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Cocktail barOld Town
Xalavro pours Greek wine spritzers in a roofless old house on Milatou in Heraklion, with an open kitchen working beside the bar until very late.
OrderA Greek wine spritzer, drunk in the ruined courtyard
PourA Greek wine spritzer in the courtyard
WineGreek wine spritzers and by-the-glass pours
FoodOpen kitchen
TipThe bar sits in the shell of a 1900s house on Milatou, and the open kitchen runs alongside the drinks list.
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CaféOld Town
Think Tank is the wine bar Heraklion drinkers name first, a neoclassical room on Idaiou Androu pouring Cretan and Greek bottles by the glass.
OrderA Vidiano by the glass, with whatever snack is out
PourA glass of Cretan Vidiano
WineCretan and Greek growers by the glass
FoodBrunch plates and snacks
TipA sommelier picks the list and the room hosts tastings, so ask what has just been opened.
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MediterraneanOld Town
Pagopoieion keeps one of the widest Greek wine lists in Heraklion, poured under the beams of a converted ice factory beside Agios Titos church.
OrderA Cretan red, with the mushroom risotto to match
PourA Cretan red with the mushroom risotto
WineWide Greek list, strong on Crete
FoodAll-day kitchen
TipThe ice-factory room is large enough to find a quiet corner even when Agios Titos square is full.
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Wine barOld Town
Manjar Wise Food, Coffee & Wine Bar pours a long list on Dimokratias in Heraklion, with staff who explain every glass and send out bites with it.
OrderA glass off the Cretan list with the small bites
PourA Cretan white with small bites
WineHealth-minded Greek and Cretan labels
FoodWise food plates and small bites
TipStaff talk you through each pour and send out nibbles, which makes it a good first stop for Cretan grapes.
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MediterraneanOld Town
Granary turns from espresso bar into wine room as the evening arrives, pouring Greek bottles with Mediterranean plates in central Heraklion.
OrderA glass of Cretan white with a mezze plate
PourA Cretan white with a mezze plate
WineGreek wines by the glass and bottle
FoodMediterranean all-day menu
TipWine service runs from late afternoon, once the coffee crowd thins out and the kitchen switches to the evening menu.
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Greek tavernaOld Town
Merastri keeps a serious Cretan wine list behind its wood oven in Heraklion, and the reds it pours are built to stand up to three-hour roast lamb.
OrderA Liatiko red alongside the wood-oven lamb
PourA Liatiko red with the wood-oven lamb
WineCretan list built around the wood oven
FoodFull Cretan menu
TipThe Cretan list is the reason to linger. Ask what is open by the glass before committing to a bottle.