Othonas taverna

I had the absolute pleasure of dining at Othonas for ten days in a row during my stay in Rethymno, and I can confidently say it was one of the highlights of my trip to Crete. Nestled in the charming old city center, Othonas combines traditional Cretan hospitality with a refined culinary touch that makes every visit memorable. Over the course of ten days, I had the chance to try nearly the entire menu, and not once did I feel repetitive. Each dish was unique, perfectly balanced, and full of authentic flavors. From the slow-cooked lamb and fresh seafood to the vibrant salads and house specialties, the food consistently exceeded expectations. Portions were generous without sacrificing presentation or quality. The staff deserve special mention: warm, attentive, and genuinely passionate about sharing Cretan culture through their cuisine. They happily explained ingredients, recommended local wines, and always made me feel like a valued guest rather than just a customer. Dining here felt less like eating out and more like being welcomed into a friend’s home. For anyone visiting Rethymno, Othonas is more than a restaurant—it’s an experience. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It's at another level. Just try

Wonderful place. Chose it after reading reviews here. The fried feta with figs is something, a must try for everyone. We had fish and prawns, everything was very tasty. The service is excellent, the waiters are smiling and kind, which, by the way, is a rarity in Crete. Here you will also have an opportunity to make beautiful "Instagram" photos in the restaurant's courtyard.

Great service with a friendly staff. Despite being crowded, you don't wait much to be served. The place is simple but the food is amazing: delicious and inexpensive. Highly recommend.

I’ve now been in Greece for six weeks and this was by far the best gluten free meal I’ve had!! Beautiful, traditional Cretan food, cooked to perfection! Menu is marked with GF, and all servers had a good understanding. It was so hard to choose what to eat but I ended up going for pork in sweet and sour sauce, and sharing a Cretan salad. They brought out free yogurt and honey and raki at the end!! Great service, great location, great atmosphere, I wish I could go back!! 👏

We didn't eat a full meal because we'd snacked earlier. We enjoyed a small meze of Tsatziki, taramasalata and zucchini balls with a 0.5 liter of retsina. All were very good. I looked around and other people's food looked very good too including a chicken souvlaki, lamb shank and I think someone had a cutlet too. The "main man" (older gray haired) is very well-versed in Greek wines and provided anecdotes and explanations to tables around us. He prides himself on his knowledge of Greek wine so definitely ask him for a recommendation. As almost here, the endearing custom, of dessert on the house and a glass of raki was provided with our bill.

We randomly went there and while we were checking the menu, one of the staffs came to greet us with a very nice and welcoming gesture. So we decided to give this place a try. The staff will explain the menu carefully for you and the moment you sit down, they will bring you a “shot” of veggie soup for you as the welcoming complement. We ordered pork gyros and shrimp pasta. For the drink we had house red wine and Mythos draft beer. All were super good. I love my shrimp pasta and my boyfriend said that his gyros pork is totally nice. Total bill was approx. 40e and at the end, they gave us two shot of raki (local alcohol) and some watermelon as the complement from the house as well. This tavern is kinda like family run business with a lot of enthusiastic energy. I love this place. It is totally worthy to try.

A 4,8 out of more than 3500 reviews, that has to means it's good.. So we went to check it out. We did question ourselves why this place was packed and the place nextdoor was empty. I'll tell you right now, it was really good. Not only the food but also the service and a good price! (€58) We had a Gazoza to drink (local 7up), a beef Giovetsi and two schnitzels with beer saus. The portions were more than enough. Right after jou take place they serve you a sort of soup as a welcome and afterwards they serve raki with a small piece of cake. All free of charge. It's a 1 hour 45 minutes drive from our hotel so we won't be returning to the restaurant otherwise it could be our daily restaurant.

You want to eat the best food and being served by the best staff? This is the place! First of all, dont skip FETA SAGANAKI with FIGS!!! Amazing.. We ate Octopus and Lamb (literally any type of lamb, you want miss it) Highly recommend this true Greek restaurant!