Αkrovatissa- mezze bar

Behind the Fontana Rimondi in Rethimno there is found a bee-hive. A bee-hive of wineries, raki-places (you know, the traditional beverage of Crete), ouzeries (the traditional beverage of the rest of Greece) and other types of Greek “Drinking and Eating” pastime. A new shop there, you can understand is an important happening and I was there!

I dont usually present these kind of places, but I opted out an exception and here it is! A minimal place with discrete modern and alternative music. I also took the chance to taste there the local beer of Chania (our neighboring city) which I never did before called Harma... try one

The menu is rather short. Typical mezze (for those who don't know mezze are the Greek starters, the equivalent to the Spanish tapas) interesting but few. As the place grows older they should look that up, even though its not a place for a hungry person like me, but rather a place for a company hang-out!

 

And as always dont forget to check out the ecsact location in the map, at the bottom of the page!

Tastebuddy!

Syvritos Restaurant

In Agia Fotini, in Syvritos municipality (or simply Amari) there lies Syvritos restaurant. In the beginning I was cautious since the settlement is new and modern albeit very small so I did not expect a surprise. Agia Fotini is an outskirt of Apostoloi, is the administrative capital of the region and it has a post office, a town hall, a health center and a school.

The region in general is full of historical villages and byzantine churches mainly of the twelfth and eleventh century and is characterized by abundance of villages which are small and have no more than a few kilometers distance between them. Before Apostoloi is found the antique (and now deserted) Anasuvari settlement with its church, While after it, for a few km' s there lies the historical village of Thronos with its -also- byzantine church, while in the village of Genna you can see the monumental olive tree which is more than 2.300 years old!

The tavern is hosted together with a butcher shop and even though this is not usual for an Athens boy such as myself, it makes sure that the meat you get is great quality and of local production. In fact the tavern has a reputation for good meat outside of the region. I have returned countless times and I have tried the whole menu but -for me- the most successful meal is the pork stew with vegies but the whole meal will leave you satisfied.

Even though t he region is a known destination of “rako-tourism”, which means that visitors, mainly men, come, drink raki and wine, eat pork and goat, and then head home, for simple people is a nice chance for a get-away and Sivrytos tavern is a place you cannot miss.

Kim-Long

International cuisine in our city is a little under developed. After the closing down of Can-Ton, Kim long is the only purely Chinese restaurant in town which stays open throughout the year. For that matter its very strange how come there are no Indian restaurants in Rethymno with all that Indian community which resides permantly here but that's another story.

Kim-Long is found in the beach-side avenue, away from the center of the town and near to the Europa Center. Its a family business with over 60 recipies! With beutifull sea-side view and a little too-cliche “chinese restaurantish” deco. In the winter its serving only in the evenings and in the summer its also serving lunch.

First time I went was a few years ago and I must confess that I wasnt won over, basically because the sauces were very watery. I did however decide to give it a chance and there I was together with my company.

Personally I was very pleased with the starters! I am able to go back there just to eat them! Spring rolls, shao mai dumplings and sea food and cheese. As for main dishes we ordered chicken with casius peanuts , chicken with black beans and chicken with ginger. I can say the eventhough the sauce still remained a bit watery is definetely improved.

All in all it was a pleasant break and I will go again soon!

By the way, don't forget to check the location in our map on the bottom of the page as always!

Athivoles- Chromonastiri

When entering a restaurant you see drying sage leaf and Camilla flowers that were just picked from the field, you know its the real deal! Situated in Chromonastiri, only seven km's away from Rethimno, which except our tavern houses the private museum of Prinari which is a fully restored mill and the museum of military struggles of Crete. The previous is housed in a venetian villa and has several impressive things like the Bulgarian artillery, spoils of the first Balkan wars, the American made UH-1 Huey helicopter and many others.
Now back to the food, traditional Greek cuisine like fava beans, beef, stuffed vine leaves and of course grilled meat. Very good quality of food with very friendly service. The interior is not impressive but the food is being served all year round in the central square since its so well protected. It was surprising for me to learn that the place has a reputation for the the cauliflower stifado (meaning onions and red sauce) which not only I did not try but I also learned about only after I left, but I am going back to try!
Closing its a very pleasant experience and I am recommending it for any group of people. Not only for the food but as an excursion as a whole since its really the ride!

