You can call it whatever your imagination desires. Either as a tavern of tradition brought into the present, or as a bar. in traditional attire or in a slightly different way. Either way, it’s a must-visit place for food lovers that’s worth discovering!
H Katerina Xekalo She is not unknown to us. We met her in the late 80s, as a young girl, educated, as we used to say at the time, with a promising career ahead of her. However, she decided to change course and return to her native land, Rethymno, and to open a restaurant: the Court.
For the Court and the evolutionary course of taste in Rethymno, you will read about it in another presentation of the guide, dedicated exclusively to it.
The presentation you are reading now concerns a different project by her. A project that, among other things, reveals the restless spirit and talent of Katerina Xkalou. This is the 1600 Raki Ba Raki.
Just by the name, one can understand that it is worth going through the threshold, initially to get to know and then to enjoy everything it has to offer. The clever combination of Cretan rakia, that is tsikoudia, with the modern perception expressed by the word bar It says a lot.
The space that houses this restaurant or bar, as you prefer to call it, has two sides. The first is external: a picturesque alley in the old town of Rethymno, in one of the most beautiful preserved areas of Greece, serves as an outdoor seating area and hosts the tables on summer days and evenings. I don’t think I need to describe more. Anyone who has visited Rethymno even once understands what we are talking about. Anyone who hasn’t been there deserves to decide to go and enjoy what we have been so lucky to experience many times.
Equally interesting is the interior. At first glance it is clear that there is a clear aesthetic vision, through a composition in which the tastefully selected furniture, colors, and traditional wall tiles take center stage. The setting is completed by the open traditional kitchen, with the earthenware utensils arranged in such a way that they form an integral part of the decor.
In two words, the environment in which you are invited to live your culinary moments is delightful, even if you simply sit down without eating.
Sitting at the table, the second surprise awaits you: the talented head chef, Vassilis Leonidou, awarded as a top olive oil chef. However, there is also a third element that whets the appetite: a tempting showcase of select products. You can reach out and choose whatever you find most delicious and appealing, among quality Cretan products and selections from other regions of Greece.
The final stage of your visit to Raki Ba Raki It cannot be anything other than what will be on your table. The rule dictates fresh, quality ingredients and, as much as possible, Cretan origin – not to mention Rethymnon-based! The kitchen takes on the task of composing and transforming them with talent and imagination, creating dishes that condense all the enjoyment that a good meal can offer.
I think that no visitor to Rethymno, Whether a local or a traveler, one could not ask for anything better, both in terms of the environment and the culinary enjoyment.
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