Corfiot cuisine differs noticeably from mainland Greek food, shaped by four centuries of Venetian rule and the island's unusual position on medieval trade routes. The characteristic dishes are slow-cooked meat stews: sofrito (veal braised in white wine with garlic and parsley), pastitsada (rooster or beef with a spiced tomato sauce on pasta, originally a Venetian dish), bourdeto (fish stewed with red pepper and onion), and stifado (beef with pearl onions). Olive oil production is also more important on Corfu than most Greek islands — the olive groves are extensive and the oil is good.
For traditional Corfiot cooking, stick to the older restaurants in the Campiello district and away from the Esplanade's tourist-facing cafés. Hrysomallis (Nikiforou Theotoki 6) is the most consistent option for classic dishes. The market street Nikiforou Theotoki has good produce shops for self-catering.