At the risk of sounding like an insufferable snob, my job as editor of The Slice newsletter means I often get to eat at some of London’s best restaurants.
One of my favourite cuisines is Greek – I love tearing flatbread to dip into smoky roasted aubergine, savouring souvlaki straight from the grill and tucking into hot strips of squeaky, salty halloumi.
But despite some impressive encounters with Greece’s gastronomy in my home city, nothing came close to the food culture I experienced on a recent visit to Crete.
After all, how can you beat juicy tomatoes that taste like sunshine, generous glugs of extra virgin olive oil grown just a few miles away, freshly made cheese from centuries-old recipes, decadent desserts dripping in Cretan honey… Sorry London, you don’t come close.
A Greek feast
My culinary adventure began at the IHG InterContinental Crete, a newly-opened luxury hotel on the seafront of Agios Nikolaos that promised to introduce me to the best grub Crete has to offer.
With swish interiors and an upscale but laidback vibe, the resort is already building a reputation as a premium ‘foodie’ destination.
The elevated menu at its restaurant Knossos is overseen by 2 Michelin-starred Athenian chef Nikos Rooussos, founder of London eateries Opso and Kima. The menu features traditional Cretan dishes such as locally caught seafood and Lichnarakia, cheese-stuffed pasties that can either be sweet or savoury (I liked the sweet version best).
The hotel’s welcome dinner provided the first taste of Crete’s most famous dishes, from the freshest ceviche I’ve ever tasted to thick scrolls of traditional Cretan pasta with roasted aubergine and soft mizritha cheese.
Next is Gamopilafo, a hunk of lamb, slow-roasted for hours, served over rice baked in the meat’s juices. It’s incredible; deeply savoury, the rice soaks up every flavour.
Our hosts, Eugenia and George, tell us this impressive feasting dish is traditionally served at weddings.
It checks out: the next day on a boat ride along the Mirabello coast, our skipper shares memories of his wedding day, which all revolve around his family feasting on Gamopilafo. I think I want it at my wedding, too.
The elixir of life
Cretans are known for longevity. The nearby island of Icaria is one of the world’s five Blue Zones, areas where people tend to live longer and with fewer diseases.
Alongside almost year-round sunshine and a slow pace of life, part of that is down to their diets, and in particular, antioxidant-rich olive oil.
I’ve done a few wine tastings in my time, but never olive oil. It turns out it’s not dissimilar – you even glug it from wine glasses.
We sip on three locally produced extra virgin olive oils, mainly made with Koroneiki olives, also known as the King of Olives.
The restaurant’s Executive Chef Giannis Mouladakis explains that the greener the oil (made using chlorophyll-rich young olives), the spicier the aftertaste. Golden oils are more subtle in flavour.
The third oil, a faint lime green, is more like whiskey than wine tasting: it caught in the back of my throat and made my eyes water.
I’ll stick to the smooth, less acidic style – I could happily dip a whole loaf into it. It’s good for me!
The following day we get up close and personal with Crete’s olive industry, high in the mountains in the village of Fourni, where Eugenia and George keep horses on their family’s farm.
While I was concerned to learn that my horse’s name means Lightning in Greek, what followed was a gentle walk through gnarled olive groves to quaint stone streets.
In October, the trees are approaching harvest time, groaning with small dark fruit. They look tempting and Lightning agrees, slyly snaffling for a nibble at every opportunity.
I’m given a tin of the farm’s golden olive oil to take home – far superior to any £6 bottle of EVOO you can pick up in the supermarket.
More cheese, please!
Another reward awaits us in Fourni.
Under a plane tree in the sleepy stone square is Platanos, a family-run taverna that’s as authentically Cretan as it gets.
Here I get the chance to see the cheeses I’d been salivating over all weekend be made: mizritha or Anthotyro, as it’s sometimes known on the island.
Our hosts set up a makeshift kitchen with everything needed for a full-scale cheese factory – a massive cauldron, gas burner, large metal bowls and plastic cylinders.
