Zeus is Cretan. And he knows everything. Also where are the best restaurants. Oh sorry, Zeus is the nickname of the number one foodie in the village of Kastelli. And Zeus, the chief among the gods, was born in Crete.
Quite a few villages and towns in Crete are called Castelli, but Kastelli of Zeus is a small town on the way from the capital of the island of Heraklion towards the Lasshiti plateau. His daughter and son-in-law run a sheep's cheese shop, while Zeus and his wife take care of the flocks. No one knows his real name, but everyone knows that they have to get a very special recipe for him. He knows how to prepare the local delicacy best snails, he says which retzina, a Cretan white wine with a strong aroma pine nuts, is the best, and of course we will get the best from which farmer in the area lamb.
Good restaurants are easier to find on the coast. Larger cities in the northern part of the island, such as Heraklion, Chania and Rethymno, are full of renowned restaurants. Restaurant Prima Plora (www.primaplora.gr) near Rethymno is known across the coasts of the island, but for the best dishes it is best not to rely only on what is written on the menu, it is better to listen to the advice of the waiters who know best what is fresh and seasonal. There is also a village near Rethymnon along the coast Panorama, in which a renowned Slovenian yoga teacher and nutritionist spends a lot of time Savina Atai, as her chosen one, Giorgios, leads a well-known family restaurant Porto Parasiris, where all the delicacies are still prepared by his mother.
It will be a little more difficult to find a restaurant in the southern part of the island Kalliotzina Tavern (Koutsouras Makri Gialos, phone: 28430 51207), but a good GPS system will lead you to a charming taverna on the beach, where the owner will sit down at the table, prepare the menu and, depending on your wishes, give you advice and prepare a real Greek feast. It's a good thing that the restaurant is on the beach, because after eating a lot of goodies (and probably a glass of retzina too much), the drive to nearby Iapetra (known for its beautiful beaches) is completely unnecessary and too far.
