Almyrikia — Restaurant in Municipality of Platanias

I've been traveling in Crete for over 10 years and have eaten very well in many places. The restaurants that are in prime locations and tend to cater to mass tourism were sometimes problematic. We had now chosen this restaurant following a recommendation from our landlord and I was there at lunchtime to reserve a table for the evening (due to the weekend) and had a good impression. The lady who showed us the table in the evening and took our order was extremely nice and even asked if we wanted to have all the dishes (starters and main courses) at the same time - yes, we did. But the evening turned out differently than expected: we were given all the dishes one after the other, so we couldn't eat together as we had expected. The drinks were served by a young lady, the food was then placed on the table by a gentleman, almost without a word. I ordered “Mountain Green” as a salad and was served with a portion of warm leaf spinach. My mistake, because I didn't ask exactly, but was expecting a wild herb salad (yes, there is something like that in Crete). I would never have expected half a plate of cooked spinach as a starter. Sardines for €10 meant 10 sardines without any side dishes (a quarter of a tomato and a quarter of a lime were included). In terms of taste, the spinach and sardines were ok and the other dishes were also fine. But there was no more service. Since none of the dishes were served with tzatziki, we had to order it again - that meant getting up and going into the restaurant and asking, which also gave us the opportunity to ask for oil and salt, because that wasn't available at our table either. But we didn't want to spoil the evening and made the best of it. Sometimes things don't go well in a restaurant - that can happen. Finally, with the bill came a delicious piece of puff pastry pudding (one for four people is perfectly fine) and raki free of charge. I paid in cash, putting the notes in the bill folder including a 10% tip - which is somehow appropriate (card payment was not asked for or offered). The waiter came close to our table again, but even when we got up, no one took any notice of us. Since other guests were already standing in front of our table, we handed the bill folder to the waiter and said goodbye. The farewell was not returned; he was already too busy with the new Greek guests. So dear Almyrikia team, what did my family do to deserve this...

Great Food, but Service Process Needs Improvement

After more than 20 years of visiting the Greek islands, we’ve always appreciated the honesty and warm hospitality Greece is known for. While the food here was genuinely excellent, the billing process left us disappointed.

Highlights: • The kitchen deserves praise – the dishes were well-prepared and full of flavour.

Issues Encountered: • The waiter’s explanations about portions and sharing were unclear and didn’t match the menu, which may have led to an extra portion being added. • Payment had to be made at the bar, preventing us from reviewing the bill at our table. • A receipt was only provided on request, in Greek • We were mistakenly charged for a bottle of wine instead of a glass, although this was corrected with an apology once raised.

This all took place on a quiet evening in mid-September, with the restaurant half empty, so the mistakes cannot be blamed on pressure or busyness.

Advice for Visitors: The food is well worth trying, but check your order carefully and request a clear, itemised bill before paying.

Greek hospitality remains legendary overall, but this experience unfortunately didn’t reflect the standard we’ve come to...

Me and my wife found this absolute hidden gem on the beach and couldn't have been more happy.

We actually just went in for some wine and a Greek salad, but ended up ordering, saganaki, zucchini balls, meatballs and of course the Greek salad and wine. The free dessert served afterwards was scrumptious and they gave us a large Raki afterwards for free. Everything was absolutely divine!!! The prices are the best on the beach front as well.

Our server was extremely friendly, attentive and prompt. The entire staff was incredibly kind.

You're on the Aegean sea, so the view is incredible, but the atmosphere inside the taverna was laid back, with tables that are shaded perfectly!!!

In conclusion, this was the best Taverna I have been to on Crete thus far!!! I am here for Four more days and will definitely be visiting it at least a couple of more times. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this taverna on your trip to Crete!!! I am giving it, a very rare, 10 OUT OF 10. Yes, it's that...