Where to eat in Corfu Town and the island
Corfu eats differently from the rest of Greece, because Venice ruled it for four centuries. Spiced stews, pasta in red sauce and sweet-and-sour fish sit beside the usual grills. Eat in the lanes behind the Liston, not on it, order the local dishes by name, and take a taxi to a village taverna once.
The short answer
- Best area to eat
- The Old Town lanes behind the Liston and Kapodistriou Street. For a slower evening, a village taverna a short taxi ride out.
- Order this
- Pastitsada or sofrito, bourdeto if you like spice, and grilled octopus or fresh fish.
- When to eat
- Lunch from 1pm, dinner from 8pm. Kitchens run late in summer.
- Book or walk in
- Book fine dining and the better village tavernas, especially from June to September. The rest take walk-ins.
- Tipping
- Round up the bill or leave 5 to 10 per cent. A cover charge for bread is common.
What to eat in Corfu
- PastitsadaRooster or beef cooked in a spiced red sauce and served over thick pasta, the island's Sunday dish. Look for it at traditional tavernas.
- SofritoThin slices of veal in a white wine, garlic and vinegar sauce, served with rice or potatoes. A classic of the Old Town tavernas.
- BourdetoFish, usually scorpion fish, in a red sauce made hot with a lot of pepper. Mostly eaten by the coast.
- Grilled octopusOctopus hung to dry in the sun, then grilled and served with oil and lemon, a Greek meze that is found on the quayside tavernas.
- SavoroFried fish in a sweet and sour sauce of vinegar, rosemary and raisins, a Venetian dish still on island menus.
- Kumquat liqueur and sweetsKumquats grow on the island and come as a liqueur, a preserve and a candied fruit. Buy them at the market or in the shops of the Old Town.
- Corfiot ginger beerTsitsibira, a local ginger beer from the British era, sold in bottles at cafes and tavernas.
Where to eat in Corfu Town, by neighborhood
Old Town lanes
A dense grid of tavernas and bars. The restaurants on the Liston and the squares charge for the view, so walk a few lanes in and read the menu first.
Kapodistriou Street and the Spianada side
Some of the oldest family places in town sit just off the Liston. Fine for a long lunch.
Garitsa Bay and Kanoni
Seafront cafes and fish tavernas with a sea view, a 10 to 25 minute taxi or bus ride from the Old Town.
Villages inland and on the coast
The best traditional cooking is in the villages: Kato Korakiana and Doukades to the north, Benitses to the south. Go by taxi and book.
Places worth a booking or a queue
-
Rex Restaurant
€€Taverna · Kapodistriou Street, Old Town
OrderSofrito, pastitsada or burdeto
A traditional taverna beside the Liston, open since 1932, with the island's classic dishes.
- Book
- Walk in, book for dinner in summer
Confirmed open: greekgastronomyguide.gr
-
Venetian Well
€€€Restaurant · Kremasti Square, Old Town
OrderBarley with cuttlefish ink or the pastitsada ravioli
A modern Corfiot restaurant on a small square in the Old Town, with tables outside.
- Book
- Book ahead from June to September
Confirmed open: greekgastronomyguide.gr
-
Etrusco
€€€€Fine dining · Kato Korakiana, 14 km from town
OrderThe tasting menu
A tasting-menu restaurant in a village north of Corfu Town, cooking Corfiot ingredients with modern technique.
- Book
- Book well ahead on its website
- Closed
- Mondays
Confirmed open: etrusco.gr
-
Marina Tavern
€€Taverna · Ovriaki, Old Town
OrderClassic Corfiot dishes and sardines
A family taverna whose owner buys fresh fish and vegetables from the market each day.
- Book
- Walk in
Confirmed open: greekgastronomyguide.gr
-
Klimataria
€€Taverna · Benitses
OrderHousekeeping dishes of the day
A village taverna south of town that serves Corfiot home cooking in the evening.
- Book
- Reservations needed
- Closed
- Open evenings only, February to November
Confirmed open: greekgastronomyguide.gr
Food markets in Corfu Town
- Municipal market (Nea Agora)The covered market under the New Fortress: fish, vegetables, cheese, honey, olive oil and kumquat products, and a cafe inside.Monday to Saturday, mornings to early afternoon; closed SundaysSource: cvvillas.com
How Corfu eats
- Meal timesLunch from 1pm to 3pm, dinner from 8pm. Many kitchens close between meals.
- TippingRound up the bill or leave 5 to 10 per cent. Service is not always included.
- SharingOrder several small plates and share. Mains are often split.
- Bread and coverA cover charge for bread is common. It is on the bill, so check the menu.
- SeasonMany village tavernas close or open weekends only from November to March. Check before you go.
Signs of a place to walk past
A waiter standing in the lane calling people in.
Laminated menus with photographs of every dish.
No prices on a board outside.
A menu in six languages that includes only fried food.
Eating in Corfu: questions people ask
What food is Corfu known for?
Pastitsada, sofrito and bourdeto are the local dishes, with fried fish in savoro, kumquat sweets and a local ginger beer. They come from the island's Venetian past.
Where should I eat in Corfu Town?
In the lanes behind the Liston and Kapodistriou Street, or a few streets in from the main squares. The best value is away from the seafront.
Is it cheap to eat in Corfu?
It can be. Gyros shops and the market are inexpensive, while fish by weight, the Liston and fine dining cost more.
Do I need to book a table in Corfu?
For fine dining and the better village tavernas from June to September, yes. Otherwise walk in.
What is pastitsada?
A Corfiot stew of rooster or beef in a spiced red sauce, served over thick pasta. It is not the same as the baked pastitsio found elsewhere in Greece.