Arkoudaina Garden

In the village of Archontiki, a few kilometers outside of Rethymno, near Episkopi beach, there is a Garden. A Garden which is a little different than any other. This is the Arkoudaina garden. The modest sign out of this traditional Cretan restaurant doesn't prepare you for what's going to come along.

The strange name of this restaurant comes from goddess Diana, whose worship was widespread in the island, from the Dorian settlers. Artemis (Diana) was the bear-goddess that also gave her name to the village. We should not forget that the Acropolis (fortifications) of ancient Rethymno was dedicated to her.
For now, two things impressed me in “Arkoudaina”, the love and the colours. Everything is made in hand. The painted tables in colorful drawings, different in each table, the traditional stove in the center, dictamus and sage leaves inside it. Finally the house itself looks like a child's drawing.

As far as the food is concerned, I find the term “traditional Cretan food” a little unfair. True, all the ingredients are familiar, but the recipes are modern and personal. We ordered a green salad, which contained everything from greenery to apple and pomegranate, eggs in staka (pork fat), siglino (smoked pork), and for main dish we got beef with spaghetti and vegetables, and pancetta (pork steak) in honey and fruit sauce. For drinks we got Rethymnian beer since no Coke is served.

Closing, it was a nice experience, with good food, good atmosphere and a lot of classical music in the radio. Its worth the drive...

Stella's kitchen

When somebody who has never visited my country, asks me about where to eat, I always answer to him that he should check out one thing, who is that who is eating inside there. If you see professional drivers and students eating then you can be sure about your choice. The two categories of people that want to eat the food they would eat at home, if they had the chance.

Stella's kitchen has a daily menu, but the few times I went, I didn't notice any surprises. Traditional Greek eatery (even though not what you would find in a usual tourist-tavern like moussaka and kleftiko) nicely cooked, with fresh materials, that is good both for a small group or a lonely and quick meal.

The tavern (?) is found in the beginning of Souliou street (check the map)

which is in my opinion the cozy-est street in Rethimno, in a small shop, full of students eating their lunch, regardless of the time of the day! So it might be necessary to wait a little. I usually list what we ordered, but I don't think it is necessary in this case, just a place that's worth visiting.

History of Rethymno

This region as a whole is rich with ancient history, most notably through the Minoan civilisation centred at Kydonia east of Rethymno. Rethymno itself began a period of growth when the Venetian conquerors of the island decided to put an intermediate commercial station between Heraklion and Chania, acquiring its own bishop and nobility in the process. Today's old town (palia poli) is almost entirely built by the Venetians. It is one of the best preserved old towns in Crete.

The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine and Hellenic-Roman remains, the small Venetian harbour and narrow streets. The Venetian Loggia houses the information office of the Ministry of Culture. A Wine Festival is held there annually at the beginning of July. Another festival, in memory of the destruction of the Arkadi Monastery, is held on 7–8 November.

The city's Venetian-era citadel, the Fortezza, is one of the best-preserved castles in Crete. Other monuments include the Neratze mosque (the Municipal Odeon arts centre), the Great Gate (Μεγάλη Πόρτα, Porta Guora), the Piazza Rimondi (Rimondi square) and the Venetian Loggia.
The town was also captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1646 and was ruled by them for almost three centuries. The town (Resmo in Turkish) was the centre of a sanjak during Ottoman rule.
During the Battle of Crete (20–30 May 1941), the Battle of Rethymno was fought between German paratroopers and Australian and Greek forces. Although initially unsuccessful, the Germans won the battle after receiving reinforcements from Maleme in the Northwestern part of the island

Today the city's main income is from tourism, many new facilities having been built in the past 20 years. Agriculture is also notable, especially for olive oil and other Mediterranean products. It is also the base of the Philosophical School and the University Library of the University of Crete and the School of Social and Political Sciences having 8.000 students on its university campus per annum at "Galos", where the Academic Institute of Mediterranean Studies is situated.

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