Taste of Crete

authentic

taste of Crete

Selected restaurants

map INSIDE

1

NAME

TYPE

AREA

TEL

OTHER INFO

PELLA

TAVERN

GOUVES - HERAKLION

28970 41342

GREEK FOOD

2810 314233

GREEK FOOD

2

KRITIKO SPITI

TAVERN

AMMOYDARA HERAKLION

3

EROTOKRITOS

TAVERN

AMMOYDARA HERAKLION

2810 252426

GREEK FOOD

4

GONIES

TAVERN

GONIES - HERAKLION

28970 51212

GREEK FOOD

5

FISHERMAN' S PLACE

TAVERN

SISI - LASITHI

6932 789 773

GREEK FOOD

6

CASTELLOS

TAVERN

KRITSA - LASITHI

28410 51254

GREEK FOOD

NAUTILUS CRUISES

BOAT TO SPINALOGA

AGIOS NIKOLAOS PORT

6976 111 863

BBQ TRIPS

8

AMBROSIA

TAVERN

GOURNES - HERAKLION

2810 762204

GREEK FOOD

9

LIGO KRASI LIGO THALASSA

TAVERN

HERAKLION

2810 300501

SEA FOOD

10

THEA

TAVERN

ROGDIA - HERAKLION

2810 841435

GREEK FOOD

11

PETOYSIS

TAVERN

AMMOYDARA HERAKLION

2810 821376

GREEK FOOD

12

CHRYSOFYLLIS

TAVERN

AGIOS NIKOLAOS

13

KALYPSO

RESTAURANT

MALIA - HERAKLION

28970 31012

GREEK FOOD

14

VASILIS

TAVERN

MONONAFTI HERAKLION

2810 811376

GREEK FOOD

15

ANATOLI

TAVERN

LIGARIA - HERAKLION

2810 811617

GREEK FOOD

16

SIROCO

TAVERN

LIGARIA - HERAKLION

2810 811204

GREEK FOOD

17

LIMANAKI

TAVERN

PANTANASA HERAKLION

2810 841555

SEA FOOD

18

SYLLOGOS ALLIEON

TAVERN

PORT OF HERAKLION

2810 223812

SEA FOOD

19

PARASIRIS

TAVERN

AMNISOS - HERAKLION

2810 380151

SEA FOOD

20

ROYSSAKIS

TAVERN

ΚNOSSOS - HERAKLION

2810 231918

GREEK FOOD

21

ALEXANDER

TAVERN

AMNISOS - HERAKLION

2810 380165

GREEK FOOD

7

GREEK FOOD

22

IPPOKAMBOS

TAVERN

ΗERAKLION

2810 280240

SEA FOOD

23

KARNAGIO

TAVERN

HERAKLION

2810 280090

SEA FOOD

24

APTERA

TAVERN

ΑMOUDARA - HERAKLION

2810 821060

GREEK FOOD

25

DELFINI

TAVERN

ΚALAMAKI

26

ΑΦΡΟΔΙΤΗ

TAVERN

ΧERSONISOS

28970 23683

GREEK FOOD

27

SARANTARI

TAVERN

ΑΝISARAS

28970 25375

GREEK FOOD

28

ARKADI

TAVERN

ΚOKKINI

2810 761131

GREEK FOOD

SEA FOOD

Authentic taste of Crete Crete is the biggest island in Greece and one of the largest in the Mediterranean (along with Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia). Located between Europe, Africa and Asia, it was a place where a variety of different cultures came together. Phoenician, Roman, Arab, Byzantine, Venetian, Turkish and Egyptian people all left their mark here. The result is that historically, there were formed: • a very distinctive breed of Greeks, with their own way of thinking, who have become famous from the tale of Zorba the Greek by the Cretan writer Nikos Kazantzakis and the film of the same name by the Cypriot Michael Cacoyannis • a distinct culture characterised by a particular dialect, music, traditions and food.

Cretan cooking is recognized the world over as a perfect model of the Mediterranean diet. So as well as enjoying a superb local climate, Cretans also have the highest average lifespan in Greece. They make their food from local produce, not needing to import foreign ingredients, as the island has so many farms. The success of Cretan cuisine, using Cretan ingredients, Cretan recipes and cooked in a Cretan style, was such that it gradually spread throughout Greece. Now Cretan dishes are a mainstay of many restaurant menus, bringing together healthy eating, a great taste and originality in an irresistible combination.

It was a tough choice, because we had to select from among dozens of superb recipes.

But we took one other factor into consideration: how well they fit with our beer. With great difficulty, we chose three traditional dishes from Crete: kohlioi boubouristoi, kalitsounia and dakos. The first is based on snails, the second is a kind of cheese pie and the third is a salad made with Cretan barley rusks.

All three are trademark dishes of the island, three “musts” for any visitor that wants to find out how the locals eat.

And crowning each of them, that most traditional of Greek beers, the ideal accompaniment to traditional Cretan food – and more!

Alfa Beer, naturally.

Alfa Hellenic Beer Suggests Kohlioi Boubouristoi INGREDIENTS: • 30 large snails • 3 tablespoons of sea salt • 1/2 cup of olive oil • 1/3 cup of red wine vinegar • 1-2 tablespoons of rosemary PREPARATION: Clean the snail shells, and remove the covering on the lip of the snail with a sharp knife. Discard any snails that aren’t alive (the lip will be gone, withdrawn into the shell, etc.).

Sprinkle the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch frying pan with the salt over medium heat, and put in the snails with the open side down on the salt.

Cook for 1-2 minutes, add the oil, reduce heat to medium-low and let cook for 25 minutes. Add vinegar and stir the snails. Sprinkle the rosemary over the top, and when the oil bubbles up, remove from heat.

Spoon onto serving plates and drizzle with a little of the pan juices. Serve hot.

Kalitsounia INGREDIENTS: For the filo pastry: • 3 tbsp. fresh butter • 3-4 tbsp olive oil • 1 whole egg and one yolk • 15-20 finely ground blanched almonds • 1 cup water • flour, as needed (about 500gr) • salt For the filling: • 1 kg mizithra cheese or mascarpone • 1 ½ cup sugar • 1 tbsp fresh butter • 1 tbsp flour • 1-3 yolks • salt • cinnamon

PREPARATION: Mix the ingredients for the filo pastry and prepare a soft dough. Thinly roll out the dough in sheets and set them aside for 2-3 hours. Mash the cheese with a fork and mix the sugar, cinnamon, fresh butter and egg yolks. Cut the pastry in rounds (the size of a saucer) and brush them with whisked egg white.

Place a heaped teaspoon of filling on each round and fold the pastry over to make a half-moon shape. Press the edges to seal completely. Brish the pies again

with beaten egg yolk and bake for 15 minutes at 180° C.

Dakos INGREDIENTS: • 10 small Cretan barley rusks (dakos) • 2 medium tomatoes • 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled • 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil • 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves • 1 medium white or yellow onion, grated, optional PREPARATION: Wet the rusks and dry with a clean towel.

Grate the tomato and combine with the feta. Spread on the rusks. Sprinkle with the oil, salt, oregano and a little grated onion, if using.