Any guests that visited la Maison Ottomane two years ago and returned recently will have noticed that the owner’s jeans size has gone up an inch or two….
Living in Crete takes its toll.
So, lunch in Afrata…
First you have to resist ordering too much breakfast at la Maison Ottomane. Granted, the Cretan Omelette with local greens and cheese, the Turkish scrambled eggs with peppers and tomato, the French toast with cinnamon syrup can all be tempting, but just for once….
You reach the town of Kolimbari via the coastal road heading West of Chania (which has little going for it except a very relaxed pace through continuous tourist settlements) or via the National Road which takes 20 minutes. Kolimbari itself has little to offer except for further culinary temptation (the excellent Argentina fish restaurant for one) so we drive through heading West.
The coastal road out of Kolimbari soon heads a little inland and after a few minutes you are in the village of Afrata. If you park at the main square, little more than a junction, you will see two restaurants and you head for the one on the right, Tis Litsas ta Kamomata. The one on the left is apparently good too, but another day….
Rabbit with beer and orange, slow braised lamb or goat, black-eyed beans with smoked mackerel, heavenly fava with capers and sun dried tomato….
All beautifully cooked, wonderfully friendly service, though you should not feel shy about going to the counter if your bill is a little slow coming.
The setting is also lovely, with a view onto countryside and the sea in the distance. The sort of place you want to linger and feel very relaxed, spoiled, on holiday…
Andreas Romanos
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