It turns out these traditional cheeses are made using one of the simplest methods possible. First, they pour sheep and goats’ milk into the vat, followed by lashings of salt and liquid rennet. As it comes to the boil, I have a go at stirring the bubbling liquid. Then suddenly it’s ready, as the curds start to clump together at the top.
These are spooned and tightly squeezed into the cylindrical colanders, ready to be set and matured into a hard cheese. We don’t have to wait to try it – they instantly whip out some they made earlier.
It’s crumbly and tangy, similar to feta, but unmatched in its smooth texture.
The whey, meanwhile, goes back in the pot for a second boiling, where it turns a loose, bright white with the texture of ricotta.
This is mizritha, and it’s delicious: creamy and sweet. I slather it on thick white bread dipped in tomato salad to make something like Dakos, a popular local tomato bruschetta-style dish.
But it’s even better as dessert, drizzled with a little Greek honey and eaten with a spoon.
If you want to eat in the Cretan way, it’s all about sharing. And alongside hearty dishes including meaty orzo pasta, rustic roasted okra and a simple tomato salad (washed down with an eye-watering glass or two of Raki), this turns into one of the loveliest meals I’ve had anywhere in the world.
What to do in Agios Nikolaos
A lively port town, Agios Nikoalos has several sandy and pebble beaches nearby, along with plenty of boutique shops, bars and cafes. The best public beach is Almyros, in the south.
For a change of scenery head to Lake Voulismeni. Set under a dramatic cliff face, this beautiful inlet was once a freshwater lake, so deep locals believed it was bottomless, but it’s now connected to the sea by a small rivulet.
How to get to Crete
The legend of Greek mythology has it that Voulismeni was the personal swimming hole of the goddess Athena, so I reckon it makes the perfect spot for a solo breakfast after a sunrise swim (the first time I’ve ever made it into the sea before 8AM on holiday).
The most relaxing place to eat here is Zygos Urban Garden – a trendy waterfront cafe.
I take a seat by a tiny wrought iron bridge and watch colourful boats bob in the water over a refreshing Greek frappe and a bowl of fruit and granola, topped with lashings of Greek yoghurt and honey.
The town’s port makes it ideal for boat trips along the craggy Mirabello coast, peppered with narrow coves and azure water.
For history, it’s hard to look past Spinalonga, a medieval fortress turned leper colony made famous by 2005 novel The Island.
Closer by, Agioi Theodoroi is just opposite Ag Nik harbour. The island is a national park, so its only inhabitants are curly-horned goats called Kri-Kri, an endangered breed and a symbol of Crete.
You can see them from one of the island’s stunning hiking trails, or by snorkelling to the wreck of a WWII plane from the beach.
Where to eat like a Greek in London
Oma & Agora, Borough Market
Oma was one of the most hyped openings of 2024 and the praise is well deserved. You’ll be fighting over small plates of avjar (roasted red pepper) dip and oxtail giouvetsi, a slow-cooked, meaty orzo dish.
If you don’t manage to get a booking, Agora downstairs is the noisier, more casual option, with a focus on the grill. It’s well worth queueing up for (they’ll serve cocktails while you wait.)
Evi’s, East Dulwich
This tiny neighbourhood spot started life as a souvlaki van at the local Saturday market. It was so popular, founders Evi Peroulaki and Conor Mills opened their first brick and mortar restaurant on the same road.
Souvlaki is still on the menu, alongside an incredible selection of traditional mezze, including flame-grilled pork skewers, incredible Greek dips, and halloumi smothered in chilli jam.
1905, Fitzrovia
London’s first dedicated Cretan restaurant, 1905 (named in honour of the island’s historic revolution). This is where you can try Skioufikta (thick rolled Cretan pasta in a gamey tomato sauce) and Gamopilafo (a rich, traditional lamb dish). Finish off with a plate of Lichnarakia, the sweet mizithra pies I couldn’t stop eating in Crete.
Sophie Laughton was a guest of the IHG InterContinental Crete. Rooms start from €235 (£197) per night for two adults, including breakfast.
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