A foodie’s guide to Chania, Crete
I recently spent the perfect Autumn get away visiting Chania in Crete, not only did we enjoy the sunshine, we also had the best time sampling the delicious local foods and trying top restaurant hot spots. For any foodie, when going on holiday food is top of the agenda. My key method of research recently has been focused more on social media, especially TikTok to help me decide where to eat – which has offered up some great recommendations for recent trips. Again, this did not disappoint for Chania, resulting in us eating at amazing restaurants throughout the trip! Here are some of my favourites that are well worth a try if you are visiting the old town.
MonEs
A foodie’s guide to Chania, Crete
Our first dinner set the bar very high for the rest of the holiday. We ate at MonEs, which was set in the most beautiful open-air rustic building that had historic ties to the area (monastery estate). We had a delicious steak with an amazing, sweet marmalade gravy along with a variety of purees, as well as an impressive lamb shank with charred vegetables and a yogurt dressing. The menu was quite modern and refined, great for a special dinner.
Throumbi
Throumbi was so good we ate there twice! It was a very busy, popular restaurant, but definitely worth that queuing for. Specialising in local meat delicacies and grilled meats, we had to try the huge souvlaki! We had the chicken in a zesty sauce the first night and opted for the veal with mushroom and truffle sauce on our second visit. Accompanied by the crispiest fries and the best Greek salad of the holiday. Divine! And to top it off, everyone gets a free chocolate ice cream for dessert, which was delicious. It’s safe to say we did not go hungry.
9 Beaufort
A foodie’s guide to Chania, Crete
Chania is not only known for its meat dishes but also its deliciously fresh seafood. Heading to the beach close to the main harbour, it was the perfect time to try out some local delicacies and as we already had 9 Beaufort on our radar from my research we headed there. A lovely setting by the sea, we indulged in a local favourite seafood dish – prawn saganaki. These were some of the best prawns we had ever tasted! We also tried steamed mussels in white wine and calamari, both were fantastic. If we had more time we would have gone back for a second visit!
Delish
Gyros are an absolute ‘must try’ when going anywhere in Greece! After a lot of research, we chose to visit Delish, as it was top rated and recommended by locals. It was no-frills, but a great eatery for a quick pitstop. We had the chicken gyros that come with salad, chips and a yogurt sauce, all wrapped up in a fluffy pita. Accompanied with yet another Greek salad. It was delicious and so reasonably priced!
Botanical Gardens
A foodie’s guide to Chania, Crete
Although this is not in the old town of Chania, it deserves to be on the recommendation list. We spent the day at the Botanical Gardens of Chania, which were beautiful and well worth a visit! After exploring for two hours, we were definitely hungry, and the restaurant at the end of the trail did not disappoint. All food is sourced locally, with many ingredients sourced from the gardens. We opted for grilled chicken in a five citrus sauce and local dish of pork stifado. All made fresh and delicious, you could tell the quality of the ingredients!
Pallas
A foodie’s guide to Chania, Crete
Although we did not get chance to eat at Pallas (which was highly recommended on lots of reviews), I need to mention their amazing cocktails. We had drinks there a few nights throughout the holiday. A great spot to watch the sunset and sip a cocktail! My favourite was the Spicy Mango Taste, with their Mojitos coming in at a close second.
Chania certainly impressed – if you have foodie recommendations, get in touch on socials! @jellybeanagency, we’d love to hear from you!