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Corfu Food and Drink
Corfu food and drink is, for the most part, similar to that available anywhere else in Greece, but it does have two specialties which appear on almost every restaurant menu.
Sofrito is a veal casserole served with a white sauce of garlic, onion, pepper, wine vinegar and anything else the chef puts in to produce his version of the dish. Some serve a beef sofrito, though strictly speaking it is a veal dish.
So too is pastitsáda, another island speciality – veal served in a tomato sauce with pasta. However, the veal might be beef, the pasta might be any kind and the sauce depends on the whim of the chef, so try it in different restaurants.
Slightly less common, but well worth eating if you come across it, is bourdéto, a flavour-filled casserole of white fish, onions, olive oil and spicy red peppers.
Corfu Food and Drink is More International
Another feature of dining on Corfu is its international nature. The vast numbers of tourists have created a range of restaurants to cater for them, including Italian, Chinese, British, French and Indian. Most of the chefs are Greek or British, and as adept at producing a chicken vindaloo as a plate of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
Photo by Mike Gerrard
Greek Restaurants or Tavernas?
There are several types of Greek eating establishments. Best known is the taverna, a casual place where it is usual for the diner to wander into the kitchen to see what’s cooking, rather than to order from the menu: not all the menu’s dishes are necessarily available, while the kitchen might conceal some daily specials.
Another feature is the paper or plastic tablecloths which are changed after each meal, and the little tumblers which serve as wine glasses. If all the tables are occupied when you arrive, simply wait: another table will probably be produced from somewhere and set out for you. Greek tavernas are surprisingly expandable.
Some Cool Corfu Souvenirs
Paleokastritsa Luggage Tag
Corfu Cypresses Capri Leggings
Corfu T-shirt
Corfu Tote Bag
A restaurant (estiatório) is more upmarket: you should find a proper wine glass on the table, a linen tablecloth and a surprised expression if you try wander into the kitchen. Restaurants are more likely to take bookings, whereas at a taverna you generally turn up and take pot luck.
In addition to regular tavernas and restaurants, there are places serving only fish (psária), and grills (psistariés), where the menu is generally limited to freshly grilled meats – chops or kebabs – and sometimes fish.
Cheers!
The Greek equivalent of cheers when
raising a glass is yammas, and the
custom is to chink the glass of everyone else at the table. This can take some
time, especially as the Greeks like to do it whenever their glasses are
refilled. Make sure you always touch the top of your neighbour’s glass with the
top of your glass – to use the bottom is wishing a curse on the other person.
Another drinking custom is the refilling of glasses whenever they are less than about half full. To drain a glass looks like greed, and to allow a glass to be empty is a slur on the host’s hospitality.
Greek Desserts
Greece is not noted for its puddings. A restaurant may have a small dessert menu, but in a taverna the only choice is likely to be fresh fruit (usually watermelon) or ice cream. It is common practice to eat your final course elsewhere, at a café which serves coffee, Metaxa (the Greek version of brandy) and sticky Greek sweets such as baklavá.
Photo by Mike Gerrard
Greek Drinks
The Greeks, generally, are not great drinkers and are likely to accompany a meal with no more than a can of beer or a soft drink. The pre-dinner favourite drink is ouzo, an aniseed-based drink similar to Pernod, which is served with a tumbler of water. You can drink the ouzo neat, taking an occasional sip of water, or you can dilute it by pouring water into the glass, which turns the ouzo milky. This brings out the flavours more, and you can dilute it to the strength you like. See our more detailed page on Greek Alcoholic Drinks, and our special page just on ouzo.
Photo by Mike Gerrard
Greek Wine
The cheapest wine available is retsina, an acquired taste – which many visitors never acquire. The white wine is flavoured with resin, originally from the wooden casks in which it was stored, but today the flavour is more likely to be added artificially. Not only is retsina cheap and available everywhere, it is in fact a good accompaniment to the oil-rich Greek food. Many tavernas serve it from the barrel, and a request for house wine may well produce a metal jug of retsina. In it you have the authentic taste of Greece.
Our Pick of Greek Islands Guides
Other Corfu Pages
A Lawrence Durrell Walk
This Lawrence Durrell walk takes you from Kaminaki Beach in northern Corfu to the White House in Kalami where the writer Lawrence Durrell lived for four year.
