Ippokampos
The locals' seafood ouzeri by the Venetian port
The old harbour around the Koules fortress, a sunset promenade of fish tavernas and cafés where the setting outshines the menu.
Heraklion's old harbour is anchored by the Koules sea fortress and the long Venetian arsenali, with a waterfront walk out to the breakwater that draws the whole city at dusk. The eating here is more about the setting than discovery, fish tavernas and cafés line the quay, reliable rather than revelatory, and you pay something for the view. The real reward is the promenade itself: the fortress lit up, fishing boats, and the sea on three sides. Come for a sunset drink and a fish plate, and keep expectations on the harbour-view side rather than the menu.
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Seafront museum on the Venetian walls, home to two El Greco paintings
13th-century Venetian basilica turned the city's municipal art gallery
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