Where to eat around Agia Pelagia
The tavernas and restaurants Giannis and Olivier send their guests to on the evenings the house doesn’t serve dinner. Eight addresses, all within a quarter of an hour by car.
Evenings off the house table
Your hosts’ shortlist, not a ranking
Giannis cooks on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings. On the other four, dinner happens elsewhere, and this coast has no shortage of tables. These are the places your hosts go to themselves, from the family taverna to the restaurant overlooking the bay.
Times are by car from Maison Meltem. Giannis and Olivier can book for you: ask them over breakfast, they know which ones fill up in high season.
Tavernas
Family tavernas and village cooking
Everyday Cretan food, home-made, served in generous portions and at modest prices. This is where you eat the way people here do.
I Taverna tis Ntinas, in Achlada
Ten minutes away, in a small mountain village that has all but emptied, the taverna run by Dina and her husband. Traditional home cooking, hearty and full of flavour, at more than gentle prices. 4.9 out of 5 across 1,412 Google reviews, recorded on 9 September 2026. Closed on Tuesdays.
Taverna O Nikolas, in the village
Seven minutes away, a small, unpretentious taverna along the road through Agia Pelagia. A family business, traditional home cooking, a local crowd, a lively atmosphere and unbeatable prices. Best to book.
Xilouris Family, on Fodele beach
Seven minutes away towards Rethymno, a small family restaurant with its feet in the sand, on the edge of a long, beautiful beach. Simple but carefully made food, very reasonable prices.
Kavourina, above Ligaria
About fifteen minutes away, on the slopes above Ligaria beach. Delicious Cretan cooking on a shaded, tastefully decorated patio, in true local-taverna style. The menu changes very often; the prices stay very reasonable.
Restaurants
For a dressier evening
Three more refined tables, with a polished setting and a view of the sea. The prices follow.
Nostos Voyage of Taste, in Ligaria
Fifteen minutes away, on Ligaria beach, past the village of Agia Pelagia. A lovely, romantic seafront setting, elaborate Cretan cooking and attentive service. Higher prices. Closed on Tuesdays.
Marea, above Agia Pelagia
Ten minutes away, the restaurant of the Panorama Hotel. A wide terrace with a sweeping view over the bay of Agia Pelagia and the sunset. Good local and international cooking, higher prices.
Galea, above the bay
Ten minutes away, the restaurant of Castello Infinity Suites, on the bay of Agia Pelagia. Its terrace looks straight down onto the beach. The cooking aims higher, and so do the prices.
On the beach
Right by the water, in the bay of Agia Pelagia
Sea Salt / Almyrha: a restaurant and bar right at the water’s edge, on Agia Pelagia beach, seven minutes from the house. Very good food, a stunning setting and a pretty sea-facing terrace, at mid-range prices. Best to book.
At a glance
Which table, which evening
- Cretan food on a budget: Dina’s taverna in Achlada, O Nikolas in the village, or Kavourina above Ligaria.
- Feet in the sand: Xilouris Family at Fodele, or Sea Salt / Almyrha on Agia Pelagia beach.
- Dinner for two: Nostos in Ligaria, or the Marea terrace at sunset.
- On Tuesdays: Dina’s taverna and Nostos are closed; opening days sometimes change from one season to the next, and your hosts will tell you where things stand.
The beaches and sights around the village are covered in the beaches of Agia Pelagia and things to do around Agia Pelagia.
The other evenings
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, dinner is at the house
Three evenings a week, Giannis serves the Maison Meltem table, from 7:30 pm to 9 pm, by reservation: a Cretan menu facing the Aegean, with the house’s own olive oil.