- Excellent, exceedingly fresh foods prepared mostly in the open air.
- Prices are very reasonable; allow 15-20 Euro per person at most for a feast.
- Watching them manipulate meats in the outdoor oven is almost like watching a dance performance.
- Not a natural choice for the vegetarian, though Stratis would try to accommodate any special need.
- The signature dish, lamb and rice, must be ordered a day in advance.
- Want to be very traditional indeed? Start off with an order of Cretan snails.
- Unlike most Cretan family-run restaurants, Stratis is the first in his family to operate one.
- Ask nicely and Stratis may be persuaded to allow visitors to watch him preparing dishes in his immaculate, organized kitchen.
- The family also rents a handful of rooms upstairs, not a bad option if you're too full to move far after dinner.
- Stratis' guiding influence is his grandmother, who has advised him on the details of preparing a dish or two.
- Both of his parents now assist him in operating the restaurant, which is only open about May through October.
Here, the setting, the skill of the chef, Stratis Manousoudakis, and the local ingredients all combine to make for a truly memorable meal.
The house specialty is boiled lamb with rice. If you've never had Cretan lamb and rice, you may be thinking it sounds like a dull dish. Perhaps you even think you dislike (!) lamb. Properly prepared, young lamb is tender and delicious. The rice is cooked in the natural lamb juices. When the dish arrives, you'll start out thinking you'll never eat that much and then find yourself scooping more onto your plate repeatedly.
It helps to wash it all down with the local wines and the family-made raki which Stratis will drink with you as he races from table to table; he's also the chief waiter. If you want a more premium wine, you may also bring a bottle with you if you prefer; they're available at the local markets in Loutro. Boutari is always a safe choice for about 7-8 Euro a bottle at the market.
In his free time, of which there is little, Stratis is part of a traditional Cretan men's dance troupe which performs at various locations around the island.
One day the Food Channel will snatch up Stratis to cooking shows and TV fame - but until then, you can find this true Cretan chef on the hillside above the harbor of Loutro on the south coast of Crete.
Unfortunately, this promising young chef was killed in a car accident in the spring of 2007. In 2008, his brother and parents reopened the restaurant and continue to cook using the recipes that Stratis refined.
Stratis Taverna
Loutro, Sfakia, Chania
Crete, Greece
