15 upscale places in Heraklion, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Heraklion: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Heraklion food.
Parasties ★ 4.6
Old Town · Chandakos 81, Iraklio 712 02
Parasties runs an open wood fire opposite the Historical Museum in Heraklion, turning out smoked steak, big pork fillets and long-cooked Cretan plates.
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.
Parasties ★ 4.6
Old Town · Chandakos 81, Iraklio 712 02
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.
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.
Parasties ★ 4.6
Old Town · Chandakos 81, Iraklio 712 02
Parasties runs a Cretan-leaning wine list beside its open fire in Heraklion, with floor staff who match bottles to whatever the oven is cooking.
Tip: The floor staff will steer the list if you tell them what is coming off the fire.
The Walls ★ 4.5
Old Town · Kosma Zotou 6, Iraklio 712 01
The Walls plates crab samosas, duck and sea bream in a garden inside the Venetian walls of Heraklion, the city's most composed modern Greek cooking.
Tip: The dining room sits inside the Heraklion Tennis Club grounds by the Venetian walls, so allow time to find the gate.
Herb's Garden ★ 4.5
Old Town · Epimenidou 15, Iraklio 712 02
Herb's Garden runs the Lato hotel roof in Heraklion from April to October, looking straight at Koules over fish, Cretan cheeses and seasonal salads.
Tip: Rooftop of the Lato Boutique Hotel, and seasonal: the team moves downstairs to Brillant from November to March.
The Walls ★ 4.5
Old Town · Kosma Zotou 6, Iraklio 712 01
The Walls is the most technical cooking in Heraklion, a garden dining room inside the Venetian ramparts, run as a modern Greek gastrobistro.
Tip: The dining room sits inside the Heraklion Tennis Club grounds by the Venetian walls, so allow time to find the gate.
Herb's Garden ★ 4.5
Old Town · Epimenidou 15, Iraklio 712 02
Herb's Garden is the Heraklion rooftop for an occasion dinner, plating contemporary Greek food above the Venetian harbour from April to October.
Tip: Rooftop of the Lato Boutique Hotel, and seasonal: the team moves downstairs to Brillant from November to March.
Thigaterra ★ 4.4
Ammoudara · Andrea Papandreou 109, Ammoudara, Iraklio 714 14
Thigaterra cooks to a declared Slow Food brief on the Ammoudara strip west of Heraklion, working Greek producers and Cretan seas rather than a fixed menu.
Tip: Reserve at least three days ahead. The kitchen asks for confirmation before it holds a table, which weeds out no-shows.
Thigaterra ★ 4.4
Ammoudara · Andrea Papandreou 109, Ammoudara, Iraklio 714 14
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.
Tip: Reserve at least three days ahead. The kitchen asks for confirmation before it holds a table, which weeds out no-shows.
7 Thalasses ★ 4.3
Nea Alikarnassos · Iraklitou 1, Nea Alikarnassos, Iraklio 716 01
7 Thalasses is the garden fish restaurant in Nea Alikarnassos, east of Heraklion, known for lobster spaghetti, paella and a bright courtyard room.
Tip: It sits by the municipal park in Nea Alikarnassos near the airport, so it works as a last dinner before an early flight.
Brillant ★ 4.3
Old Town · Epimenidou 15, Iraklio 712 02
Brillant is the winter dining room of the Lato hotel in Heraklion, running Mediterranean and Cretan cooking from November until the roof reopens.
Tip: Brillant is the winter half of the Lato hotel operation. From April the same team moves up to the Herb's Garden roof.
Kouzeineri ★ 4.2
Old Town · Agiou Titou and Europis, Iraklio 712 02
Kouzeineri is the steak address in Heraklion, working charcoal near Agiou Titou square with pork hock, chicken wings and a long Greek wine list.
Tip: Tables sit out on Agiou Titou square, and those are the ones worth a booking.
Kouzeineri ★ 4.2
Old Town · Agiou Titou and Europis, Iraklio 712 02
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.
Tip: Tables sit out on Agiou Titou square, and those are the ones worth a booking.
Toucan Skybar ★ 4.2
Old Town · Plateia Eleftherias 29, Iraklio 712 01
Toucan Skybar takes the fifth floor above Plateia Eleftherias in Heraklion, the highest cocktail terrace in the city and the best sunset seat.
Tip: Fifth floor on Plateia Eleftherias, so it catches the light long after the street below has gone dark.
Kouzeineri ★ 4.2
Old Town · Agiou Titou and Europis, Iraklio 712 02
Kouzeineri backs its charcoal steaks with a Greek wine list, which makes it the Heraklion address for red wine and grilled meat in one sitting.
Tip: The cellar leans on international labels as much as Greek ones, so ask the floor to match a bottle to the cut you order.