Taverna Natural — Restaurant in Municipality of Sitia

The atmosphere in this place is simply stunning. We drove past here on our way to our Airbnb and unanimously decided that this is where we are eating our first dinner in Crete. We then came back two additional times during our 5 days in east Crete. You have the most romantic sunset views over hills and the ocean, and having an outdoor dinner during golden hour makes the place an absolute showstopper.

Then comes the service! This place is owned by a Greek family. The wife not only takes your order but also goes back and then cooks you your dish. The husband works the grill. The charm of this place is that their family members go plucking the vegetables from a garden in front of you once you place your order. Everything is of the utmost freshness, and you can taste it. All our dishes tasted amazing, authentic and fresh.

When we arrived we were very hungry and wanted to order a few more appetizers, but she told us it would be too much for us to finish (and she ended up being right). She could have tried to make more money off of us by telling us to get the appetizers but she put our experience first and recommended the right amount, avoiding food waste and leaving us happy.

This place is truly a gem, food is super high quality, prices are very low for Crete, and I hope they will always have a thriving business. If I ever go back to this area, I will definitely eat there again.

Bonus: They had a little adorable puppy there who was entertaining us with his cuteness during our visit too ☺️ didn’t get a photo of him but he...

1. the "valet" greeted us with professionalism and the best manners possible, calm but diligent in his service (he's a four legged valet 😜)
2. the taverna is deliciously situated so that it offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains plunging into the sea, it's in an exquisitely calm and peaceful location where the only thing you hear apart the taverna ambience is the occasional goats passing above on the mountain peaks...
3. the taverna team is family run, hard working professionals with long experience, the lady in charge is deliciously welcoming and genuinely motivated to make your experience there a positive memory in every aspect of it.
4. the food was a true delight! The menu is simple so they can focus on bringing delicious flavor and aromas to what they offer, and the fresh fish choices we made were a-ma-zing !!

Conclusion: to be honest I was a bit in a doubt choosing which taverna to pick in the area for a romantic, honest (non tourist trap) and tasteful dinner and I was so glad to feel we made the best choice!

Thank you from the heart for such a warm treatment and...

We have found this place after being caught in a rainstorm and completely soaked. Right when arriving, the owner greeted us with bringing us an umbrella to walk in with, and after seeing our sorry, soaked state rushed to get us something warm to drape over our shoulders. They could not be hospitable towards us through the entire service, checking if everything was alright. We ordered a Greek salad and three portions of souvlaki, which were all amazingly done, the pork being really tender.

The menu lists items in 4 languages (Greek, English, German and French) so navigating through the options was really easy, and the staff speaks passable English as well.

The view from the taverna is nothing short of breathtaking, looking down the mountains and onto the sea.

However it is important to note that the owner's dog goes about the place as it pleases. While they are not looking to bother the guests (mostly just hoping for a few bits of food to fall down), if you are not comfortable with an animal's presence it may be better to reconsider...