Chrysostomos Taverna

Chrysostomos Taverna at Arabatzoglou 6 in Rethymno's old town is the kind of restaurant that has become increasingly rare in Crete's popular historic towns — a genuinely unpretentious neighbourhood eatery that serves daily-changing home-cooked food at prices the local working population can afford. The setting is deliberately plain: Formica tables, plastic chairs, a handwritten menu on a small board, and a kitchen barely separated from the dining room. The elderly owner who runs the establishment has a reputation for insisting on bringing dessert to every table at no charge — a custom that speaks to an older tradition of Cretan hospitality that predates the tourist economy. The menu is built on whatever was fresh at market that morning. Moussaka appears regularly and is made in the traditional layered style with minced beef, potato, and béchamel. Gemista — stuffed tomatoes and peppers baked with rice and herbs — is another staple. Stuffed zucchini, bean dishes, and the classic Greek salad with local Rethymno produce complete the typical midday spread. Portion sizes are generous and prices are among the lowest for a cooked meal in Rethymno's old town. The restaurant operates as a lunchtime-only establishment, Monday to Saturday from noon to 16:00, closing when the food runs out — a sign of the mageirio style where cooking happens once in the morning rather than continuously through the day. Chrysostomos Taverna is located in the quieter streets of Rethymno old town away from the harbour-front tourist circuit, making it a rewarding find for those willing to walk five minutes off the main visiting route. Its status as a local institution in the Venetian old town of one of Crete's most beautiful cities makes it a genuinely worthwhile addition to any visitor's itinerary.