Maracaibo Restaurant — Restaurant in Municipality of Kissamos

Maracaibo Restaurant and Aruba Cafe Bar: A Hidden Gem in Crete

During our recent stay in Kissamos, my friends and I stumbled upon the most delightful culinary haven – Maracaibo Restaurant and Aruba Cafe Bar. Nestled in the heart of Crete, this pair of eateries truly made our trip unforgettable. Living nearby, we couldn't resist visiting them multiple times, and each experience was nothing short of exceptional.

Maracaibo Restaurant

Maracaibo Restaurant is a celebration of traditional Cretan cuisine, where every dish is crafted with fresh ingredients sourced from their own garden. The menu may be concise, but this focus allows them to perfect every single dish they offer. The octopus, for instance, was a revelation – tender and flavorful, paired with the best fava I've ever tasted in Greece. It was so good that I couldn't help but order it twice! The beef pasta was equally impressive, with incredibly tender meat that melted in your mouth.

The attention to detail at Maracaibo is astounding. Even the complimentary bread, served with cooked olives, felt special. The staff's warmth and hospitality added to the charm – their kindness shone through in every interaction. Iliana, the owner, took the time to visit our table, answer our questions, and ensure we were having the best experience. Her graciousness and generosity, offering us complimentary drinks and constantly checking in, made our meals even more memorable.

Aruba Cafe Bar

Aruba Cafe Bar, right next to Maracaibo, was an equally delightful surprise. We decided to try it for breakfast and were blown away. Not a single crumb was left on our plates – a testament to how delicious everything was. As a coffee aficionado, I can confidently say their coffee was the best I've had in Greece. The food was a revelation – the Croque Madame and Katsu Sando were both phenomenal, easily earning a 100/10 rating. The presentation was as beautiful as the flavors were delicious.

Our time at Maracaibo Restaurant and Aruba Cafe Bar was an absolute highlight of our trip to Crete. The incredible food, impeccable service, and genuine kindness of everyone we met made us feel right at home. If I could, I'd spend an entire summer there, enjoying daily breakfasts and dinners in these wonderful establishments.

Thank you, Maracaibo and Aruba, for such a fantastic experience – we can't...

Cosy but not tidy, the inside restaurant has a corner used for storage. There is a dog locked up in a cage just outside oft the restaurant which is just sad. The waiter was nice, however the other people working there did not smile much which is fine but too bad bc it reflects on the restaurant. There is no menu, only menus of the day which is fine but not advertised anywhere until seated, to our disappointment by we looked forward to an oven cooked meal, which is advertised. But the choices were plenty and there was one vegetarian option. No vegan options though except salads and appetizers. We were not THAT impressed wi the food, it was fine but nothing blew our socks off except the stuffed zuchetti flowers and aubergine with tomatoes, onions and feta. The waiter was very friendly and chatty towards the end. Stray cats (3) come and sit at your feet waiting to bed fed. One tried to jump up a few times. Don't feed them and watch your food. Dessert and one raki shot per adult served. Since there was no menu we didn't know what prices we were paying but when we got the bill it was very fair and so we would definitely recommend it to those up for surprise local cretian meals and...

This was a meal where we thoroughly enjoyed every single dish we had! We drove by this place on our way to Elafonisi Beach from Chania and after reading some solid reviews, decided to go for it despite there being many other restaurants along the way.

We are so happy we went with Maracaibo Restaurant! Our server was super friendly and patient with our questions about the menu. We had the stuffed zucchini blossoms (which were my mom’s favorite), tzatziki, lamb in white wine (soooooo good!!!), grilled sea bream (which was my aunt’s favorite despite having it 3x throughout our entire stay in Greece), and giourvarlakia (which was amaze-balls, pun intended). All of it was fantastic, as well as the complimentary flan-like dessert we had (with honey instead of caramelized sugar) and raki. All that and a glass of white wine was only €44.50! #jawdrop

I highly recommend stopping here on your way back from the beach. Especially if you are driving back to Chania. The rest of the drive is super smooth and easy—it took us only 35 mins to get back to Old Town...