Taverna Giannousakis — Restaurant in Municipality of Milopotamos

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely Wonderful Experience at Taverna Giannousakis

We had an amazing lunch at Taverna Giannousakis and honestly, everything was just perfect.

The food was truly exceptional — full of flavor, fresh, and clearly made with love. Every dish felt like a piece of real Cretan tradition. The ingredients tasted local and seasonal, and you could really feel the care in the cooking. The portions were generous but balanced, and nothing felt rushed or heavy.

The service was kind, warm, and relaxed. The staff made us feel welcome from the first moment. No pressure, no stress — just genuinely friendly people who clearly love what they do.

The setting is beautiful: peaceful and charming, tucked in a traditional village, surrounded by nature. It’s the kind of place where you can take your time, enjoy every bite, and just sit back and relax for as long as you want. There was no noise, no rush, and even though we came during the day, it didn’t feel too hot — the space is well shaded and very comfortable.

Everything felt high-quality — the food, the service, the atmosphere. Nothing felt touristy or commercial. Just real people, real food, and a really special vibe.

Would absolutely recommend it to anyone passing through the area. This is exactly the kind of place you hope to find when...

This is a lovely place we found by accident but deliberately returned the next day it was so good, travelling a half an hour detour to get back there.

I had the Goat which was a special, I've never had goat before but this was slow cooked in red wine with onions and tomatoes and was stunning. My wife had the moussaka which she had many times before but said this was the best. The kids had pork steaks which were huge and succulent. We had complementary desserts and two bottles of shots, raki and a darker liqueur which was lovely.

The service was excellent, attentive and personalised. The cost was so cheap, probably the cheapest we have had in two years of visiting the island but definitely the best, you can tell that this is all home cooking.

The restaurant has great reviews and rightly so. They deserve to do well and I hope we get the chance to go again...

We were so looking forward to our dinner, but unfortunately, it was a real letdown. We ordered two of the daily specials, and both were very disappointing.

The rabbit stew was inedible due to a surprising number of loose bones and had no flavor at all.

The lamb tsigariasto was mostly bone and fat, with very little meat, and was also missing onions—a key ingredient. It was completely flavorless as well.

Even the sides were a miss. The tzatziki was served without pitta bread, and the "fried potatoes" were just plain French fries instead of the traditional Greek style.

As someone who loves Greek food and usually orders dishes like Beef Stiffado or Lamb Kleftiko, I was really hoping for an authentic, enjoyable meal. It's a shame to have traveled here and wasted an evening at this restaurant.

Maybe this is the authentic Cretan way and it just was not...