We are fortunate that we have two really good tavernas (small family restaurants that serve traditional food) right within our own village, so I will begin with them:
Ta Douliana Taverna (Douliana)
This taverna is located towards the rear of the village, and you can walk there by simply making a left (where you would normally turn right to leave the village), and walk down the street about fifty meters and then make another left. I like this place a lot, especially when they are serving Cretan smoked meat (rabbit, pork bellies, lamb & chicken). It has indoor and great outdoor seating area adjacent to the yoga retreat, and is really popular with the locals. During the tourist season they are open everyday, and as the season winds down they are open on weekends and holidays. A reservation is not required, and it’s very casual. I rate the food as “excellent” considering that it is a small local taverna vs. a higher-end restaurant. The owner is originally from Hora Sfakion on the southwest coast of Crete.
Heliostasi (Douliana)
This is the taverna that you passed when entering the village during your arrival. You can walk there by simply making a right (as if you were leaving the village), and it is on the left past the town square with the mailboxes. Heliostasi is very reliable when it comes to being open when you are hungry, and the owner Vangelis is a super-friendly man from Romania who speaks relatively good English. A Greek woman named Maria cooks all of the food, which consists of more traditional and mainstream Cretan and Greek dishes. If you ask, Maria is always more than happy to cook something special for you with only a day or two advance notice. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, with a nice view of the small valley between Douliana and Gavalochori. During the early evening hours you can hear the bells of the sheep as they graze in the pasture. If you are lucky there may be live entertainment during you visit- I especially like ‘Carl Axon & the Rockin Rebels”, a British rock tribute band that regularly entertains here as well as several other establishments in nearby villages such as Vamos. The band has a FaceBook group where they post their upcoming schedule. For beer lovers Heliostasis serves Charma, the best Cretan beer on draft. A reservation is not required, and it’s very casual.
Carl Axon & The Rockin Rebels FaceBook group
Douliana Village Kafenion
This is the small coffee shop that you passed on the left when entering the village during your arrival. You can walk there by simply making a right (as if you were leaving the village), and it is on the right as you enter the town square with the mailboxes. They serve coffee and lighter fare, in addition to selling local Cretan products and handmade jewelry. I recommend that you try the “Portokalopita”, which is a traditional Greek Orange Pie with Syrup!
Souvlakerie Γυροφωλια (Kalyves)
This is a good place for gyros and souvlaki, and they offer takeout and delivery. It’s located in Kalyves, at the corner where you turned right to drive up the hill to Douliana. Click here to see their menu online, and call +30 2825083162 to place your order for pickup on your way back to the villa, or to have your food delivered. For delivery tell them that you are in Douliana Villas, in the villa next to the pool and management office. As an alternative you can meet the delivery driver in the town square near the mailboxes.
Vamos Pita (Vamos)
This is another good place for gyros and souvlaki, and they offer takeout and delivery. It’s located in Vamos in the village square. Click here to see their menu online, and call +30 2825181058 to place your order for pickup while in Vamos, or to have your food delivered. For delivery tell them that you are in Douliana Villas, in the villa next to the pool and management office. As an alternative you can meet the delivery driver in the town square near the mailboxes.
Asterix Obelix Bakery (Vamos)
There are two bakeries in Vamos, and this is the better of the two by a wide margin. It’s just a bakery with no seating area, purchase your breads and pastries to go.
Arismari (Gavalochori)
Arimari means “Rosemary” in Greek, and this little gem is located near the Cretan Historical & Folklore Museum in the adjacent village of Gavalochori. Their food is excellent, however avoid ordering the steak which is sourced from France and not nearly as good as what you find in the United States. The setting is casual but a reservation should be made as it is a small and popular restaurant.
Psaros Restaurant (Almyida Beach)
Waterfront dining with excellent seafood! The grilled calamari is my favorite, and the mussels are also outstanding! Casual attire, and during the height of the tourist season I would recommend making a reservation.
Ta Chalkina (Venetian Harbor in Chania)
The food here is absolutely amazing, and this is our favorite restaurant! They serve traditional Cretan fare such as Dakos (Cretan Salad with Fresh Mizithra Cheese), Antikristo (lamb grilled over a wood fire), black pig (a variety of pig in Greece that is fed a diet of olives), Grilled Octopus, and more! The restaurant is pricier than others but still relatively inexpensive when compared to fine restaurants in the U.S. As this is an upscale restaurant, business casual attire is more appropriate, and a reservation is recommended.