7 Thalasses is the garden fish restaurant in Nea Alikarnassos, east of Heraklion, known for lobster spaghetti, paella and a bright courtyard room.
Signature: Lobster spaghetti, Paella, Tuna fillet
Order: Lobster spaghetti, the reason people drive out here
Tip: It sits by the municipal park in Nea Alikarnassos near the airport, so it works as a last dinner before an early flight.
Kritikos Fournos runs bakeries across Heraklion, and the Ikarou branch is the easy stop for ekmek kataifi and a box of cakes to carry back home.
Order: Ekmek kataifi, the syrup and cream classic
Tip: A Heraklion chain with several branches, useful because the Ikarou shop opens early on the airport road.
Worth the queue: Ekmek kataifi
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.
Spiros Psitopoleio is the neighbourhood grill house on Christomichali Xilouri in Heraklion, selling meat by the portion to a mostly local queue.
Try: Grilled meats
Order: A mixed grill portion to take away
Tip: A neighbourhood psitopoleio on Christomichali Xilouri, which means grilled meat by the portion rather than by the plate.
Gyrogonia works the gyros spit on Christomichali Xilouri in Heraklion until midnight, a plain takeaway counter with prices that match the setting.
Try: Gyros
Order: A chicken gyros pita, wrapped to go
Tip: Two doors from Spiros on the same street, which makes the corner a useful late-night detour east of the centre.
Mavrokostas sells homemade Greek food on 62 Martiron in Heraklion through the small hours, long after every other kitchen in town has shut down.
Try: Homemade Greek food
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.
Solo Cretan Craft Brewery brews unfiltered, unpasteurised beer on the edge of Heraklion, and walks visitors through the brewhouse and a tasting by booking.
Order: A tasting flight of the unfiltered Solo beers
Tip: Visits run daily between 11:00 and 16:00 and have to be booked ahead. Saturdays and Sundays are by appointment only.
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.
Mavrokostas keeps cooking homemade Greek food on 62 Martiron in Heraklion until six in the morning, and until eight in the morning at weekends.
Try: Homemade Greek food
Order: Whichever tray of homemade food is still hot
Tip: The last kitchen standing in Heraklion. Weekend service runs until eight in the morning, which is not a typo.
Mavrokostas is the 62 Martiron kitchen in Heraklion, Crete that stays open until six in the morning, and until eight on Friday and Saturday.