Loggia Taverna — Restaurant in Municipality of Rethymnon

Do NOT eat here. That's all you need to know. TLDR: our server, who may or may not have been the owner, was incredibly rude and intentionally and shadily over-sold the plates to us so he could charge us more, then when questioned, aggressively accused us of not being clear about what we actually wanted. (We were VERY clear about what we wanted.) The food quality was pure trash, rubbery seafood cooked in days old oil, charged us the wrong prices on our receipt and then argued with us when confronted about it. Shady business and really poor quality food. The only bad experience we had in Crete. Avoid this place. Tell your friends to avoid this place.

The details! Here's what happened a few days ago when my friends and I stopped for a bite at Loggia Taverna in Rethymno:

After spending a beautiful afternoon exploring the Venetian Fortezza, we were looking for a spot to snack on some fresh calamari fritti and quench our thirst with some beers before heading back on the road. The patio caught our eye, just off the main tourist path, and seeing quite a few more people sitting out under the awnings we thought it looked like the perfect spot. Do not be fooled! The food and service does not live up to the visual vibe the place is selling. Shoulda read the reviews, y'know?!

Our server, who might have been the owner but also maybe not, was an impatient and gruff man. He seemed almost irritated that this was his job. He interrupted us as we spoke, and made suggestions as to the quantity of items we should order. Although we informed him we were looking for a quick calamari appetizer and beer, he suggested we order a couple of plates because the portion size is small. We trusted his suggestion, but he ordered calamari "meals" for us (not apps) so he could charge us more. This became apparent only after the food arrived at our table and was way more than we wanted or needed. We should have sent it back, but too quickly had started digging in before we understood what was going on. The calamari was rubbery, absolutely not fresh, and not even good quality frozen squid. The batter was chalky and weird, mildly burnt, you could taste the old dirty oil being used to fry this food.

Sometimes bad food can be overlooked when the experience is great. Maybe your server is so fun and charming and helpful and nice so when your food isn't amazing, it doesn't matter. Our experience was the exact opposite. Everything was bad. The service, the food, the vibe. This guy is a crook and a thief and a shady desperate man with no integrity in the way he conducts business. Stay away, he is a major bummer and will kill your...

Great place with delicious food

What a hidden gem this place is! It’s hidden up a little alleyway but well worth seeking out! We visited as a family of 10 and were given a table outside in the alley which is a perfect spot to sit and watch the crowds walking by at the end of the alley whilst you’re sitting in peace. The service was so friendly and helpful, spot on with the timings! We all ordered starters which everyone enjoyed and they left a perfect gap between that and the mains. I hate it when you feel the food is rushed out in order to turn the table for another customer. The stuffed mushrooms and the sharing starters were particular hits. Then the mains. Again, all of us really enjoyed them, pretty unusual when there’s 10 of us! The steak was perfectly cooked, the gyros was the best we’ve had all week and the fish platter was spectacular! If you order the fish platter then don’t attempt a starter too though! It even defeated my 19 year old son who can put it away with the best of them The wine was good and the beer cold. Free puddings and shots, what more can I say apart from it's our favourite restaurant so far in Rethymno...

We had an unfortunate experience today at this restaurant I’m afraid. We arrived with the intention of having a few appetizer dishes and drinks due to travel timing limitations, and mentioned to the waiter that we are only ordering starters. Not only was he overtly rude when taking our orders, he advised us to order multiples of the dishes because they are small, and then brought out and charged us for larger meal portions of each order! When we asked about it, he accused us of not informing him of whether we are ordering a starter or meal. It was very clear that this restaurant management is more interested in scamming tourists than providing a memorable and reputable experience. Would not recommend visiting this restaurant - our only bad experience in the land of flavor and kindness...