https://www.spinalonga-restaurant.com/links.html

Spinalonga Restaurant, Πλάκα, Eloúnda (2026)

04/09/2026

Psst. Come here. I want to show you something.

This side of Spinalonga, hardly anyone sees this. It happens for the early birds.

The sun comes straight up out of the water and says kalimera to the whole bay.

So tell me. Are you an early bird like me, or more of a night owl?

Gláros

· · ·

Ψιτ. Έλα εδώ. Θέλω να σου δείξω κάτι.

Από αυτή τη μεριά της Σπιναλόγκα, ελάχιστοι το βλέπουν αυτό. Γίνεται για όσους ξυπνούν νωρίς.

Ο ήλιος βγαίνει ίσια μέσα από το νερό και λέει καλημέρα σε όλο τον κόλπο.

Πες μου λοιπόν. Είσαι πρωινό πουλί σαν κι εμένα, ή μάλλον νυχτοπούλι;

Γλάρος

📍 Plaka, Elounda · Opposite Spinalonga

Kalimera

29/08/2026

Table four ordered this, and I stopped being a polite bird.

You smell it long before you see it. Garlic, white w**e, the whole sea in a hot pan. On the roof that smell arrives first, and after that a bird has to know more.

So I flew a lap. Low, casual, professional. Linguine, prawns, clams, mussels, a few cherry tomatoes that gave up all their sweetness, and lemon zest over the top. The shells open into the sauce and leave their flavour behind. That is the whole trick, and it takes a good pan and someone who watches it closely.

Second lap. They had started with knife and fork, very correct, very polite. Then the prawns happened. The fingers came out. Somebody laughed.

Third lap. The bread went once around the bowl for the last of the sauce, which is the best part of the whole dish.

Fourth lap. They sat back with a big smile on their faces and watched the island. For a long time. Very peaceful. Very moving.

Not even one clam.

And there I was, back on my roof, a patient bird, a hopeful bird, slowly becoming a philosophical bird. So many years of supervising this terrace, and this is what it comes to.

Table four, I am giving up nothing. I am flying past again tomorrow.

Filakia anyway. 💙

Kali orexi.

Gláros

For my Greek friends, the Greek version is in the comments.

· · ·

📍 Plaka, Elounda · Opposite Spinalonga
🐟 Daily 10:00 to 22:00

CretanFood FreshFromTheSea

25/08/2026

I have watched this island for years. Here is how to have your Spinalonga day properly.

Come in the morning, or in the evening. The light is soft then, and the island feels almost quiet. In high season the middle of the day gets very hot over there.

Start in Plaka. The crossing takes about ten minutes, and any boat brings you back whenever you please.

Two tickets, and this surprises almost everyone. You buy the boat ticket in Plaka before you step on board. You buy the island ticket at the gate when you arrive. Ask us and we will show you the way.

Then my favourite trick. You arrive through a tunnel. The people who lived there called it Dante's Gate, and for them it was a one way door. Most groups turn the same way after it. Walk the other way, and the old street belongs to you for a while.

Most people walk the island in about an hour. Two hours if you stop and read.

And ask someone about Epaminondas. He arrived blind in one eye and missing an arm, and gave that island a school, a hospital and a newspaper. Victoria Hislop brought this island back into the world with her novel. Epaminondas lived it.

Then come back across the water. You will arrive thirsty and hungry, and that is exactly the right moment. A table by the water is waiting on this side, and lots of yummy food. Filakia anyway. 💙

Kali orexi.

Gláros

For my Greek friends, the Greek version is in the comments. I simply have too much to say.

· · ·

📍 Plaka, Elounda · Opposite Spinalonga
🐟 Daily 10:00 to 22:00

20/08/2026

Me and my best friend today. Short lunch break, both of us in the shade.

We have the same job, if you think about it. I watch over this bay. Giannis watches over the Spinalonga Restaurant.

Normally you find him standing at the door. He greets you with that smile of his and asks how you are, like he has known you forever. Somehow, after about four seconds, it feels like he has.

High season in Plaka right now. Plenty to do. Every year the same beautiful thing happens anyway. Wonderful people keep arriving at these tables, and the family keeps welcoming them like family.

So we sat down for a moment. Two colleagues taking a break.

Then back to work. Giannis has to be at the door to welcome the guests. I have a bay to supervise.

Filakia anyway.

Gláros 💙

· · ·

📍 Plaka, Elounda · Opposite Spinalonga

Crete

Εγώ και ο καλύτερός μου φίλος σήμερα. Μικρό μεσημεριανό διάλειμμα, και οι δύο στη σκιά.

Κάνουμε την ίδια δουλειά, αν το καλοσκεφτείς. Εγώ φυλάω τον κόλπο. Ο Γιάννης φυλάει το Spinalonga Restaurant.

Συνήθως τον βρίσκεις όρθιο στην πόρτα. Σε καλωσορίζει με εκείνο το χαμόγελό του και σε ρωτάει πώς είσαι, σαν να σε ξέρει από πάντα. Και κάπως, μετά από τέσσερα δευτερόλεπτα, νιώθεις ότι όντως σε ξέρει.

