Magna Grecia — Restaurant in Municipality of Chania

This is the most beautiful dining experience we had on our five week trip in Europe. Now I'm not talking about bells and whistles and white gloves. I'm talking about a genuine human connection.This is a humble, welcoming, unassuming, heartwarming and genuine place. Firstly the owner what a divine man. So genuine, welcome and actually interested in who you are. We ordered the meat and cheese platter and because we mentioned being originally from NZ he then brought out sheep's milk cheese. I've never in my life felt so connected in a restaurant to the people, you feel like a friend eating in someone's home. The passion, the dedication and the care for his customers is second to none. Also he had a great playlist going ! On our way out he shook our hands and wished us luck with our lives. I said to my husband imagine a world where all restaurants were like this where you felt so full in your body and your heart!

Now to the food. We got 2 pastas approx $12 each ( great deal) , fresh ,delicious, tasty and balanced. I had the mushroom and parmesan gnocchi , to die for ! When I mentioned things I liked about the Gnocchi the owner explained how he got it that way. You can just tell there is so much love and intentionality behind the food.

Thank you so much Massimo from your Tasmanian/ NZ customers, we are so grateful to have met you and had your beautiful service. When we are back in Greece we will...

Let's be honest. This place is less than average. As a level 6, reviewer on Google I wouldnt recommend this place. Let me share with you my experience. I ordered pasta. The pasta came was overcooked!!! I said to the Italian manager and he said "you greeks like pasta a bit soft that's why I cooked it like this for you"!! Yes but if I wanted soft pasta (which noone likes BTW), I wouldnt have come to an "italian" restaurant in the first place, right? Plus, if I wanted soft pasta... I would have asked for it! Waiter was trying to chose my drink for me "take an aperol" and I kindly told him"no it's ok, just a coke is fine". We are waiting for the "pasta" and he brings... Aperol! I told him "I didn't order this, I got a coke" and he said "listen I am Italian and I know better than you. You must drink aperol with your pasta". I told him "I don't want!!! I don't drink alcohol". Only then he got the aperol back to bring me my coke! Of course we never got a receipt and we definitely paid more than we should. Italian guy is funny and nice to chat. But this place is definitely not a place to go and have something eat. Maybe good for a drink and chat with the Italian waiter (very friendly this is why I gave an extra star). Ooh and portions are small for what you pay. Really small. I wouldn't say that food is bad, it's tasy but...

I am not sure why people are so positive about this place. I agree about the service: very friendly staff with old fashioned manners which is hard to not like. However, price to quality ratio is not reasonable at all. 4 people pastas + cocktails = 80 EUR. Ragou, which was for sure the best (and the biggest) course we had there, quite good but far away from real italian ragou. Lazania was bland and very small (my wife which has nothing common with Italy makes much better lazania and closer to the original one), truffles pasta very simple, flat and cold. I have visited many top quality italian restaurants along entire Europe and this is not even close to the best original italian cuisine. If I can advise something, use more spices, salt and pepper sometimes are needed ;] I apprecieate that you make pasta by your own. We also received some cheese to tastes for free which was very pleasing gesture. But still, the main dishes are simply very flat and mostly served cold. Due to also small portions I had to eat some street food right after that visit (very close is extremely good meat street food). So, to sum up, I like the place and staff, looks very authentic but I have to be fair, in comparison with other Chania/Crete restaurants, that one is 1-time visit type of place, not...