Skip to content

    Plaka, Lasithi Prefecture

    Giovanni

    Two glasses of rosé at Giovanni with the sea beyond.
    Rosé at a waterfront table, looking across the bay from Giovanni.

    What it is

    Giovanni sits on the water in Plaka, its tables looking across the bay toward Spinalonga. On our latest visit, the center of the meal was a roughly 2 kg rofos, brought to the table whole and described as just out of the sea. The setting and the cooking said the same thing: order simply, and stay close to whatever came in fresh.

    Why it matters

    The rofos arrived whole, with lemon and a light dressing alongside it. We also ate grilled calamari and octopus, horta and ahinosalata, with a bottle of rosé. Everything tasted exceptionally fresh. That is the useful way to approach Giovanni: ask about the day’s fish and build the table around it, instead of working through the menu line by line. After years of desk lunches ordered through an app, asking what came in on the boat today still feels like a small luxury.

    Whole cooked rofos on a white platter at Giovanni in Plaka.
    A roughly 2 kg rofos served whole at Giovanni during a 2026 visit.
    Whole rofos with lemon, sauce and vegetables at Giovanni.
    The rofos served whole, with lemon, dressing and vegetables alongside.

    What to understand before going

    The waterfront view is part of the experience, and the table in our photographs looks straight over the bay. The traditional wooden taverna chairs were somewhat uncomfortable on this visit; count that as a small practical caveat. What's on offer, and the size of the fish, will vary with the catch.

    What stays with you

    A whole rofos on the table, two glasses of pale rosé, and the water toward Spinalonga: a meal I remember for the freshness of the fish and the sea right beside the table.

    Editorial note

    I combine firsthand observation with research from public and official sources. I check practical details against the sources listed on each guide where they are available, and my recommendations stay independent of paid promotion. For how I approach planning and selection, see my editorial manifesto.