Cooking with love in Heraklion

"After visiting the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, it was time for lunch at about 2:30pm! To be honest, we had originally wanted to try out Peskesi, one of the best-rated restaurants in Heraklion. However, after we found and entered the restaurant, the waiting staff told us that we had to wait about 30 minutes to an hour as we had not made reservations. We did see that there were quite a number of available tables though we could not discount the fact that there were other reservations as well. Hence, in order to wait further for lunch, we decided to visit another restaurant that we had “shortlisted” for lunch today – Cooking With Love, which was nearby as well. Like most restaurants, it was free seating and after seated, Tom headed over to the counter to point at the menu. At this moment, the owner told Tom that we couldn’t order from the menu but could only order from the dishes that we saw – MUCH LIKE ECONOMICAL RICE (CAI FAN)! The other interesting was that in addition to the choice of pork steak, pastitsio, grilled chicken, pasta, hamburger patty etc. that we could see, we were also asked to enter the kitchen to see what else was available! Yes, enter the kitchen to choose from the cooking pots directly! There were other dishes such as squid, chick peas soup and more in the kitchen... For the full review of Cooking with Love and details of our 5 months Round The World (RTW) travels, visit 2bearbear today!"

"Great home style food, lots of choices and lovely ladies working there. Excellent"

"Four women, one kitchen, endless hospitality Cooking with Love really is what the name says. Four women run this little spot in the center of Heraklion, cooking what they feel like each day. There’s no printed menu — you’re welcomed in, shown what’s been made, and sometimes even invited back into the kitchen. Everything is homemade, fresh, and generous. The dishes change daily, but you can expect Greek comfort food done with care — moussaka, stuffed vegetables, meatballs, salads, simple desserts. Portions are big, prices are fair, and it often ends with something extra like a sweet or a small glass of raki. It’s a relaxed, unpretentious place where tourists and locals eat side by side. The friendliness of the women running it makes the whole experience stand out. If you want a meal in Heraklion that feels genuine and full of heart, this is the one."

"What a great local gem, their food is very good, and their menu is very no nonsense, straight to the point. What they cook is what you get. It is all very good, and the portions are so generous that you may need to share! We couldn't finish"

"Wonderful place I found thanks to Google reviews. Friendly people that make amazing food ! I had something similar to Moussaka but pasta was added and it was delicious! Prices were very reasonable and it really tasted like a home cooked meal !"

"The ladies were extremely friendly and helpful, and the cooked meals were enjoyable. However, the bread was UPF, and the salad was overly drenched in vinaigrette—something I didn’t encounter elsewhere during my month in Crete. Just a note for future consideration"

"The food was super tasty(AND BIG PORTIONS)! Homemade Greek style food made by talented people! Also the entire staff is soooo pilote and welcoming! Had a wonderful lunch time here!"

"We went in wanting to eat mezzes but they only serve what they cook on that day, so we had the amazing moussaka and greek salad. No regrets there! The staff are very friendly and even invite you to the kitchen to see what the cooked for the day. It is definitely all homemade and fresh!"