Food is a very important part of life and hopefully you will appreciate the simplicity of the Cretan & Greek cuisine.The food is prepared quite simply. Fish is usually baked or grilled and served with a lemon & oil sauce. Meats are usually grilled or cooked as a stew. Spices are minimal such as salt & pepper & some local herbs (oregano- thyme- basil) the oil (always olive oil) must be the best, the fish very fresh, the meat tasty and the vegetables preferably just picked from the garden. Then and only then can a meal have the potential of being a good meal. Sometimes some of the best tavernas may have neon lights and the walls may not be decorated with any taste, but the food will be scrumptious. So don’t let décor throw you off.
For Cretans, a meal is a social occasion and accordingly, food is ordered for the "table", not for the individuals. You order a bit of everything, spread it around the table, or more often cover the table with different dishes and everybody picks at everything,