Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
few vegetarian choices as well.
May-Oct daily 1pm-late.
Fanari
Makedhonías 5
T
28310 50070.
A good-value
little taverna, below the fortress on a seafront terrace with
wonderful open sea views, serves up tasty lamb and
chicken dishes.
Daily lunch & dinner.
Kyria Maria
Moskhovítou 20
T
28310 29078.
Tucked
down an alley behind the Rimóndi Fountain, this quaint,
unassuming little taverna serves tasty mezédhes and
good-value fish and meat dishes; after the meal, everyone
gets a couple of Maria's delicious
tyropitákia
with honey on
the house.
May-Oct daily noon-late.
Ì
Mesostrati
Yerakári 1.
Just behind the church on
Platía Martíron, this is a pleasant little neighbourhood
ouzerí/taverna serving Cretan country dishes and
mezédhes, on a small terrace. It's frequented by some of
Réthymnon's (and Crete's) top lýra and lauto players who
often hold impromptu jam sessions.
Mon-Sat
11am-3pm
& 6pm-2am, Sun 6pm-2am.
O Gounas
Koronaiou 6
T
28310 28816.
Hearty, no-frills
traditional cooking by a family who leave the stove to
perform lýra every night, and when things get really lively
the dancing starts.
May-Oct daily dinner only.
Stella's Kitchen
Soulíou 55
T
28310 28665.
Great-
value little diner tucked away in an alleyway, serving
healthy, home-baked food and six daily specials (at least
two of which are vegetarian, from €4); also good for
breakfasts.
Daily 9am-9pm.
Tapas y Vinos
Melissinoú 14
T
28310 58554.
An expat
from Málaga runs Réthymnon's authentic Spanish tapas
bar, complete with ethnic decor, a great tapas range,
excellent
jamón serrano
and superb Spanish wines.
Daily
1pm-late.
Ì
Thalassografia
Kefalogiánidon 33
T
28310
52569.
Near the fortress, this modish taverna perched on a
cliff overlooking the sea is one of the “in” places for locals to
dine out. Tables have sensational views, service is slick and
dishes such as
arní sti stamna
(jugged lamb; €8) hit the
spot.
May-Oct daily11am-late.
Ì
To Pigadi
Xanthoudhídhou 31
T
28310 27522.
Excellent taverna in the old town serving traditional dishes
with a twist, such as pork with wild greens and lemon (€8).
Reasonably priced and efficient service. The name is a
reference to the ancient well (
pigádi
) on the attractive
terrace.
May-Oct daily lunch & dinner.
7
NIGHTLIFE
Nightlife is concentrated in the streets immediately behind the inner harbour. A relatively new café-bar scene popular with
the local university student community has taken root around Platía Plastíra, above the inner harbour.
Envy
Archadiou 226.
Music and dance bar with a mix of
house, techno and rock with a fun, casual atmosphere. Watch
out for the explosive cocktail shots.
Daily 11pm-dawn.
Kenzo
Platía Plastíra
T
28310 51488.
One of the row of
trendy cafés above the Platía
,
with a young crowd, one of
the sitting cafés rather than a bar. The large terrace looks
out to sea, making it a good spot for a sunset drink.
Daily
10am-late.
Metropolis
Neárchou 24.
In the small alley between the
inner harbour and Arkhadíou, this loud music and dance
bar plays 70s, 80s and rock music, with occasional
performances by live bands.
Mar-Nov daily 10pm-late.
Nuvel
Inner harbour.
Chic café bar with a large terrace by
the harbourfront. Open all day, the music gets louder as
night falls.
Daily 9am-late.
Opera Club
Salamínos 12
T
694 43 33 282.
One of the
town's bigger dance clubs with an eclectic mix of Greek and
western rock and lots of strobe pyrotechnics.
May-Oct
daily 11pm-dawn; Nov-April weekends only.
Around Réthymnon
To the southeast of the city the best-known, and still the most worthwhile, short trip
that can be made is to the
monastery of Arkádhi
, some 25km and immaculately
situated in the foothills of the Psilorítis range. Leaving Réthymnon to the west, the
main road climbs for a while above a rocky coastline before descending to the sea,
where it runs alongside sandy
beaches
for perhaps 14km. About 7km before
Yeoryioúpoli
, the beach widens and scattered hotel development appears along the
coast. If you have your own vehicle, there are plenty of places to stop for a swim, some
with hardly anyone else around - but beware of some very strong currents.
Monastery of Arkádhi
Daily 9am-8pm • €2 •
T
28310 83136
he
monastery of Arkádhi
is also something of a national Cretan shrine. During the 1866
rebellion against the Turks, the monastery became a rebel strongpoint in which, as the
Turks gained the upper hand, hundreds of Cretan independence fighters and their families
