Eating Out – Corfu Town
As you will no doubt realise, there are a great number of tavernas, restaurants and places to eat in general all over Corfu Town. As we haven’t been to many this year, there is not going to be many featured here for the moment. Fear not we will attempt to rectify this in due course!
The Olympia
Liston, 49100, Corfu Town.
No known website or e-mail
Despite not strictly falling into the category of a restaurant or taverna, I am going to start with ‘The Olympia’ for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is a wonderful place just to sit with a coffee or something stronger and just ‘people watch’. Situated on the Liston facing the Esplanade where cricket is sometimes played, makes it one of the simple pleasures that we never tire of.
Many will opt for sitting under the trees opposite ‘The Olympia’ during the warmer months, where the liveried waiters will come to serve you. Locals will more likely opt to sit in the shade directly outside. Locals meet to spend an hour or two over a coffee or maybe an ouzo, just passing the time or exchanging gossip.
Provided that we are there at a reasonable hour, we will often have an ouzo meze which, is cheaper than a cappuccino! A glass of ginger beer makes a nice change and in the evening after a meal, it is pleasant just to sit there with an ice cream. There are various other snacks like cakes available but we are rarely tempted!
I make no bones about it. Nowhere on The Liston is cheap, least of all, ‘The Olympia’ but it is a great place to visit for a leisurely drink at any time of the day or evening. To us, it represents all that is good in a ‘cafe culture’. It is the sort of place that we are sure that the legislators in the UK had in mind when they introduced 24 hour drinking. Sadly, from our observations, many thought meant that they had to consume alcohol for 24 hours at a time! Not so in Greece, we are delighted to say! A ‘must visit’ establishment!
La Famiglia
Maniarisi Arlioti 16 (Kandouni Bisi), 49100, Corfu.
Tel: (+30) 26610 30270
No known website or e-mail.
This revue is going to raise a few eyebrows as well! La Famiglia is an Italian restaurant!
Many friends often joke that given that Corfu has such a strong Venetian influence, we often wonder why there is such a difference in their cuisines. (The answer is obvious if you consider their differing histories and cultures.)
If you are on holiday in Greece for a couple of weeks, the last thing on your mind is probably Italian food! However,if you live here and tend to eat local dishes and produce much of the time, it is nice to have something different. Think about it. When you are back home in the UK, we will wager that most will venture to an Indian, Chinese or Italian restaurant occasionally. In some areas of the UK, it would be impossible to eat at all the different types of restaurants in a year.
Well, it’s a little different here as alternative cuisine is not readily available. As a non member of the Orthodox religion, try getting a meal that takes your fancy in Corfu on Easter Saturday! The devout will have been fasting and getting ready to break their fast at midnight with a plate of ‘magieritsa’ – sheep’s entrails soup! If we are in Corfu Town for the Easter celebrations we will make our way straight to ‘La Famiglia’! (Having booked first, of course!)
‘La Famiglia’ is a family run business with an Italian background. The food is as good as any that we have had in our very limited visits to Italy and rates as better than any that I have had in any other Italian restaurant. I can’t put it plainer than that!
In the summer, you can eat at the tables outside and take in the ambience of the little lane within which ‘La Famiglia’ is situated. If it is a little too warm, the wise venture inside to the cozy air-conditioned restaurant! The restaurant is very tastefully decorated and spotlessly clean.
The food is outstanding and those unfamiliar with the place should exercise caution when choosing their starters. They are truly designed for sharing and can be reasonably described as enormous. If ever there was a case where you should order less than you think you want, this is one. The ‘Payenne Tarte’ is a fantastic starter!
The prices are very reasonable for a good class restaurant in our opinion, especially in Corfu Town. The service is excellent – friendly but not obtrusive.
If you just want a change or really like Italian food, put ‘La Famiglia’ on your itinerary!
