Cretan Salads, Dakos, and Starters: What’s Worth Ordering

Starters and salads play a central role in Cretan tavern meals and are often shared at the center of the table.

This guide explains which starters are worth ordering and how they fit into a traditional meze-style meal.

Dakos: The Classic Cretan Starter

Dakos combines barley rusks, grated tomato, olive oil, and local cheese. It is simple, filling, and almost always a good choice.

Cretan salads differ from standard Greek salads. They often include local greens, seasonal vegetables, and less emphasis on feta.

Fried cheese, baked cheese, and soft local cheeses appear frequently. These are rich and usually shared.

Fried zucchini, eggplant, and stuffed vegetables are common and work well as part of a shared table.

Tzatziki, cheese spreads, and vegetable purées are reliable, especially when combined with bread and meze.

Two or three starters for two people are usually enough, especially if mains follow.

Starters arrive first and set the pace. Take your time before ordering mains.

Resource	Why it matters
Traditional Taverns in Rethymno	Main hub for tavern food culture and navigation
Cretan Dishes to Try in Rethymno Taverns	Starters work best when paired with the right mains
Meze Culture in Crete: How Ordering Works	Explains why starters are central to shared meals
Taverna Etiquette: Portions and Paying	Helps avoid overordering starters
Common Taverna Mistakes Tourists Make	Overordering starters is a frequent error

Zurab Peikrishvili, travel writer and photographer based in Crete.