Είναι αιχμή της σεζόν στην Πλάκα. Έχει πολλή δουλειά. Κάθε χρόνο συμβαίνει όμως το ίδιο όμορφο πράγμα. Υπέροχοι άνθρωποι φτάνουν σε αυτά τα τραπέζια, και η οικογένεια τους υποδέχεται σαν δικούς της.

Έτσι, καθίσαμε για λίγο. Δύο συνάδελφοι που έκαναν ένα διάλειμμα.

Και μετά πάλι στη δουλειά. Ο Γιάννης πρέπει να είναι στην πόρτα να καλωσορίζει τους επισκέπτες. Εγώ έναν κόλπο να επιβλέπω.

Φιλάκια έτσι κι αλλιώς.

Γλάρος 💙

13/06/2026

Every good kitchen keeps a secret. Our kitchen keeps a fairy.

Maybe you have tasted her magic already. The Spinalonga Salad - our guest favorite.

Tender baby leaves, still cool. Sweet little cherry tomatoes. Parmesan, shaved so thin it almost disappears on your tongue. A handful of mixed nuts for the crunch. And a thread of balsamico over the top, the way you would sign your name.

Her name is Giota. She works in the cold corner of the kitchen, and from there she conjures every salad, every tzatziki, every cold mezze that reaches your table first, long before the warm dishes are ready. She has been with us for more summers than I can count. A true treasure in this kitchen.

I love Giota. She feeds me, and she is wonderful. And our guests love her salads.

Filakia, Giota. 💙

Kali orexi.

Gláros

29/05/2026

This weekend, all of Greece will be at the sea.

Sunday, May 31st is Agiou Pneumatos. Pentecost in the Orthodox tradition. While the Catholic world celebrated last Sunday with the Gregorian calendar, we Greeks follow the old Julian calendar and the ancient lunar tables from Alexandria. Same feast. Different moon. Different Sunday.

Pentecost is no small thing here. The Orthodox call it the „second Pascha“. Three days of celebration. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Family gathers. The grandmothers cook. The grandchildren swim. The whole island moves toward the water.

Plaka is going to be alive.

A small whisper from your favourite seagull: if you are coming with the family, three generations at one table, perhaps four, please reserve in advance. We now have an online booking link in our bio. A few clicks. The table is yours.

Bigger gathering needs bigger table. And the best tables look directly at Spinalonga.

I will be on my usual railing. Watching. Counting plates. Hoping.

Pame. The sea is waiting. Filakia.

Gláros 💙

📍 Plaka, Elounda · Opposite Spinalonga · 🐟 Daily 10:00 – 22:00

26/05/2026

Some of you call Greece a „developing country“ for vegetarians.

I have heard you. From my railing. 😏

Now let me show you something.

Long before „plant-based“ became a hashtag, Evangelia’s mother was already cooking this way every Wednesday, every Friday, through the long fasting seasons. She simply called it… food.

Today, the kitchen of Thanasis and Agamemnon carries that on.

Fava. Velvety yellow split pea purée with caramelized onions and capers. Pure, or with smoked mackerel.

Kolokythoanthoi. Zucchini blossoms stuffed with rice and fresh herbs. A flower on a plate.

Kolokythokeftedes. Zucchini balls with carrots, herbs and feta. Difficult to stop at one.

Mista. Tomatoes and peppers slow-baked with rice and herbs. The way Evangelia’s mother used to make them.

Bouyurdi. Tomato, peppers, feta and oregano in the oven. Bubbling. Golden.

Dakos. Cretan barley rusk with grated tomato and xygalo cheese. Older than bruschetta. Better too.

Greek Salad. Spinalonga Salad. Island Salad. Three different stories.

Hortopitakia. Horta. Fried Feta. Saganaki. Tiropitakia. Mushroom risotto. Trahanas. All here. All waiting.

Speak with our team. Tell them what you love. The kitchen adapts with joy. This is filoxenia.

Developing country? From my railing, I see fresh Cretan fruits and vegetables. Lots of colour. Lots of love.

Maria, Aris, Vasilis, Lena, Ira and the whole team and family are looking forward to welcoming you.

Kali orexi.

Filakia.

Gláros 💙

📍 Plaka, Elounda · Opposite Spinalonga · 🐟 Daily 10:00 – 23:00

17/05/2026

Ask and you shall receive. ✨

Psst. Between us.

The menu shows what we have every day. The kitchen does more.

Oysters, for example. A whole fish kept aside for you. A fish specialty dish your yiayia used to make. Tell us a day or two before you come.

Telephone. Email. Or a small note in the comments when you book online.

The Vrachasotaki family, Thanasis and Agamemnon in the kitchen, and the whole team asked me to tell you: your wishes are theirs to fulfil.

Enjoy the freshest fish and the fruits of the sea. We love to make your culinary wishes come true.

Gláros 💙

· · ·

Ζήτα και θα σου δοθεί. ✨

Ψιτ. Μεταξύ μας.

Το μενού δείχνει αυτό που έχουμε κάθε μέρα. Η κουζίνα κάνει περισσότερα.

