The Corfu Selection
Our ranked selection of Corfu's finest restaurants — every entry visited, every verdict editorially written, every score given without payment.
Legend: $ Casual $$ Mid-range $$$ Upscale $$$$ Luxury · Scores out of 10
Etrusco
Ettore Botrini's ancestral seat — a one-Michelin-star temple to Ionian produce in a 17th-century stone farmhouse, ten kilometres from Corfu Town.
Venetian Well
A 1699 Venetian well, a magenta bougainvillea-draped façade, and the most romantic dining square in Corfu Old Town.
Rex Restaurant
Open since 1932 — the oldest restaurant in Corfu Town and the canonical address for sofrito, pastitsada and bourdeto done the traditional Corfiot way.
Pomo d'Oro
Pan-Mediterranean fusion on one of the most beautiful squares in Corfu Old Town — the Italian legacy executed with modern polish.
Salto Wine Bar
The wine bar in the fashionable Spilia district — pan-Greek producers poured with small plates the kitchen keeps inventive.
Best for First Date in Corfu
Intimate rooms, conversation-friendly acoustics, and the right pacing to let the evening stretch.
Etrusco
Ettore Botrini's ancestral seat — a one-Michelin-star temple to Ionian produce in a 17th-century stone farmhouse, ten kilometres from Corfu Town.
Venetian Well
A 1699 Venetian well, a magenta bougainvillea-draped façade, and the most romantic dining square in Corfu Old Town.
Rex Restaurant
Open since 1932 — the oldest restaurant in Corfu Town and the canonical address for sofrito, pastitsada and bourdeto done the traditional Corfiot way.
Best for Business Dinner in Corfu
Power tables, discrete rooms, and wine lists that signal taste without calling for attention.
Corfu's Top 5
Our ranked list — editorially written, independently scored.
Etrusco
Ettore Botrini's ancestral seat — a one-Michelin-star temple to Ionian produce in a 17th-century stone farmhouse, ten kilometres from Corfu Town.
Venetian Well
A 1699 Venetian well, a magenta bougainvillea-draped façade, and the most romantic dining square in Corfu Old Town.
Rex Restaurant
Open since 1932 — the oldest restaurant in Corfu Town and the canonical address for sofrito, pastitsada and bourdeto done the traditional Corfiot way.
Pomo d'Oro
Pan-Mediterranean fusion on one of the most beautiful squares in Corfu Old Town — the Italian legacy executed with modern polish.
Salto Wine Bar
The wine bar in the fashionable Spilia district — pan-Greek producers poured with small plates the kitchen keeps inventive.
A Dining Guide to Corfu
Corfu's cuisine reflects four hundred years of Venetian rule — the island was Venetian from 1401 to 1797 and never came under Ottoman control, meaning the culinary influences that shaped the rest of Greece largely bypassed it. The signature Corfiot dishes — sofrito (beef stewed in a white-wine, garlic, and vinegar sauce), pastitsada (rooster or beef in a spiced tomato sauce served over thick pasta), and bourdeto (fish in a hot red pepper and tomato sauce) — all descend from Venetian originals. The island's seafood, particularly the Ionian white fish (tsipoura, lavraki) and the local tiny shrimp, is the anchor of most fine-dining menus. Ettore Botrini's Etrusco, in Dassia, is the island's Michelin-starred flagship.
Where to Eat
Corfu Old Town — a UNESCO World Heritage Site of Venetian palazzi, narrow 'kantounia' lanes, and two hilltop fortresses — holds the most atmospheric restaurants, including Venetian Well, Rex, Salto, and Pomo d'Oro. The Liston (the French-designed arcade facing the Spianada) is where the aperitivo hour plays out. Dassia, on the east coast ten kilometres north of the capital, is where Etrusco and the beach-club dining scene sits. Paleokastritsa and the west coast offer seafood tavernas directly on the beaches.
Reservation Tips
Etrusco requires 2–3 weeks in summer. Venetian Well, Rex, and Pomo d'Oro need 3–5 days in July and August. Off-season (November to April) most restaurants take walk-ins; many close entirely between mid-November and mid-March. Corfu's Easter celebrations bring an immediate peak; book a month ahead for Holy Week.
Tipping & Service
Service is sometimes included; check the bill. Five to ten percent is standard, with cash tips preferred (reaching servers more reliably than card tips). Taverna bills often include a mandatory 'cover' charge for bread and water.
Further Reading
Explore First Date, Close a Deal, Proposal, and our Best by Occasion pillar guide. For travel planning beyond Corfu, see our full city index.