CaféSpecialty coffee brunch€€€9-16Old TownWalk-in
Frankly My Dear is the specialty coffee and brunch room on Karterou in Heraklion, doing freddo espresso, salmon toast with avocado and fresh juices.
Order: Salmon toast with avocado, and a freddo espresso alongside
Tip: On Karterou beside Agia Aikaterini square, five minutes uphill from the noise of the Agora.
CaféGreek breakfast€€€8-18Old TownDaily 08:00-23:30Walk-in
Central Park serves the biggest Greek breakfast in central Heraklion, a shared spread of bread, croissants, village sausage, eggs and tomatoes.
Order: Central Breakfast for two, with village sausage
Tip: The two-person breakfast brings homemade bread, croissants, village sausage, eggs and tomatoes, and it comfortably feeds three people.
MediterraneanSeafront breakfast€€€7-14Venetian HarbourWalk-in
Mare Coffee Bar & Food does breakfast on the Heraklion seafront, yogurt with honey, sandwiches and juices with the Cretan sea a few metres away.
Order: Yogurt with nuts and honey, facing the water
Tip: The seafront terrace is the point. Come for breakfast or a mid-morning coffee rather than a full dinner.
CaféCoffee and brunch€€€8-16Old TownBook the terrace
Think Tank serves brunch under the specialty coffee programme in central Heraklion, on a neoclassical terrace that fills up fast in high summer.
Order: The house espresso with a plate of pancakes
Tip: Book the terrace ahead. Brunch runs alongside the wine list, so a late one can drift into an afternoon glass.
CaféThird-wave brunch€€€8-16Old TownDaily 06:30-23:30Walk-in
Hacienda works a third-wave brunch in Heraklion of avocado toasts, pancakes and protein plates, served beside Agia Ekaterini square in the old town.
Order: Avocado toast and a long black
Tip: Several branches operate across Heraklion, so confirm which one you are meeting people at before you set off.
BrunchAll-day brunch€€€10-18Old TownDaily 09:00-00:00Walk-in, book at weekends
626 All Day is the garden brunch address in Heraklion, Crete, open from nine in the morning for eggs, comfort plates and a first glass of wine.
Order: A brunch plate, eaten out in the city garden
Tip: Ask for the garden rather than the indoor lounge. It sits on the corner of Meramvelou and Idomeneos.