Τα Χάλκινα — Restaurant in Municipality of Chania

We visited Chania during the slowest possible time- following the holidays, knowing our options of open establishments would be limited due to the low season, and were thrilled Chalkina was open during our stay- it was hands down one of the best meals we had over our ten day stay in Greece. Our host, and a local bartender we got to know, both recommended Chalkina for the traditional Cretian offerings. Their fried snails are said to be among the best, however winter is not snail season so we opted for the roasted mushrooms, meatballs and meat pie (with goat; pictured).

The meatballs were a lovely combination of seasoning and meat, with a crispy outside and perfectly decadent inside - which can be difficult to achieve but they did. The accompaniment of pita and tzatziki was well balanced.

The mushrooms are what I’ll dream of anytime someone offers roasted mushrooms from here out. Their carefully selection of different types, paired with their use of local herbs (including thyme and mint- yes, it works) and trip of truffle, avocado crème and roasted red pepper sauces were delicate and perfectly savory.

Pictured here is the “pie” which we had no idea what to expect. Many other “pies” we had tried were more like a small wrap or similar to a folded pizza/ calzone but this was a thing of beauty. As you can see, it was an incredibly generous portion of stewed goat meat, cheese, and basted with a rosemary butter that added to the rich flavor enhancing the entire experience.

We enjoyed the ambiance, service, and complimentary raki (offered as a digestif with most meals we had while in Chania.)

10/10 recommend this place, especially for the pie...

The showy way of serving you the bread with a well-choreographed sequence of oil-drizzling and salt and oregano-sprinkling does not absolve them of other faults: last night, at dinner they never served us 1 of the 4 dishes ordered. It had fallen through the cracks, it seems, they said, when we pointed it out them 45 minutes later. When we asked for more ice for our ouzo, they brought us a measly glass of ice 10 minutes later, with the excuse that the ice machine was acting up. When we asked for the bill, they told us "we will also offer you a dessert and a tsikoudiá on the house", something typical of all Chania restaurants. The treat stayed in the house alright, as it never materialized on our table until we paid our bill 12 minutes later. When confronted with the above, the waiter apologized and replied with the expected niceties about the human factor and the busy night. The garlic shrimp was excellent, and, naturally, we were not charged for the dish that was never served. The front of the house staff need to streamline their communication with the kitchen so that orders don't get lost. And, guys, do something about that ice machine, will you? Winter...

We spontaneously decided to enjoy a nice steak here – especially after catching a glimpse of the open grill kitchen. It’s definitely worth seeing and makes a strong visual impression.

Since we hadn’t made a reservation and it was prime dinner time, we had to wait a few minutes and were then seated at the edge of the terrace. A bit tight, but acceptable. A waiter quickly brought us the menus, but we had to wait quite a while to place our drink order. In the end, we ordered food and drinks at the same time – unfortunately, the food arrived before the drinks.

Even when the meal was served, the waiter didn’t notice that our drinks – including wine – were missing. Only after I actively addressed the issue did things start to move. By then, the steak had already been sitting for a few minutes on a plain white plate.

Conclusion: Meat quality: excellent Preparation: poor Service: weak It takes some effort to treat such a high-quality cut of meat with so little care.

Value for money: disappointing –...