Going out for a Greek restaurant outside of Greece can sometimes be a disappointing experience for vegans. The menus are typically meat, fish and cheese oriented, with an only plant based dish of a mere salad. As in many other cuisines, the authentic plant based food could be discovered only when actually visiting Greece. This was the case with the wonderful Cretan cuisine which we discovered during a short visit to Chania. Crete is known for it’s magnificent olive oil, that you should definitely try. However, there are many other vegan dishes that one could devour while visiting the island. In this article we bring you are our favorite vegan friendly spots.
“To Stachi” Bio Slow Food
A family owned restaurant serving traditional, local and seasonal dishes. The restaurant is vegetarian, and most of the menu is actually vegan. It is located a bit outside of the crowded center of Chania in a romantic location near the sea. The interior is enchanting and full of local art. Before visiting, we saw videos of the owner and chef, foraging for fresh wild plants for cooking, which got us very excited as devoted foragers. During our Autumn visit we enjoyed typical seasonal dishes such as roasted okra, rice and herbs stuffed zucchini flowers, tomatoes and bell peppers, Moussaka and Kefteria for dessert, a traditional pudding made of grape must. All the dishes were extraordinary and delicious. We wish we had another evening in the city to try the rest of their menu.
Koutourouki
This small restaurant lies in the center of the old city but has a small and relaxed tavern feel. The vegan options include a traditional Fava spread, fresh savory pastries filled with local greens or fennel and cooked vegetables with their legendary local olive oil.
Terra Verde
In this organic shop you can find quality local products of Crete such as the olive oil, wild herb tea, spreads from wild herbs and also the delicious Cretan dessert Kefteria.
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