Roaming around the alleys of the historical old town of Heraklion will have you stumble upon Sarantavga, one of the oldest “kafenio” tavernas in Crete, passed from generation to generation with a deep love and knowledge for simple, yet delicious food.

The best way to experience the culinary experience in Sarantavga is to sit down, listen to the “rebetika” music, as well as joyful Cretan tunes playing and order a glass of raki. And then the dishes start coming as a “meze”, meaning “appetizer”, but the food is so much and so good that it’s hard not to indulge and try every single dish.

Vegetable dishes, meat, fish, beans, it’s all in there. I tried the goat with red sauce, the “gigantes” beans, the local olives, the fava with onions, and the sauteed sausage. Yum!