Hands down, the most unforgettable meal of my entire summer 2025 trip to Greece was at a chic wine bar tucked just off the water in Chania’s Old Harbour: Salis. With a seaside setting, locally sourced dishes, and a large wine and Gin and Tonic selection, Salis completely stole my heart. In this post, I’m sharing all the delicious details of our evening at Salis, and why it deserves a spot on your Crete itinerary!
Salis on Chania’s Old Harbour.
Salis describes itself as a “wine bar”, and it absolutely lives up to the name. Their wine list is robust, featuring an impressive selection that ranges from local Cretan varietals to international labels from as far away as the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia (where I grew up!). It was a fun surprise to see a taste of home on the menu, literally thousands of miles away.
Wild to see a Virginia wine on the menu…especially for180 per bottle (I guess those tariffs are no joke).
Salis uses local farmers for its food, which is absolutely delicious, and the menu changes seasonally. As we dined at Salis in July, the menu was very summery. We sat in Salis’ outdoor terrace area, which was quite nice and not too hot. For dinks, while it is a wine bar, we skipped the wine and went with a couple of Salis’ Gin & Tonics. Salis has a special Gin & Tonic menu, and they were very good.
View from our table at Salis.
A cute vase made from a wine bottle with fresh flowers at Salis.
The Hendrick’s and Gerani, served with cucumber and rose flower buds.
STARTERS AT SALIS
For starters from Salis’ menu, I began with stuffed zucchini flowers. And, unlike in Rome (where I often order them), these were stuffed with Feta cheese (only, no anchovies!) and served with pomegranate, chili, purslane and basil. These stuffed zucchini flowers were possibly my favorite dish of the whole trip. THEY WERE SO GOOD.
Stuffed zucchini blossoms.
We also started with the Salis Caesar Salad, which was topped with grilled chicken and horseradish. This was truly a surprise and out-of-the-ordinary order for me, but I was just feeling a salad. While not super exciting, the Caesar salad was good and large. This could easily make an entire meal. The horseradish-based dressing was also rather nice.
Salis Caesar. The dressing was fire.
MAINS AT SALIS
For main courses at Salis, I also went a little off brand for myself and ordered the Pea and Pancetta Pilafi, which was essentially risotto (which I usually shy away from). No mistake here though, this dish was just fantastic. It was topped with Graviera foam (I’m not sure what that is) and spearmint. It was excellent.
Pea and Pancetta Pilafi.
Dan opted for the pork chop served with the BEST fries and an amazing dipping sauce. Seriously, that dipping sauce was insane. I did not try the pork chop, but Dan was pleased with it.
Pork chop with fries and the BEST dipping sauce.
Another view of the pork chop.
DESSERT AT SALIS
Our first dessert, which was totally delicious, was Feta – YES, FETA CHEESE – ice cream topped with chocolate sauce. I really ordered the Feta cheese ice cream because I thought it was interested and, well, Greek, but it was SO GOOD. Incredible!
Feta ice cream!
And after dessert, Salis brought us a second, complimentary dessert, that was possibly better than the Feta ice cream – a chocolate bark of sorts made with nuts. While small, this second dessert was dense and rich and could have worked as just dessert.
Second dessert!
As you can probably tell, I really enjoyed my dinner at Salis in Chania, Crete. Highly recommend to anyone in Chania who likes good food. I recommend making a reservation, as it seemed popular, which you can easily do online. The vibe was seaside casual, and all of the staff that I encountered spoke English (menus were also available in English).
STEAL OUR TRIP
Salis: Akti Enoseos 3, Chania 731 32, Greece. Open daily 12 – 22:30. Reservations recommended, which can be made here. English menu available.