The restaurants around the Venetian harbour are the most visited, and several are genuinely good — fresh fish, good Cretan mezze, competent cooking. Prices are higher than elsewhere in the city and the atmosphere is more tourist-facing, but the setting compensates. Inland, in the streets of the old town, you will find places that cater more to the local university population — cheaper, less polished, but often better value. Cretan food is worth seeking out: dakos (barley rusk with tomatoes and mizithra cheese), kalitsounia (cheese pastries), and snails cooked with rosemary are regional specialties.