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Food tours in Corfu: what to eat and which tour to book
Corfu was never under Ottoman rule; it was Venetian for about four centuries and later British, and its kitchen shows it. The island's signature dishes have Venetian names: pastitsada (rooster or beef in a spiced tomato sauce over thick pasta), sofrito (veal in white wine, garlic and vinegar), bourdeto (fish in a hot red-pepper sauce) and bianco (white fish stew with garlic and lemon). From the British years came tsitsibira, a still ginger beer drunk at the cafés of the Liston, and from the Far East via the British came the kumquat, now grown in the north around Nymfes and made into liqueur and sweets.
Use this page to know what to order and where to eat beyond the resort strips. The dishes and areas below cover Corfu Town, its market, the west and northeast coasts and the villages, with rough 2026 prices. The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; confirm the price and meeting point on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Corfu
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pastitsada παστιτσάδα (pastitsada) | Rooster (the traditional version) or beef, slow-cooked in a tomato sauce spiced with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and sweet paprika, served over thick pasta such as bucatini with grated cheese. The island's Sunday and festive dish. | Tavernas in Corfu Town and the villages; rooster is not always available, ask. | roughly €13–18 a plate |
| Sofrito σοφρίτο (sofrito) | Thin slices of veal browned and then cooked in white wine with plenty of garlic, parsley and a little vinegar, served with mashed or fried potatoes or rice. | Tavernas across the island and in the Old Town. | roughly €13–18 a plate |
| Bourdeto μπουρδέτο (bourdeto) | Fish, traditionally scorpionfish (skorpios), cooked in olive oil with onion and plenty of hot red pepper and paprika. Spicy by Greek standards. | Fish tavernas and Corfiot tavernas; often made with whatever firm fish is fresh. | roughly €15–22 a portion, or priced by the fish's weight |
| Bianco μπιάνκο (bianco) | White fish (often cod or grouper) stewed with potatoes, lots of garlic, black pepper, olive oil and lemon; 'bianco' because there is no tomato. | Tavernas in Corfu Town and fish tavernas on the coast. | roughly €13–20 a plate |
| Tsigareli τσιγαρέλι (tsigareli) | Wild and cultivated greens cooked in olive oil with onion, tomato and hot pepper, eaten as a side or a light main. | Village tavernas and Corfiot restaurants; seasonal, mostly in the cooler months and spring. | roughly €7–10 a portion |
| Noumboulo and Corfiot cured meats νούμπουλο (noumboulo) | Smoked, cured pork fillet seasoned with pepper and herbs, sliced thin, one of the island's traditional cured meats, served on a meze platter. | Delis and food shops in the Old Town; some tavernas serve it as a starter. | roughly €9–14 a plate; sold by weight in shops |
| Kumquat liqueur and sweets κουμκουάτ (koum kouat) | Small bitter-sweet citrus fruit grown mainly in the north of the island. Made into liqueur (sold in clear and orange versions), spoon sweets and candied fruit. PGI-protected as Kumquat Kerkyras. | Food and souvenir shops all over the Old Town; distilleries near Nymfes and in the north. | roughly €8–15 a bottle of liqueur; a glass in a bar roughly €4–6 |
| Ginger beer τσιτσιμπύρα (tsitsibira) | Non-alcoholic, lightly fizzy ginger beer made with lemon, ginger and sugar, a legacy of British rule (1814–1864). Cloudy and sharp. | Cafés on the Liston and around Spianada square, and some tavernas; ask, as production is small. | roughly €3.50–5 a bottle |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Old Town lanes (kantounia)
The narrow Venetian alleys of Corfu Town, a UNESCO site, hold tavernas cooking pastitsada and sofrito, delis with noumboulo, kumquat shops and pastry shops. The main shopping streets are touristy; the lanes towards the Campiello and Spilia areas are quieter.
Liston and Spianada
The arcaded Liston, built in the French period, faces the Spianada square and its cricket ground. The cafés are pricey but the classic place for a coffee or ginger beer in the evening.
Corfu Town municipal market
Fruit, vegetable and fish stalls at the foot of the New Fortress (Neo Frourio), where townspeople shop. Good for seasonal fruit, local olive oil, cheese and kumquats.
Paleokastritsa
West-coast bays below the monastery with fish tavernas by the water and on the hills above. Popular and busy in summer; go for lunch after a swim.
Northeast coast (Kassiopi, Kalami, Agni)
Small coves facing Albania with waterside tavernas serving fish, bourdeto and Corfiot dishes. Many visitors arrive by boat.
Inland villages (Pelekas, Doukades, Ano Korakiana and others)
Hill villages with tavernas that cook for locals, generally at lower prices than the coast; Pelekas also has a well-known sunset viewpoint.