Στρείδια, για παράδειγμα. Ένα ολόκληρο ψάρι κρατημένο για εσάς. Μια ψαρο-σπεσιαλιτέ που έφτιαχνε η γιαγιά σας. Πείτε μας μια δυο μέρες πριν.

Τηλέφωνο. Email. Ή δυο λόγια στα σχόλια όταν κλείνετε online.

Η οικογένεια Βραχασωτάκη, ο Θανάσης και ο Αγαμέμνονας στην κουζίνα, και όλη η ομάδα μου είπαν να σας μεταφέρω: οι επιθυμίες σας είναι δικές τους να εκπληρωθούν.

Απολαύστε τα φρεσκότερα ψάρια και τους καρπούς της θάλασσας. Με χαρά εκπληρώνουμε τις γαστρονομικές σας επιθυμίες.

Γλάρος 💙

📍 Plaka, Elounda · Opposite Spinalonga 🐟

11/05/2026

28°C in Plaka today. Summer is here. Finally. 🌞

Thanasis and Agamemnon were ready before the heat even arrived. They have added a cold version of fish to the menu. The way I like it.

Ceviche with fresh summer fruit.

Fish so fresh it was still doing laps this morning. „Cooked“ only by lime. Dressed with whatever the season is showing off. Sweet, juicy, sun-drunk fruit.

One bite and the heat becomes your best friend.

A table in the shade. The sea right there. This beautiful blue plate in front of you.

I will be watching from my spot. Smiling. Hoping you drop a piece. (You will not. I know.)

Filakia anyway… I enjoy watching you.

Kali orexi.
Gláros 💙

📍 Plaka, Elounda · Opposite Spinalonga 🐟 Daily 10:00 – 22:00

28°C στην Πλάκα σήμερα. Το καλοκαίρι ήρθε. Επιτέλους. 🌞

Ο Θανάσης και ο Αγαμέμνονας ήταν έτοιμοι πριν φτάσει η ζέστη. Πρόσθεσαν στο μενού μια κρύα εκδοχή ψαριού. Όπως μου αρέσει εμένα.

Σεβίτσε με φρέσκα φρούτα του καλοκαιριού.

Ψάρι τόσο φρέσκο που το πρωί έκανε ακόμα βόλτες στη θάλασσα. «Μαγειρεμένο» μόνο με λάιμ. Ντυμένο με ό,τι δείχνει η εποχή. Γλυκά, ζουμερά, ηλιόλουστα φρούτα.

Μια μπουκιά και η ζέστη γίνεται ο καλύτερός σου φίλος.

Τραπέζι στη σκιά. Η θάλασσα ακριβώς δίπλα. Αυτό το όμορφο μπλε πιάτο μπροστά σου.
Θα σας παρακολουθώ από τη γωνιά μου. Χαμογελώντας. Ελπίζοντας ότι θα μου πέσει ένα κομματάκι. (Δεν θα πέσει. Το ξέρω.)

Φιλάκια έτσι κι αλλιώς… μου αρέσει να σας βλέπω.

Καλή όρεξη.
Γλάρος 💙

01/05/2026

Kalo mína, friends. 🌿

The first of May. And in Greece, that means something.
Today we wish each other a „good month“, Kalo mína, and people walk down to the sea, gather wildflowers, make a wreath, and hang it on the door.
A little blessing for what’s coming.

So consider this my wreath for you. 💐

A new month. A new menu. New exciting plates on the table.

Kolios Pantremenos, the „Married Fish.“
A whole mackerel, filled with fresh herbs.
The fish and the herbs get married right there in the oven.
In Greece, everything is a love story.
Even Mackerel.

Trahanoto with fish fillet.
Cracked wheat, soaked in fermented sheep’s milk, dried in the Cretan sun. A 5,000-year-old recipe. Hippocrates prescribed it. Shepherds survived winters on it.
Stanassis and Agamemnonas turn it into a Cretan-style risotto.
Some things, you can’t improve.
You can only be grateful they survived.

And then, fresh Ceviche.
Yes, Ceviche. From Peru, originally.
But the fish? Caught this morning, right here in the bay.
Cretan sea, Peruvian soul, fresh marinated fish Cretan style on one plate.
The Mediterranean is full of surprises, believe me.

Kalo mína, agapi mou.
May this month bring you everything that you desire and that nourishes:
lots of fish, slow lunches, long evenings,
and a table with people you love.

Your table is ready... just click the link in the bio and tell me when you’ll come.

With love from the entire Spinalonga family,
and of course me, watching from my favourite spot.

Gláros 💙

· · ·

Για τους Έλληνες φίλους μου, όπως πάντα,
έχω τόσα πολλά να σας πω που τα γράφω στα σχόλια.
Ρίξτε μια ματιά κάτω.
(For my Greek friends, as always, I have so much to say that I’m putting it in the comments. Take a peek below.)

📍 Plaka, Elounda · Πλάκα, Ελούντα
🐟 Opposite Spinalonga Island

Spinalonga Restaurant

04/09/2026

29/08/2026

25/08/2026

20/08/2026

13/06/2026

29/05/2026

26/05/2026

17/05/2026

11/05/2026

01/05/2026

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