Ela

Ela is a traditional Cretan restaurant at Kondylaki 47 in Chania's Old Town, close to the Venetian harbour, on the island of Crete in Greece. The restaurant occupies a former Venetian building, one of the many stone houses that survive from the centuries of Venetian rule, and the setting suits a menu focused on Cretan home cooking. The cuisine is straightforward and rooted in island produce: olive oil, barley rusks, local cheeses, greens, lamb and pork. Signature dishes include dakos, the Cretan barley rusk topped with chopped tomato, soft myzithra cheese, olive oil and oregano; kalitsounia, the small cheese or herb pastries found across Crete; and grilled Cretan sausages. Together these give a quick tour of everyday island food, which makes Ela a useful first dinner for visitors new to Cretan cuisine. The dining room has the unfussy feel of a family taverna, with a relaxed pace, moderate noise and a casual dress code. Tables are a mix of indoor rooms in the old building and, in season, seating along the street. Prices are moderate, with a typical meal costing roughly EUR 25-35 per person with drinks, which is below the harbour-front average. House wine and tsikoudia, the local grape spirit often offered after a meal, are the usual accompaniments, and Cretan wines are generally available by the carafe or bottle. Reservations are recommended for dinner in summer; for lunch and off-season visits, walk-ins are generally manageable. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily in season, though visitors travelling in winter should confirm hours locally. Its position on Kondylaki, a street running through the Old Town, places it within a short walk of the harbour, the Municipal Market and the main Old Town sights, which makes it easy to fit into a day of sightseeing in Chania.