Food tours in Corfu compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corfu: Greek Cooking Class & Olive Oil Tasting | 6 hours | from €100 per person | max 8 | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Corfu Town: Guided Walking Tour and Local Food Tastings | 3 hours | from €90 per person | max 10 | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Corfu: Olive Oil and Kumquat Tasting Tour with Minivan | 3.5 hours | from €215 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
Corfu: Greek Cooking Class & Olive Oil Tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by Corfu Outdoor & Leisure Activities
- Length
- 6 hours
- Price
- from €100 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 220 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 8
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
Corfu Town: Guided Walking Tour and Local Food Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by Corfu Walking Tours
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €90 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 414 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
Corfu: Olive Oil and Kumquat Tasting Tour with Minivan
On GetYourGuide · run by CORFUBYLOCALS
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €215 per person
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Private minivan transport from Corfu Town Food and culture tour through Corfiot villages Olive oil tasting Visit to a Kumquat factory and distillery Tastings of local products Gratuities
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food in Corfu is pita gyros and souvlaki, bakery pies and koulouri, plus sweet shops selling mandolato (nougat) and kumquat sweets. There are no food night markets; for something quick and local, buy noumboulo, cheese and bread from a deli or the market.
Sit-down meals
The island's dishes (pastitsada, sofrito, bourdeto, bianco) are sit-down taverna food, and Corfu Town and the villages are the best places for them. Resort strips such as Kavos, Sidari and parts of Dassia lean towards international food. Dinner from about 20:30–21:00; many tavernas are open all day.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes in Corfu are usually at village houses or farms, often with olive groves, and cover dishes such as sofrito or pastitsada, pies and salads, followed by the meal with wine. Some include an olive oil or kumquat tasting. Check where the class is held, as driving times on the island are long.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | €25–35 (bakery breakfast, pita gyros lunch, simple taverna dinner) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | €50–75 (two taverna meals with house wine) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | €120+ (seafood dinner on the northeast coast or a modern restaurant in town) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Possible: tsigareli, salads, pies, gigantes and vegetable oven dishes are meat-free, and most tavernas have several. The signature dishes, though, are meat or fish. Vegan choices are mainly greens, beans and vegetables cooked in oil.
Halal: Halal-certified food is very limited. Pork is the default in gyros and souvlaki, and noumboulo is pork, so ask for chicken (kotopoulo); beef sofrito and fish dishes are options, though the meat will not be halal-certified.
Gluten-free: Sofrito, bianco, bourdeto and grilled fish are naturally gluten-free, though check whether meat was floured before browning. Pastitsada comes on pasta (ask for rice or potatoes instead), and pies and pita are wheat-based. Say 'choris glouteni' (without gluten).
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Coffee and drinks on the Liston and Spianada costing two or three times what they cost a street back. It is not a scam if the price is on the menu, but read it before you order. For a cheaper coffee, step into the Old Town lanes.
- Fish sold per kilo at coastal tavernas (Paleokastritsa, the northeast coast) and weighed and cooked without telling you the total. Ask to see the fish weighed and agree the final price before it is cooked. Frozen fish must be marked on the menu.
- Sunbed charges with a minimum spend at organised beaches such as Glyfada, Paleokastritsa and Agios Gordios. Ask the price and minimum spend before you sit down.
- Touts and picture menus in the Old Town's busiest streets and the resort strips, with reheated dishes at high prices. Walk into the side lanes or go to a village taverna; skip places that send someone out to pull you in.
Top tours & activities in Corfu
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
What should I eat in Corfu?
Pastitsada (rooster or beef in spiced tomato sauce over pasta), sofrito (veal with white wine and garlic), bourdeto (fish in hot red-pepper sauce) and bianco (white fish stew with garlic and lemon), with tsigareli greens on the side. To drink, try tsitsibira ginger beer and kumquat liqueur. The local white wine grape is Kakotrygis.
When is the market in Corfu Town open?
The municipal market at the foot of the New Fortress usually runs Monday to Saturday in the morning, roughly 7:00 to 14:00, and is closed on Sunday. It is a working market for residents, selling fruit, vegetables, fish, cheese and olive oil. Go early for the best choice, and check current hours, as they can change.
Where can I find tsitsibira (ginger beer)?
Mainly in the cafés of the Liston and around Spianada square in Corfu Town, and in some tavernas. It is made in small quantities, so it is not on every menu. It is non-alcoholic, cloudy and sharp with lemon and ginger, and is traditionally linked to the cricket played on the Spianada since British times.
Is the kumquat liqueur worth buying?
Yes, as a local product, but quality varies. It comes in clear and bright orange versions, and some cheaper bottles rely on colouring and flavouring. Check the label for kumquat content and origin (Corfu, PGI), and compare a few shops in the Old Town before buying; prices for similar bottles can differ a lot.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Corfu is cheaper than the Cyclades. A tight day of bakery breakfast, pita and a simple taverna dinner is roughly €25–35. Two sit-down meals with house wine run roughly €50–75. A seafood dinner by the water on the northeast coast can be €60–100 per person.
Do I need to tip?
Service is not usually included. Leaving about 5–10% or rounding up for good service is normal, in cash if possible, since card tips often don't reach staff. In cafés on the Liston, small change is enough.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.