2 Best Restaurants in Elounda, Crete

Kanali

$$
In an impossibly picturesque position next to the sunken ancient city of Olous, and the later canal from where it takes its name, Kanali serves elegant updates of Greek staples. Wooden furniture and an old stone building dressed with bold prints and lanterns lend it a shabby-chic air that could grace the seasides of Mykonos or Santorini. Fish is the main event, often simply grilled and always impeccably sourced. It may be little more than a beach shack dressed up in Gucci but the kitchen really delivers—a humble lunch here of salad, sardines, and a glass of wine can be a sublime experience, a world away from the nearby resort offerings.
Elounda, Crete, 72053, Greece
28410-42075
Known For
  • fish baked in a salt crust theatrically opened at your table
  • beautifully presented modern Greek cuisine
  • romantic, stylish setting
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Nov.–Mar.

Marilena

$

The choice among the many restaurants that cling to the harbor, this is an Elounda classic, having offered traditional Greek food for 40 years. The large rear garden decked with grapevines and the seafront-facing tables are charming places to sample the house mezedes, many with a Cypriot origin, or try some of the excellent grill dishes. Fish soup is rich and unctuous, sole comes with prawn and lemon butter, and Shieftalia, Cyprus-style skinless sausages are a revelation. This is casual Greek dining at its best—uncomplicated, honest, and unforced.

Harborside, main square, Elounda, Crete, 72053, Greece
28410-41322
Known For
  • long-serving unflustered staff
  • dramatic table-side flambé dishes
  • Cypriot twists on Greek classics
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Oct.--Mar., Credit cards accepted