Raki Ba Raki

Raki Ba Raki at Marineli 13 in Heraklion is one of the most authentic and celebrated raki bars (rakadika) in Crete — a tiny, packed institution in the backstreets of the city that operates on the traditional Cretan social model of raki drinking as a communal, convivial activity rather than a solitary one. The bar's name is a playful repetition — 'raki after raki' — that describes both the format and the spirit of the place. The owner is a well-known figure in Heraklion's nightlife and manages the bar with the confident arbitrariness of someone who has been doing it for years: he decides what meze will accompany each round of raki, and his selections are not questioned. This is not a restaurant where you order food; it is a bar where food appears as a consequence of drinking raki, curated entirely by the proprietor. The meze might include a plate of local cheese, a handful of olives, a few pieces of loukaniko, some pickled vegetables, or small bites of whatever was prepared that day. The raki itself — known in Crete as tsikoudia — is Cretan double-distilled grape marc spirit, clear and fiery, consumed in small glasses and never alone. The bar is small — perhaps fifteen to twenty seats — and frequently requires a wait. The crowd is local: Heraklion residents from their forties onwards, gathered in an atmosphere of animated conversation and periodic laughter that requires no translation. Visiting Raki Ba Raki is an immersion in Cretan social culture that no conventional tourist restaurant can replicate. The bar opens Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 02:00. Average spend is around €10 per person. Cash only is the expected payment method.