Looking to taste the best Corfu food and drink on a tour of the paradise Ionian island in Greece?
Our comprehensive Corfu Food Guide features details on the history of Corfu cuisine, traditional ingredients use in the kitchen, tasty local food tours and detailed descriptions for must-try dishes to order when eating out at restaunrats, bakeries and cafes.
The Corfu food scene offers unique regional dishes like sofrito and pastitsada, as well as classic Greek eats like souvlaki and gyros!
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Corfu Food History
Historically Corfu was a bustling Venetian port, that’s why it was named the “collarbone of the Adriatic.”
The influence of the Venetian conquerors was critical for the development of Corfiot gastronomy since it introduced many unknown products to the local population, such as corn, potatoes, tomatoes, beans, peppers, coffee and chocolate.
When studying Corfu food history it’s clear there is an international fusion and it is a unique gastronomic destination when compared to other Greek islands.
Though Greek and Venetian are the strongest influences, spices from the east, cooking methods from France as well as other parts of the Mediterranean and even the remnants of British occupation, have all left their mark on contemporary Corfu cuisine.
Classic Flavours & Ingredients In Corfu Foods
Corfu is considered lush and fertile compared to other drier islands in Greece. The Ionian island has an ancient history cultivating wine and olive oil, and of course seafood has been ripe for the plucking by local fisherman since the dawn of time.
Popular seasonal ingredients used by cooks in Corfu include everything from zucchini to mussels, fresh figs to sea bream. Authentic Corfiot dishes are dominated by the use of wine, garlic and eastern spices, like cloves, allspice, and cinnamon.
Hearty dishes of lamb and game, fresh seafood, and made-for-sharing meze plates are what you’ll find on many Corfu restaurant menus.
Best Corfu Food Tours
Looking to book a Corfu Food Tour?
We enjoyed a fun, educational and tasty tour of Corfu’s Old Town with local operator Corfu Walking Tours. In just a few hours our friendly tour guide took us to some of the most popular local eateries where we sampled unique Corfu Foods and learned about the history of the Old Town.
If you’re keen to have a local Corfu food & drink expert share the island’s tastiest treats you can book one of these public or private culinary tours.
- Small Group Corfu Gastronomy Tour: this 3.5 hour Corfu food tour offers a unique chance to visit local food artisans and sample unique Corfiot dishes.
- Taste of Corfu Town: this 2 hour food tour of Corfu Town allows visitors to taste local ingredients like olive oil, kumquat and traditional dishes such as pastitsada or sofrito. The price includes lunch or dinner with one glass of local wine.
- Private Tasting Tour in Corfu: this 4.5 hour tour of Corfu features visits to famous attractions as well as a stop at a kumquat distillery.
- Corfu Winery & Olive Oil Tour: enjoy a guided tour of Theotoky Winery to sample local wines and olive oil.
- Corfu Winery Tour & Tasting With Sommelier: this 1.5 hour winery tour is hosted by a sommelier and offers guests a taste of 3 fine wines accompanied by local snacks.
- Private Corfu Highlights & Wine Tour: this private 5 hour tour of Corfu features visits to the island’s most popular attractions as well as wine tasting at a historic family estate.
- Wine Tasting with a Local Sommelier & Old Corfu Town: this 4 hour city tour includes a 1 hour wine tasting offering samples of the island’s 4 main grape varietals paired with local delicacies.
Where To Find The Best Corfu Food & Drink
We visited Corfu for 9 days, which gave us lots of time to explore the island’s unique food and drink from the historic Old Town to breezy southern beaches.
Our comprehensive Corfu Food Guide lists all of the unique dishes and drinks we sampled on our road trip. We were always on the hunt for regional recipes and local wines, spirits and craft beer.
For those visiting Greece for the first time, we’ve also included must-try Greek classics like souvlaki and moussaka.
Looking for the best restaurants in Corfu? You can order classic Corfiot dishes at these award winning restaurants:
- Venetian Well: genteel, intimate restaurant with a terrace plating elevated local cuisine, plus a robust wine list in the heart of Old Corfu.
- Rex: If you’re celebrating a special occasion this fine dining restaurant sparkles in Old Town. The chef plays with local ingredients and traditional dishes to create a new modern Corfu cuisine.
- Flisvos The Seaside Experience: Perhaps the island’s best patio, Flisvos is an intimate al fresco restaurant serving time honoured Corfu recipes. It overlooks the island’s most photographed attraction, Holy Monastery of Panagia Vlacherna. It’s also right in front of the airport so planes zoom overhead while guests sip refreshing Aperol Spritz at sunset.
- Sofrito: Angsana Resort is the island’s newest 5 star luxury hotel and it’s signature restaurant Sofrito really wows. Sit in the sun-soaked dining room or sit perched over the ocean on the spacious terrace. Classic Corfu foods are playfully presented for a truly magical meal.
