Herb's Garden is a mediterranean fine-dining restaurant in Old Town, Heraklion.
Editorially verified August 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Fresh fish, Cretan cheeses, Seasonal salads
Must order: Fresh fish with a Cretan white, watching the fortress
Tip: Rooftop of the Lato Boutique Hotel, and seasonal: the team moves downstairs to Brillant from November to March.
Address: Epimenidou 15, Iraklio 712 02, Heraklion
Brillant is the winter dining room of the Lato hotel in Heraklion, running Mediterranean and Cretan cooking from November until the roof reopens.
Signature: Cretan diet plates, Seasonal fish, Greek wines
Order: The winter Cretan plates the kitchen builds each season
Tip: Brillant is the winter half of the Lato hotel operation. From April the same team moves up to the Herb's Garden roof.
Merastri is the wood-oven address in Heraklion for an unhurried Cretan dinner, from lamb closed in the fire to a long list of island bottles.
Signature: Arnaki ofto, Apaki, Sarikopites
Order: Arnaki ofto, milk-fed lamb held in the wood oven
Tip: Dinner only from 18:00, and the courtyard tables go first at weekends. The Cretan list is worth an extra glass.
Parasties has cooked Cretan food over live fire in the centre of Heraklion since 1999, and is one of the city's steadiest special-occasion rooms.
Signature: Smoked steak, Pork fillet, Snails
Order: Smoked steak straight off the open wood fire
Tip: Sit where you can see the open kitchen. Staff will walk you through a mostly Cretan wine list if you tell them what you ordered.
Lola is the sharpest small-plates cooking in central Heraklion, a compact room on Kydonias where Mediterranean technique meets Cretan produce.
Signature: Small plates, Fusion mains, Wine by the glass
Order: A spread of small plates and a glass of Cretan white
Tip: Closed Mondays. The room is small and popular with locals, so book if you want a table after 21:00.
Kouzeineri is where Heraklion goes for a serious steak, a charcoal kitchen near Agiou Titou square with a Greek wine cellar to match the meat.
Signature: Steaks, Pork hock, Chicken wings
Order: Pork hock, or a steak off the charcoal
Tip: Tables sit out on Agiou Titou square, and those are the ones worth a booking.
Brillant is the winter dining room of the Lato hotel in Heraklion, running Mediterranean and Cretan cooking from November until the roof reopens.
Signature: Cretan diet plates, Seasonal fish, Greek wines
Order: The winter Cretan plates the kitchen builds each season
Tip: Brillant is the winter half of the Lato hotel operation. From April the same team moves up to the Herb's Garden roof.
Thigaterra is the Slow Food table of the Heraklion coast, cooking Greek producers and Cretan sea catch on the Ammoudara strip west of the city.
Signature: Slow food plates, Cretan wines, Seasonal vegetables
Order: The seasonal vegetable plates the menu is built around
Tip: Reserve at least three days ahead. The kitchen asks for confirmation before it holds a table, which weeds out no-shows.
Merastri is the wood-oven address in Heraklion for an unhurried Cretan dinner, from lamb closed in the fire to a long list of island bottles.
Signature: Arnaki ofto, Apaki, Sarikopites
Order: Arnaki ofto, milk-fed lamb held in the wood oven
Tip: Dinner only from 18:00, and the courtyard tables go first at weekends. The Cretan list is worth an extra glass.
Parasties has cooked Cretan food over live fire in the centre of Heraklion since 1999, and is one of the city's steadiest special-occasion rooms.
Signature: Smoked steak, Pork fillet, Snails
Order: Smoked steak straight off the open wood fire
Tip: Sit where you can see the open kitchen. Staff will walk you through a mostly Cretan wine list if you tell them what you ordered.
Lola is the sharpest small-plates cooking in central Heraklion, a compact room on Kydonias where Mediterranean technique meets Cretan produce.
Signature: Small plates, Fusion mains, Wine by the glass
Order: A spread of small plates and a glass of Cretan white
Tip: Closed Mondays. The room is small and popular with locals, so book if you want a table after 21:00.
Kouzeineri is where Heraklion goes for a serious steak, a charcoal kitchen near Agiou Titou square with a Greek wine cellar to match the meat.
Signature: Steaks, Pork hock, Chicken wings
Order: Pork hock, or a steak off the charcoal
Tip: Tables sit out on Agiou Titou square, and those are the ones worth a booking.
