ALANA, Rethymno

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Alana Restaurant, Rethymno

It was about 7:30 pm when we arrived to Alana on a fine October day after spending a whole day walking around the city and the Fortezza. There was a Greek man standing out front herding us in and I don’t think Alana needs to do this. (This is something very touristy places do in the old harbour!). The restaurant is lovely with tables spread out in a lush garden on different levels. This gives a nice feeling of privacy. The ruccola-lettuce salad with honey and nuts was superb, but I tend to be biased towards ruccola. The presentation of the salad on a phyllo bed is fun and definitely pleasing to the eye. The shrimp saganaki with feta and tomato was really fresh and well-balanced. If not for cholesterol, I would eat it every day. The beef filets with thyme honey and mashed potato is not the best in terms of presentation, but when you taste it, everything falls into place. The meat was tender and tasty, though not rare enough for me, but I think in the land of over-grilled meats, my piece with a bit of pink on the inside was a small step for the Chef and a big step for Greek cuisine. The sauce was a delight. As it could be expected, the baby lamb with artichokes was excellent - juicy and tender. Portions were all hearty, so there was no space for dessert—next time! Service was attentive and good, and even though the waiters were not Greek, they spoke the local language well. Alana is definitely worth trying…. But you will have to wait till next April, as they closed not long after we were there.

Kalliope Bakirdzi, Budapest, Hungary