Othonas taverna — Restaurant in Municipality of Rethymnon

We visited this taverna after walking around a few places in the local streets on our last day in the city. I must admit to being sceptical as all of the tavernas employ the same enticement techniques in the street so I was expecting the norm. The guy in the street did his job and we entered with a dubious thoughts. The surprize was the excellent food and service we received for a "tourist area" given that we had been to local high class restaurants earlier in the week. This is a family business and it shows. Whoever was cooking did an an excellent job and the place was packed with locals and tourists. I had the lamb shank and was not expecting what I received. The size of the meal and the taste and quality was outstanding , my wife had the lamb chops and they also were excellent. In many years of travelling sometimes you get surprised and this was one of them. This was a hidden gem in the old town and as good as the high class places we recently had eaten in. Soup was supplied as sat down before we ordered and pudding was offered after the meal as part of the service. For me it was great to have a local wheat beer in bottles as a change from lager. I would recommend this taverna if you want tasty food. The choice/decision is yours , I can only advise from my experience. I don't tip but on this occasion it was...

Stopped in Rethimno after a full on day sightseeing around the island. A quick Google search for the “Best Gyros in the old town” brought us to Othonas.

The reviews were so correct.

The restaurant was the busiest out of the small strip of restaurants yet we were seated immediately outside. Traditional Greek music playing and a fantastic atmosphere around us.

Service was faultless, we were offered a small taster of the soup of the day - delicious. We ordered two of the Pork Gyros which comes with freshly cut chunky chips, a side of Tzatziki, the fluffiest freshly made pitta and some fresh vegetables. In addition a side order of Greek salad was a must.

The food was excellent - fresh, flavourful and seasoned to perfection. Value for money - cannot be faulted: two mains, a side and two large soft drinks came to approximately 45€. The portion sizes of our mains was HUGE!

The restaurant staff were so friendly and welcomed us into their establishment like it was their home.

After asking for the bill - we were brought a small piece of complimentary traditional Cretan dessert and a shot of Raki - a lovely touch to the end of a special dinner.

If you are staying in the area of Rethimno then you MUST try out Othonas! If you’re not staying in Rethimno…. You’d better get yourself there to try it out! You...

I cannot sing loudly enough the praises of Othonas; it is too wonderful. Along a well traveled street in the Old Town and perfect for people watching and enjoying a meal outside, it is not a tourist trap. It is an authentic Cretan culinary experience with impeccable service. The wine list was impressive but not overwhelming with options from Crete and Greece as well as elsewhere. The grilled vegetables were perfectly charred without being a mess and came with grilled pineapple and orange as well. The salad was a delight; with a wide variety of vegetables, figs, pomegranate, avocado, and delicately smoked pork (apakia) and they are happy to adjust to taste. The shrimp in tarragon garlic and brandy sauce was perfectly cooked and delicious and my lamb shank was fall off the bone tender. All this said two aspects deserve their own review: the dessert and the incredible service. The corn meal dough lightly fried and served with orange blossom infused honey was an illumination. We were near in tears. The chef and several waiters who regularly visited our table insisted we try the in house baklava and we're so glad we did we took a dozen more the next day to share with friends. The staff were so responsive and kind and knew exactly what to suggest. You will find yourself in no better hands than...