Where to Stay in Southern Corfu
Greece Travel Secrets’ pick of where to stay in southern Corfu including hotels in Moraïtika, Paramonas, Messonghi, Agios Georgios, and near Benitses.
Where to Stay in Northern Corfu
Greece Travel Secrets picks where to stay in northern Corfu with budget and luxury hotels in Sidari, Daphnila Bay, Kontokali, Ipsos, Barbati and more.
Where to Stay in North-West and Central Corfu
Greece Travel Secrets recommends where to stay in north-west and central Corfu including luxury mansions, inexpensive rooms, and resort hotels.
Where to Eat in Northern Corfu
This is the Greece Travel Secrets selection of where to eat in northern Corfu, from classy restaurants and traditional tavernas to beachside fish tavernas.
Where to Eat in North-West Corfu
Greece Travel Secrets has its list of favourite places where you can eat in north-west Corfu, including in Paleokastritsa, Pelekas, and Ayios Stefanos.
Visiting Albania from Corfu
Donna Dailey of Greece Travel Secrets visits Albania by boat from Corfu Town, staying overnight and seeing archaeological sites with Sipa Tours.
Two Corfu Saints
The main two Corfu saints are Saint Spyridon, the patron saint of Corfu who saved the island four times from disaster, and Saint Theodora Augusta.
The Invasion of Corfu
From Nero to Nicolas Cage, the invasion of Corfu goes back to Roman times and through to Hollywood today!
The Corfu Trail
The Corfu Trail runs from the southernmost point of Corfu at Cape Asprokavos and winds for 220km (137 miles) to the northernmost point near Andinioti Lagoon.
The Achilleion Palace
The Achilleion Palace is one of the most visited sights on Corfu and contains a museum and impressive gardens with wonderful views over the coast.
Southern Corfu
Southern Corfu has busy beach resorts like Benitses, historical buildings like the Achilleion Palace and Gardiki Castle, and wildlife at the Korision Lagoon.
Southern Corfu Drive
This Southern Corfu drive starts and ends in Moraïtika, taking in hill villages, secluded beaches, lovely views, and a visit to Gardiki Castle.
Southern Corfu Beaches and Villages
This guide to southern Corfu’s beaches and villages includes busy resorts, quiet beach, hill villages and the southernmost tip of Corfu at Cape Asprókavos.
Sidari
Sidari is a popular holiday resort on the north coast of Corfu with beaches and unusual rock formations as well as plenty of places to eat and to stay.
Paleokastritsa, Corfu
Paleokastritsa is on the west coast of Corfu and is one of the most popular holiday spots. This page gives information on beaches, boat trips, weather and map.
Northern Corfu
Northern Corfu is the most diverse part of the island, with Corfu's highest point, Mt Pantokrator, and beach resorts like Sidari and Palaiokastritsa.
Northern Corfu in Three Days
If you want to tour northern Corfu in three days you can see busy resorts, quiet fishing villages, Mount Pantokrator, and the Andinioti Lagoon.
Northern Corfu Drive
There are two sides to every Greek island, the tourist and the traditional, and this drive from Corfu Town through northern Corfu shows the two faces of Corfu.
Northern Corfu Beaches and Villages
Northern Corfu’s beaches and villages include busy resorts and secluded beaches, with several hill and mountain villages well worth visiting.
North-West Corfu Beaches and Villages
North-West Corfu’s beaches and villages include busy resorts, quiet beaches, hill villages, and places ideal for watching the sunset,
Mount Pantokrátor
Mount Pantokrator is the highest mountain on Corfu and it’s easy to drive to the top for spectacular views of Albania, Corfu, and even sometimes to Italy.
Mount Pantokrator Drive
This Mount Pantokrator drive takes you to the top of Corfu’s highest mountain with wonderful views to Albania, mainland Greece, and around Corfu.
Korission Lagoon
The Korission Lagoon on the west coast of Corfu is also called Lake Korission and has abundant wildlife, especially birds, and one of the best beaches on Corfu.
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LATEST NEWS
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Oct 12, 24 04:38 AM
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Sep 28, 24 04:13 AM
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The green light was given for significant safety and aesthetic improvements to the famous Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach viewing platform on Zakynthos, following the approval of a €500,000 budget by the Mi… -
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