Where families have the easiest time
- Platanes and Adelianos Kampos near Rethymno — flat, beachside and built around family holidays.
- Hersonissos harbour and the hill villages above it — early service, children's menus, short walks home.
- Malia beach road and old town — inexpensive and calm away from the nightlife strip.
- Agios Nikolaos, around Kitroplateia and the harbour — safe waterfront walking.
- Pedestrianised old towns in Chania and Rethymno — children can move around while adults finish.
Meal times with children
Greek kitchens serve dinner from about 20:00, later in the towns. Resort restaurants open earlier — often from 18:00 — because their guests expect it. If your children eat at 18:30, stay in a resort area or plan a large late lunch instead and keep dinner light.
What children usually eat
- Souvlaki, chicken or pork chops from the grill.
- Chips, which every taverna makes and most make well.
- Pasta and pizza on resort-area menus.
- Tzatziki, bread, feta and cucumber as an easy starter.
- Kalitsounia and bougatsa as sweet options; yoghurt with honey afterwards.
Practicalities
- High chairs are common in resort restaurants and hit-and-miss in village tavernas.
- Portions are large; two or three shared dishes usually feed a child alongside adults.
- Tap water is generally not drunk; bottled water is cheap and standard.
- Most tavernas will happily bring a plain plate for a child without it being on the menu.
- Booking helps most for larger family groups and for waterfront tables at sunset.
Frequently asked questions
- Are restaurants in Crete child-friendly?
- Very. Children are welcome in almost all tavernas, late evenings with children are normal in Greece, and staff will usually adapt dishes on request.
- What time can families eat dinner in Crete?
- Resort restaurants often start serving around 18:00–19:00, while Greek tavernas in the towns typically begin at 20:00 and get busy after 21:00.
- Do Cretan restaurants have children's menus?
- Resort restaurants usually do. Traditional tavernas often do not, but they will make a simple grilled plate with chips without difficulty.
- Which part of Crete is best for a family holiday with easy dining?
- The Rethymno beach strip through Platanes, the Hersonissos and Stalida area, and Agios Nikolaos are the most family-oriented, with flat walkways and early service.
Continue reading
- Dining in CreteA practical guide to eating in Crete — the island's regions, Cretan dishes worth ordering, typical prices, seasons and how to pick a good taverna.
- Best restaurants in CreteHow to find the best restaurants in Crete — what separates a great taverna from a tourist trap, which towns suit which meal, prices and booking advice.
- Where to eat in CreteWhere to eat in Crete, town by town — Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion, Agios Nikolaos, Elounda and the resorts, plus mountain villages and prices.
- Cretan restaurantsWhat a traditional Cretan restaurant serves — dakos, kalitsounia, antikristo, raki and the Cretan diet — plus how tavernas, mezedopoleia and rakadika differ.
- Seafood in CreteHow to eat seafood in Crete — fresh versus frozen, pricing by the kilo, which fish are in season, best-value orders and where the fishing harbours are.
- Romantic dining in CretePlanning a romantic dinner in Crete — the best settings, sunset timing by month, which towns suit couples, what to book and how far ahead.
- Sea-view restaurants in CreteWhere to find sea-view restaurants in Crete — north, west and south coasts, sunset direction, what a view costs and how to secure a front-row table.
- Cheap eats in CreteHow to eat well cheaply in Crete — souvlaki, bakeries, market lunches, village tavernas and the ordering habits that cut a restaurant bill.
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