Greek Food
Greek cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine. Contemporary Greek cookery makes wide use of vegetables, olive oil, grains, fish, wine and meat. Other important ingredients include olives, pasta, cheese, lemon juice, herbs, bread and yoghurt. The most commonly used grain is wheat; barley is also used. Common dessert ingredients include nuts, honey, fruits and filo pastries.
It is strongly influenced by Ottoman cuisine and, especially in the cuisine of Anatolian Greeks, shares foods such as baklava, tzatziki, gyros, moussaka, dolmades and keftedes with neighbouring countries. To an even greater extent, it is influenced by Italian cuisine and cuisines from other neighbouring southern European countries.
Corfu offers a rich culinary scene, from traditional tavernas and street food like gyros and souvlaki to fine dining and modern Greek cuisine.
Traditional Greek Cuisine
Corfu is famous for its tavernas, where you can enjoy home-style dishes such as moussaka, pastitsio, lamb with potatoes, slow-cooked stews, and vegetable casseroles that evoke the feeling of a Greek family meal. Ladera, olive-oil-based vegetable dishes, are seasonal and deeply Greek, often served alongside grilled meats and fresh salads. There are also some Corfiot specialities, Pastitsada and Sofrito definitely worth trying whilst you are visiting
Street Food and Quick Bites
For a casual experience, gyros and souvlaki are must-try street foods. Gyros are pita wraps filled with chicken, lamb, or beef, onions, fries, and tzatziki sauce, often slow-cooked on a rotisserie. Souvlaki shops are scattered throughout the island, offering quick, flavorful meals that locals enjoy daily.
Meze and Small Plates
Greeks love meze, small plates designed to share, often paired with ouzo or tsipouro. Meze can include cheeses, olives, seafood, grilled vegetables, and dips, perfect for lingering over conversation in a shaded courtyard or a neighborhood ouzeria.
Fine Dining and Modern Greek Cuisine
Corfu also boasts modern and fine dining restaurants, the majority of which are based in Corfu Town and are often set in beautiful locations in the old Venetian town.