Gypas Cafe: A Cretan Home Welcomes You

On the old national road from Heraklion to Agios Nikolaos, in Xirokampos, a neighborhood filled with laughter, voices, and sometimes songs. Open the door, and you’ll find groups of friends gathering around plates of omelette with vlita, greens with a bit of olive oil and lemon, olives, askordoulakous, and fava.

Simplicity is the “secret” behind everything offered to customers at Gypas Cafe, located about a 2-minute drive from the center of Agios Nikolaos. The entrance to the home of Manolis and Maria Kokolakis, who opened the café in 1979, leads through the space where customers sit, feeling more like “guests.” The café is now run by their son, Konstantinos, but regulars of many decades still have their own space at Gypas!

You'll taste dishes that are “pure” without unnecessary “embellishments”; the flavor relies on the quality of the ingredients and Cretan tradition.