Taverna Mariou — Restaurant in Municipality of Agios Vasileios

If I could add more stars, I would! The island of Crete is a guarantee for good food, but it's not everywhere that you are served with a gastronomic experience. A local suggest this tavern to us and unfortunately, if we weren't looking for it, we never would have come across it. It's a hidden gem up on the hill in Mariou village and has an amazing panoramic view. We went for a late lunch but I highly recommend it for dinner. They offer indoor and outdoor seating. The service is quick and very friendly. Along with the menu, the waiter brought an additional small menu with the specials of the day. We ordered one salad, two side dishes, two main courses and two beers (they serve the Cretan beer Harma here which is surprisingly not easy to find!). The portions were quite big and the meat courses were served with freshly cut fries. It is very rare for us to completely empty all plates, but we did because the food was THAT GOOD (MUST try the eggplant with tomato and cheese, it's amazing!). When we asked for the bill, we were served a complimentary fruit plate and raki. When we saw the bill, we were pleasantly surprised to find the prices to be very reasonable. I don't know what else to say, other than I wish we had known...

I'm very disappointed, with the outcome of our dinner there. Most important is the food poisoning we got. Out of the party of 3, 2 of us got sick from the undercooked pasta (Sioufixta). The location of the restaurant is very beautiful and is what catches your attention. The place is a victim of their own success. The staff can not manage the volume of customers, and the quality of the food ranges from excellent to poisonous because they can not handle the pressure. We asked repeatedly for items that they would constantly forget. We asked for some sauce 4 times until they brought it when we were done eating. We asked twice for an extra beer in order to get one. The waiters were as friendly as they could due to the panic they were in. In the end, we were given the bill that we gound out belonged to another table. Once we got our bill, we reviewed it, and we had been charged additional items, e.g, instead of 2 beers, 3 beers. Things you would not notice. We paid around 30 euro per person and they did not even offer raki at the end which...

This is undoubtedly one of the most delightful places we visited on Crete. Not only does it offer incredible flavors, but it also boasts breathtaking views. We found ourselves returning here three days in a row, and each visit brought more than just full stomachs - it left us with a lingering sense of joy and warmth, even as the strong winds swept outside each day. The desire to come back again and again was simply irresistible.

Their tzatziki is, without a doubt, the best we’ve tasted on the entire island - perfectly creamy, with just the right balance of garlic and refreshing herbs. Another standout is their baked feta wrapped in pastry, served with a signature sauce that creates a perfect harmony of textures and flavors, leaving a lasting...