Mavrokostas is a street-food stop in Nea Alikarnassos, Heraklion.
Editorially verified August 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: Whatever 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 kitchen standing in Heraklion.
Address: Leoforos 62 Martiron 75, Iraklio 713 04, Heraklion
Souvlaki Point grills skewers on Menelaou Parlama in Heraklion until one in the morning, a takeaway counter rather than a sit-down taverna room.
Try: Souvlaki
Order: Two pork skewers with pita and chips
Tip: Open until one in the morning most nights, and set up for takeaway rather than a sit-down meal.
Krasas grills on Leoforos Ikarou in Heraklion until three in the morning, the default late gyros stop for anyone heading home from the east.
Try: Gyros and grills
Order: A gyros pita on the way home from Ikarou
Tip: Open until 03:00, and there is a second Krasas near the airport in Nea Alikarnassos.
Savoidakis sells kalitsounia right across Heraklion, and a warm bag of the Cretan cheese pies is the best two euros you can spend near the Agora.
Try: Kalitsounia
Order: Kalitsounia, eaten warm out of the paper bag
Tip: The Dikaiosinis branch is the handiest for the Agora, and the pies come out through the morning.
Phyllosophies is the Heraklion bougatsa counter on Lions Square, hand-opened phyllo filled with cream or sweet myzithra and cut with scissors.
Try: Bougatsa
Order: Bougatsa with sweet myzithra and honey
Tip: Eat it standing on Lions Square while it is still too hot, which is how everyone in Heraklion does it.
Kirkor has long sold bougatsa on Lions Square in Heraklion, and it is still the fastest breakfast in the whole city if you eat it standing up.
Try: Bougatsa
Order: Bougatsa with custard, cinnamon and icing sugar
Tip: The queue moves fast, because there are really only two things on the menu.
Thraka Grill turns out gyros on Daskalogianni square in Heraklion until midnight, the local answer to where to eat well for about five euros.
Try: Gyros
Order: A pork gyros pita with everything on it
Tip: On Daskalogianni square, and it is the gyros stop the local food tours use rather than the seafront chains.
Souvlaki Point grills skewers on Menelaou Parlama in Heraklion until one in the morning, a takeaway counter rather than a sit-down taverna room.
Try: Souvlaki
Order: Two pork skewers with pita and chips
Tip: Open until one in the morning most nights, and set up for takeaway rather than a sit-down meal.
