki Kouzina, Turkish-tinged plates from the Greeks of Asia Minor predominate—Chiounkiar Begienti (spiced lamb with eggplant), Staka (a warm creamy fondue-like cheese), and glorious, nuanced kebab. More than 40 wines are carried, most from Crete, and many available by the carafe.
Well of the Turk
In the old Ottoman district of Splantzia, opposite the underground church of Ayia Irene, this restaurant is somewhat difficult to find even with a map, but it is worth the endeavor. It serves a mixture of Greek and Turkish dishes with the odd trip to Northern Africa and the Middle East. With vaulted ceilings, terra-cotta floors and cobalt-blue walls set with jewel-like windows and the eponymous well, it's a memorable place to eat. Flatbreads, such as Fatayer bi Sabanikh, with spinach, mizithra, walnuts and raisins, and Lahmajun, with minced lamb and parsley, are particularly strong. Best to take a number of small plates and share in the traditional way.