Karnagio / Pita tou Riga — Restaurant in Municipality of Agios Nikolaos

A true gem in the heart of Agios Nikolaos

We had dinner at this restaurant on a summer evening in Agios Nikolaos, after a long excursion. We chose it based on several glowing reviews—and we couldn’t have made a better choice! There were four of us: my mom, my sister, my teenage daughter, and me. Despite the long line (a clear sign of how popular the place is), we were seated within 30 minutes, and the service was impressively fast and well-organized.

The staff was extremely kind and welcoming, even though they were clearly very busy. They were quick and efficient—not in a rushed or unpleasant way, but in a manner that, to me, honestly conveyed professionalism, energy, and a strong work ethic. It really added to the positive experience.

We ordered various traditional Greek dishes, all of which were delicious, flavorful, and generously portioned. Everything was fresh and beautifully prepared. The atmosphere was warm and authentic: you dine outdoors under a charming veranda, surrounded by colorful wooden tables and chairs typical of Greek tavernas.

At the end of the meal, we were offered a complimentary small appetizer, followed by a lovely dessert of baklava, chocolate mousse, and slices of fresh watermelon. All of this was accompanied by a glass of raki, in true Cretan tradition—a thoughtful touch that perfectly concluded the evening.

The only small downside is that, being an open-air space with closely placed tables, it’s possible to be bothered by cigarette smoke from nearby diners, as smoking is allowed outdoors.

That said, this was a wonderful experience that I highly recommend. I’ll definitely be coming back: this place truly immerses you in the warm, genuine atmosphere of Greek hospitality. Five...

My wife and I went to Greece on our honeymoon which was amazing all around. We went to different restaurants throughout our two weeks in Greece and enjoyed all of them. But Karnagio‘s was by far and away the best one we visited, so good that we went back again the following night! From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by the owner, George(in the green shirt in the pictures). He’s the most welcoming, friendly and thoughtful person you could meet. What other owner greets and sits all of the guests himself. The restaurant was packed and after our experience we know why. We were initially seated in a great spot but once he found out we were on our honeymoon he moved us to an even better spot by the water once the table opened up. Our waiter also included in the picture was phenomenal. Our drinks were delicious and we were never waiting for a refill. The food was priced extremely well and everything we had was delicious. Throughout our dinner they were bringing us different things to try. Once dinner was over they bring you a dessert plate which it seemed everyone was getting as you looked around the restaurant. They truly treated you like family. George was popping in and out of every table in the place making sure everyone was happy and they weren’t waiting on anything. Everyone on the staff was amazing from his children who work alongside him all the way down the list. Before I left he even gifted me a nice shirt as a memory. I could go on longer but I’ll just say, what an experience. We would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Crete. You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu and the atmosphere is second to none! Can’t...

I visited this place for my B-Day, yesterday, and unfortunately I had a very negative experience! The main issue was that I ordered "pan fried beef with vegetables, potato puree and honey" and received pork!!!! When I asked the waiter "what kind of meat is this, pork?"...he rudely answered "beef, very good beef meat". I will attach the photos where you can clearly see from miles away that the meat is pork (based on the color of the meat, texture etc.). Maybe in his limited imagination he thinks it is beef, but I cannot be fooled! Overall, the taste of the dish I ordered was OK, but I am disappointed due to their LACK of transparency and proffesionalism. Dear OWNER, if you cannot respect and offer the ingredients specified into your menu, take them out or inform the customer that a specific dish is not available, instead of offering something else!!!!!!!! My girlfriend ordered Greek salad which was OK, fried shrimps, they were frozen and not decorticated (you loose 30 minutes just to decorticate them), nothing special regarding the taste. In the end, they bring you some "free" desert, like 99% of the restaurants in Crete usually do, marketing strategy. Small toilet, without any indication for MEN / WOMEN, basically you share them, placed quite near the kitchen! 🤯 Nevertheless, after I asked for the bill, a lady came directly with the POS and informed me about the total amount that needs to be paid (the first restaurant in Crete that did this, totally unacceptable). Guys, we are in 2025, you should show the bill to the customer before he pays...again lack of education, stop using this cheap attitude, it will not gain any...