Milia Traditional Settlement

Eating

You’ll probably spend more time in the communal sitting-dining room than in your bedroom – partly because it’s brighter and more spacious than the bedrooms, and partly because of the excellent home-made food and drink on offer. There is a small sound system in the restaurant with a good collection of Greek, jazz and world music .

First off, the drink: sage tea, camomile infusion, mountain tsaï (an eastern Mediterranean herb of the sideritis family, if you’re interested) and good ol’ Liptons and Nes are all freely available from a DIY honesty bar. Too healthy by half? Try a shot of raki (local grappa), clinked with true Cretan hospitality against the glasses of your hosts, and subsequently struck off your bill.

Now for the food. Seasonal vegetables, free-range eggs, healthy meat … everything is grown on site, without pesticides or fertiliser, and served fresh. On an autumn visit we enjoyed oven-baked chestnuts and potatoes with herbs, served alongside a tender joint of pork and some juicy butter beans. In spring we tasted boiled horta (like dandelions), paschal roast lamb with crisp-sautéd spuds and crunchy salad. Sylvia, the Bulgarian kitchen helper, makes a mean chocolate cake to round the meal off.

A word of warning: as everything is grown locally or brought in from Chania, you should give plenty of warning about any special dietary requirements you may have. For breakfast you can, supplies permitting, ask for a Cretan spread of rusks, olives, cheese, tomatoes and cold meats instead of the usual toast, jam, honey and eggs.