Εστιατόριο Σπιναλογκα — Restaurant in Municipality of Agios Nikolaos

A Lucky Find — And Absolutely Thrilled! We stumbled upon this seafood restaurant by pure chance — and we couldn’t have been happier about it. The first positive impression came right away: a large private parking area just for guests — a rare find these days. We were welcomed with genuine warmth, and the owner herself took the time to explain the house specialties. Even I — normally not a big fan of fish — trusted her recommendation, and I was truly impressed. We started with fried calamari, crispy on the outside, tender inside — simply perfect. Then came the highlight: a Common Pandora (Pagellus erythrinus), a typical Mediterranean fish served fresh and expertly prepared. Its delicate, tender flesh and mild taste made it an unforgettable dish. To top it all off, we enjoyed a wonderful dessert and two perfectly chilled, freshly tapped beers — pure pleasure. Our verdict: An excellent restaurant with fantastic food, extremely friendly service, and a beautiful view. We will definitely be coming back — not only for the food but also for the warm, family-like atmosphere and sincere hospitality!

Since we enjoyed our first visit so much, we came back a second time — this time we tried the dorade royale. This fish was also excellent and...

What a fabulous restaurant!

We went there for lunch while at the beach and we loved it.

The owner was amazing with a huge friendly Cretan welcome. He sat us on a table overlooking the sea with a great view of Spinalonga and the boats travelling there.

The menu was good, and we selected a dish of four fish. The choice of fish was determined by what they caught that day because the restaurant has it's own fishing boat that catches it's ingredients in the early morning, so it is guaranteed to be fresh!

The fish was amazing, although I can't remember what we were served apart from Bream, which I do know we definitely had.

The fish were brought to us prior to cooking for approval and it was clear to see how fresh they were.

We also ordered a Cretan salad, which was fantastic - the tomato's on the Island are wonderful, so tasty and fresh! - and home made chips, which I have to say were some of the best chips we have ever had.

The fish was cooked to perfection and we enjoyed not only the food but the whole experience of eating there. It was a wonderful 2 hours and if we had time, we would have gone back there again.

I would highly recommend the restaurant to...

We have been visiting Spinalonga with my family for the past 10 years, usually two to three times per year. It used to be a truly authentic Greek cuisine restaurant, and most of the time we enjoyed fresh grilled fish. I would especially like to thank the wonderful staff, and in particular Vasilis, who always took great care in serving the amazing fish.

Unfortunately, this year’s visit was deeply disappointing. We came with two other families, 11 people in total, and the food was absolutely awful. The quality no longer reflects the restaurant’s former standards. Ingredients felt cheap, the squid was clearly frozen and poorly fried, and the so-called black dip sauce was dominated by low-quality mayonnaise. Even the dessert — just a plain yogurt (not even original) — was left untouched. The staff noticed and tried to bring additional fruits, but the problem could not be overlooked.

What makes matters worse is that while prices have increased, the quality of the food has absolutely declined.

I sincerely hope management will take immediate action to improve the cuisine and bring Spinalonga back to its...