Tucked away on Koronaiou Street, just a short walk from Agios Titos Church and the historic centre of Heraklion, Cooking With Love (Μαγειρεύοντας με Αγάπη) is one of those places that feels more like a family kitchen than a restaurant.
The menu is built around traditional Greek and Mediterranean home cooking, with a selection of vegetarian-friendly dishes prepared fresh each morning. There is no endless menu and no late-night service. What is cooked for the day is what is served, and when the dishes are gone, the kitchen closes.
That simple approach has helped make the restaurant a favourite among locals looking for authentic, homemade flavours.
During our visit, we had the opportunity to sample several dishes from the daily menu. One that stood out was the lahanodolmades, tender cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling of rice, traditionally prepared either with minced meat or as a vegetarian version. It is a classic Greek comfort dish, well known throughout the country but often overlooked by international visitors.
Places like Cooking With Love offer a glimpse into a different side of Crete’s food culture. Not the restaurant scene shaped for visitors, but the everyday flavours that locals have grown up with and continue to enjoy.
Watch the video below for a closer look at the food, the atmosphere and one of Heraklion’s beloved lunchtime spots.
Καλή όρεξη.