Chez Tao

A piano bar inside the citadel that has been a fixture of Calvi nights since the 1930s. The terrace looks out over the rooftops to the sea; the interior is a confusion of mirrors, antique furniture and old photographs.

Drinks are not cheap, and dressing up is encouraged. The crowd is a mix of summer regulars, the Foreign Legion in mufti and curious passers-by.

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A story
Tao Kerefoff was a former officer of the Imperial Russian cavalry who fled the revolution and reached Calvi after a long detour. He opened his piano bar inside the citadel in 1935, and Errol Flynn, Aristotle Onassis and the Aga Khan all came through. The place is still run by his descendants.

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