Fanari — Restaurant in Municipality of Rethymnon

One of the few positive things about our visit to Fanari restaurant in Rethymno was the portion size – it was generous. Unfortunately, that’s where the good impressions end.

Right at the beginning, we were served a cold bottle of water without being asked or informed that it would be added to the bill. The same thing happened at the end of the meal – a piece of cake was brought along with the check and was also charged, even though we never ordered it. In our opinion, customers should pay for what they choose to order. If something is placed on the table without prior consent, it should be complimentary – unless the customer is clearly informed about the extra cost beforehand.

As for the service, it’s hard to say whether it was friendly or not. The atmosphere felt distant and not particularly attentive, especially when compared to other restaurants in Rethymno, where staff are genuinely engaged and bring a positive energy to the dining experience.

Overall, it felt more transactional than hospitable – and that’s a shame, because in such a beautiful and welcoming place like Crete, one expects more warmth and...

The Best Seafood experience in Rethymno Old town at reasonable prices. I love the fresh fish flame grilled by Chef Vangeli. It’s a family run business so the experience is super and the service very good. Located on the seafront the perfect place to enjoy lunch or dinner. We were there on a hot day so it was nice the feel the breeze off the sea. My Mythos beer was served in a chilled glass. The boys don’t eat fish and had the veal schnitzel which was better than the schnitzel they had in Austria. It was served thin and crispy and not greasy. The boys favourite. The fries are fresh hand cut potatoes The salad was fresh and crispy. Chef Vangeli offered us local wild green vegetables that he served with our meal. At the end of the meal we were served fresh fruit on the house. To our surprise the meal was inexpensive and well worth it. The whole experience was good and we will be back for dinner this summer. Thank you Chef Vangeli and the family for the...

Rarely do I repeat a restaurant twice, especially while on vacation, but Fanari was a quick favorite that I had to have again. The location is right on the water with the best view of the sunset. We were lucky enough to sit at the same table twice (right at the top of the steps, a bit further forward than the rest of the sidewalk seating) and watch the gorgeous sky change colors. The food is phenomenal and truly a steal for the prices. Our first time, we had the seafood platter. The second time, I had the fried fish, and I'm still dreaming about them. Everything was fresh and cooked perfectly. Our waiter/host/(is it too soon to call him a friend?) Nikos is the best. He's one guy basically running the whole front of house operation. Such a kind, warm person and incredibly patient with the amount of tourists. We visited Chania and Heraklion, Santorini, and Athens, and this remains my favorite meal of the trip. Order a carafe of wine and just enjoy...