- Tomata Corfiot Cuisine Restaurant: If you’re road tripping to southern Corfu make a stop in Kavos to dine at Tomata. The cherry dining room overlooks the bustling main street perfect for people watching. Start by enjoying a blind tasting of locally produced Corfu wines then order a few dishes perfect for sharing.
- The Golden Fox: Looking for the most romantic restaurant with a view in Corfu? The Golden Fox takes the cake! It’s located perched over the island’s rugged north west coastline near the Monastery of Paleokastritsa. The Golden Fox is a boutique hotel with pretty pool as well as a wildly popular restaurant, which may just have the best ocean view in all of Greece!
Sofrito
Sofrito is a Corfu comfort food classic. The delicious dish is rooted in a Venetian recipe, slow-cooked thinly sliced fried breaded veal served with fries, spaghetti, rice or mashed potatoes. It’s dominant flavours are parsley and garlic.
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Pastitsada
Corfu’s number one pasta dish is pastitsada, which features al dente spaghetti or penne topped with meat braised in a spiced (cinnamon and cloves) tomato meat sauce. It is usually topped with grated kefalotyri or parmesan cheese.
The name comes from the Venetian pastizzada meaning ‘something messed up’, which is used for a large variety of Italian braised meat dishes. It is often associated with the island of Corfu, where it is a traditional Sunday dinner.
You’ll find the dish on many Corfu restaurant menus served with rooster or tender beef.
Bougatsa
If you’re looking to sample the best Corfu Food in the morning sit with locals to enjoy the popular breakfast pastry bougatsa.
The pastry is most popular in Thessaloniki in Northern Greece, where it was brought over in the 20th-century by Greek refugees from Turkey.
Bougatsa is prepared from phyllo dough wrapped around a creamy custard filling. After it is baked, it is cut into serving pieces and served hot. If the filling is made with traditional semolina custard, then the pastry is usually dusted with powdered sugar and cinnamon. Best enjoyed in the morning with a frothy frappe.
Fogatsa
Fogatsa is a traditional sweet brioche-style bread from Corfu that shows the islands Venetian influence. It is usually round in shape but can also be found in a smaller version called Colombines.
During the Easter season in Corfu’s Old Town the fragrance of the beautiful lilacs that bloom everywhere are flooded with another unique aroma, the Easter bread of Corfu, the fogatsa, whose fragrance comes from kumquat liqueur.
Gialetia
Gialetia, also known as Tzaletia, are corn pancakes, made with cornflour, flour, yeast, vanilla, raisins, orange juice and salt, fried in oil.
For the final touch, honey, cinnamon and sugar are sprinkled on the top. The name comes from the Italian word ”Giallo” which means yellow, as Gialetia are made with cornflour.
Tiganites tou Agiou
Tiganites tou Agiou is a sweet pastry, shaped into little balls and deep fried until crispy then eaten with honey and cinnamon mostly and it is typically cooked on the 11th of December when the Patron Saint Of Corfu, Saint Spiridon is celebrated.
Stifado
A stifado is a meaty stew from Corfu prepared with tender beef chunks and sweet baby shallots in a tangy, aromatic sauce. The dish was originally made with rabbit but is now commonly prepared at local restaurants with beef. The hearty stew is best enjoyed mopped up with crusty bread or French fries.
Zorka
Zorka is basically a vegetable pie, known to be one of the simplest peasant foods in Corfu.
The humble pies are made with seasonal vegetables encased in a pastry shell. Sometimes the pies contain zucchini, pumpkin, onion, cheese, or whatever is available at the local market.
A homemade Corfiot veggie pie focuses more on the filling than the pastry. So a pastry heavy pie with a thin strip of cheese inside, like Tyropita, is not really the Corfiot style.
There is another version of zorka, which you have probably heard of called spanakopita, which is popular all over Greece.
Tsigareli
Tsigareli is a side dish popular in Corfu that is more like a salad and includes an assortment of greens such as spinach, sorrel, chard, mustard greens, dandelion and nettles.
Also known as “wild greens stew, ” they are combined with a spicy sauce of garlic, paprika, red pepper and tomatoes. Chefs finish with a drizzle of olive oil before serving.
Cheese Saganaki
If you’re visiting Greece for the first time and looking to celebrate with friends and family you must order sizzling fried Saganaki.
It’s by far the most fun Corfu food item on any restaurant menu. Servers enjoy the theatrics of pouring ouzo over a plate of crispy grilled or fried cheese then light the alcohol on fire before placing it on your table. It’s best to enjoy the cheese slathered on crusty bread.
Local cheeses used to make traditional saganaki in Greece are graviera, kefalograviera and kefalotyri. They are all medium hardness yellow cheeses with a mild nutty flavour.
Kebab
Kebab is a grilled or barbecued meat dish popular across Greece thanks to cooks who introduced the cooking method from Turkey.
