Chagiati is a cretan meze budget eat in Old Town, Heraklion.
Editorially verified August 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: Grilled sardines and dolmades, shared across the table
Tip: Dinner only and closed Sundays. Order two or three mezedes each and the bill still stays under twenty euros.
Address: Erotokritou 12, Iraklio 712 02, Heraklion
Kirkor sells bougatsa on Lions Square in Heraklion for just a few euros, which makes its counter the cheapest good breakfast in the entire city.
Try: Bougatsa
Order: Bougatsa with custard, cinnamon and icing sugar
Tip: A bougatsa and a Greek coffee is breakfast for under five euros, which is the cheapest sit-down in the old town.
Phyllosophies keeps prices low on Lions Square in Heraklion, where a bougatsa or a hand-opened greens pie costs less than a coffee elsewhere.
Try: Bougatsa and pies
Order: Bougatsa with sweet myzithra, honey and walnuts
Tip: The savoury chortopites and tyropites cost about the same as the sweet bougatsa and travel better in a bag.
Souvlaki Point is the takeaway skewer counter on Menelaou Parlama in Heraklion, Crete, where a full pita meal still lands under nine euros a head.
Try: Souvlaki
Order: Two pork skewers with pita, chips and tzatziki
Tip: Set up for takeaway rather than sitting down, and it keeps serving until one in the morning most nights.
Spiros Psitopoleio sells grilled meat by the portion on Christomichali Xilouri in Heraklion, a neighbourhood grill with local prices to match.
Try: Grilled meats
Order: A portion of mixed grilled meat to share
Tip: A neighbourhood psitopoleio east of the centre, which means grilled meat by weight rather than a composed plate.
Gyrogonia is the plain gyros counter on Christomichali Xilouri in Heraklion, open until midnight and priced for the neighbourhood rather than tourists.
Try: Gyros
Order: A chicken gyros pita, wrapped to take away
Tip: Two doors from Spiros on the same street, so the corner works as a single cheap-eating detour east of the centre.
Mavrokostas sells homemade Greek food on 62 Martiron in Heraklion at neighbourhood prices, and keeps selling it long into the following morning.
Try: Homemade Greek food
Order: Whichever tray of homemade food is still hot
Tip: Open until six in the morning on weekdays and eight at weekends, which makes it the last cheap kitchen standing.