Kebabs are a popular street food across the Balkans, featuring minced meat (often a mixture of pork, beef or lamb) that is spiced and then shaped into finger-length meatballs.
Souvlaki
Souvlaki, is a popular Greek street food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It is usually eaten straight off the skewer while still hot.
It can be served with or inside of a rolled pita, typically with lemon, sauces, vegetables such as sliced tomato and onion, and French fries as a side. The meat usually used in Greece is pork, although chicken, beef, and lamb may also be used.
Gyros
A gyro (pronounced YEE-row) is a Greek dish that is typically served on a pita. Made with stacked meat that has been cooked on a vertical rotisserie (similar to shawarma).
In Greece, gyros are traditionally made with pork, but chicken is also common. Gyros are beloved for the crispy texture of the meat, often served at the same shops that prepare kebab and souvlaki.
Horiatiki
If you want to order a classic Greek salad it’s called Horiatiki in Corfu. The name means “from a village.”
The popular salad is typically prepared with pieces of tomato, cucumbers, onion, feta cheese, and olives and dressed with salt, Greek oregano, and olive oil.
Bifteki
Bifteki are Greek meatballs (keftedes) stuffed with feta cheese.
The ground meat is typically flavoured with spices and fresh herbs and shaped by hand to look like a short sausage or smushed ball rather than an Italian meatball.
Bifteki are typically served as a main course with onions, tomato, tzatziki and fries.
Moussaka
Moussaka is one of the most famous Greek foods, available to order on most restaurant menus in Corfu.
The modern Greek version most people recognize today was created by the French-trained Greek chef Nikolaos Tselementes in the 1920s.
His recipe has three layers that are separately cooked before being combined for the final baking: a bottom layer of sliced eggplant sautéed in olive oil; a middle layer of ground lamb lightly cooked with chopped or puréed tomatoes, onion, garlic, and spices and a top layer of creamy bechamel sauce.
Baked Feta Cheese
Feta reigns supreme throughout Greece as the most beloved cheese. It is traditionally prepared with local sheep or goats milk.
You can enjoy the cheese in a myriad of ways, one of our favourites was this baked feta served with juicy tomato slices and scorched onion. Best enjoyed slathered on slices of crusty bread.
Phyllo Wrapped Feta
Another popular feta preparation is when sticks of the cheese are wrapped in phyllo then deep fried until crispy. The crunchy sticks are served at Corfu restaurants as an appetizer drizzled with honey and sprinkled with sesame.
Sardines with Savoro
Savoro is a uniquely Corfu recipe which describes the sauce and preparation of seafood like local fish or sardines.
Tender fish is cooked slowly on the stove with raisins, grape syrup, rosemary, and extra virgin olive oil.
Papoutsakia
Papoutsakia means ‘little shoes’ in Greek.
This traditional Greek comfort food is made using similar ingredients to other popular Greek dishes like moussaka and pastitsio.
Papoutsakia are baked eggplants that have been sliced in half and stuffed with seasoned ground beef and topped with a lusciously smooth béchamel sauce and cheese then baked until the sauce is bubbling and browned.
Noumboulo
Noumboulo is a traditional charcuterie product of the Island of Corfu.
It is made from whole pork tenderloin, cured with salt and spices and marinated in wine. It is then encased in intestine, usually together with a strip of fat, and smoked over a mixture of herbs including sage, bay laurel, thyme, terebinth, and myrtle. It is consumed thinly sliced with fresh bread and cheese.
Sykomaida
Sykomaida is a popular Corfu food for those looking for a sweet snack. Also known as “fig pie,” Sykomaida is made by kneading dried figs with must, flavoured with anise, fennel seed and pepper, wrapped in vine leaves.
It is served either as a dessert or as dry fruit, but it can also accompany ouzo or tsipouro.
Mandolato
Mandolato is a Greek-style nougat, traditionally prepared with a meringue base that is enriched with honey, sugar, and almonds.
Though it is mainly associated with Ionian islands such as Corfu, Zakynthos, or Kefalonia, this sweet treat is readily available throughout Greece.
Alexis Dairy Shop
Alexis Dairy Shop is a must-visit when visiting Corfu Town.
The family-run dairy has been around for decades and was famously a favourite for Jackie Kennedy, who would have the butter shipped to her all the way to the White House.
The shop’s most famous item is a simple fresh bread roll filled with freshly made butter and drizzle of local honey. They also sell British style pudding cups (chocolate, vanilla and rice) as well as galaktoboureko, a flaky pastry filled with cream.
Kolokithokeftedes
Kolokithokeftedes are vegetarian zucchini fritters often served as an appetizer at restaurants. The crispy Greek pancakes originated in Crete but can be found on the menus at taverns in Corfu.
Kolokithokeftedes are best enjoyed in the summer as they’re typically prepared with fresh herbs like dill and mint.
Fish Bourdeto
Bourdeto is a regional seafood dish from Corfu.
It comes from the Venetian word “brodetto” which means broth. It is fish cooked with onion, and red sweet and hot spicy pepper. The best fish for bourdeto is scorpion fish.
Fish Bianco
Fish Bianco is one of the most famous dishes in Corfu and translates simply to “white fish.” The seafood favourite features tender slices of fish, such as grouper, roach, sterile or cod cooked with onions, potatoes, garlic, parsley and lemon juice.
The delicious white wine sauce is best finished by sopping up with a slice of crusty bread.
Pastitsio Dolce
Pastitsio Dolce is a rare and hard to find delicacy from Corfu, a remnant of Venetian cuisine.
Between two layers of dough cooks stuff well cooked meats like beef, pork, chicken, and sausages then top with spaghetti, grated cheese and dill.
The dish is often served for big family feasts at special celebrations but you might find it on menus during the holidays at local restaurants.
Corfu Wine
Greece is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world and among the first wine-producing territories in Europe. The earliest evidence of Greek wine has been dated to 6,500 years ago where wine was produced by each household.
The wine of the Phaeakeans was praised by Homer in the Odyssey and the Corfiots have been producing wine ever since. Especially before the massive planting of olive trees by the Venetians, Corfu used to be largely covered by endless vineyards.
Most wineries in Corfu are found in the central part of the island, in Ropa Valley. This is a large and fertile valley in between Corfu Town and Ermones, where large vineyards are cultivated.
Corfu Island has four main local grape varieties: white Petrokoritho, Moschato Aspro, Robola and the red Kakotrygis and Mavrodafni.
Today, Corfu has just a handful of wineries producing bottles crafted from local grapes. If you’re a visiting oenophile you can organize a vineyard tour and tasting or simply ask for a local bottle when eating out at restaurants or bars.
Tsitsibira
One of the most unique drinks produced in Corfu is Tsitsibira, a refreshing ginger beer. It was introduced by the British and became very popular with the locals. So popular that when the British left, they went on making their own tsitsibira!
Ginger beer is a soft drink popularly served in cocktails like Moscow Mules.
Corfu Beer
There’s no better drink to quench your thirst after spending a day tanning on the beach in Corfu than an ice cold beer.
While the top selling beer in Greece is the Mythos brand, you can find locally produced craft beer in Corfu at bars and restaurants.
The most popular craft breweries in Corfu are Seven Island Brewery and the simply titled Corfu Beer.
Greek Frappe Coffee
A frappé coffee is a Greek iced coffee drink made from instant coffee, water, sugar, and milk. The word is often written frappe. The frappé was invented through experimentation by Dimitris Vakondios, a Nescafe representative, in 1957 in Thessaloniki.
Kumquat Liqueur
Kumquat is a citrus fruit originating from China that was brought to Europe and cultivated in Corfu due to its ideal climate. It has so many uses that it has become a Corfiot trademark.
Most kumquat fruits in Corfu are processed into a liqueur, but they are also used in cooking, especially in sweets such as marmalade and syrup, typically served at breakfast drizzled over Greek yogurt.
The colour of the liquid determines whether the liqueur has been made from the rind or from the fruit itself. If the colour is bright orange, then it has been made only with the skin.
You can visit several kumquat distilleries in Corfu but our favourite is Mavromatis.
Best Corfu Hotels & Resorts
If your planning to embark on a Corfu Food Tour on your next Greek island holiday it’s best to start your trip planning by booking a hotel or two. We spent 9 days on the island, checking in at 3 different resorts to get a feel for different regions of the island.
- Corfu Palace Hotel: We started our trip at the historic Corfu Palace Hotel, which was conveniently located a 5 minute drive and 15 minute walk from the airport. Spacious suites feature balconies with views overlooking the fortress. Daily breakfast buffet can be enjoyed in a regal fine dining room or on a patio overlooking the pool and gardens. The hotel is a short 10 minute walk from Old Town.
- Angsana Corfu Resort: is the newest 5 star luxury hotel to open on the island. Angsana is an Asian brand, part of the Banyan Tree hotel family. The Corfu location is the first Angsana property to launch in Europe. The jaw-dropping resort features a massive infinity pool, trendy private beach club, Thai-inspired spa, several fine dining restaurant concepts, and a world class fitness program.
- Ekati Mare Boutique Hotel: Keen to explore the southern end of Corfu? Ekati Mare is is a boutique hotel in Kavos, ranked the best resort in town. The family-run upscale hotel features reasonably priced rooms, suites and a spacious villa that overlooks the beach. During the day DJ beats entertain tan fans who lounge by the pool while sipping cocktails. An onsite restaurant serves a complimentary continental buffet breakfast as well as a la carte lunch and dinner.
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