San Stefanos Online ~ North West Corfu
Welcome to San Stefanos (NW Corfu) => Where to eat out in San Stefanos? => Topic started by: Zimmer on July 07, 2009, 07:18:42 PM
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Well Tony needs some competition ;D, I'm aware that I havent described about 10 meals and as soon as I get home - along with my San Stef Newbie [ no, not Nudie Tony :) ] I shall post them ...tonite we drag our sun addled brain's down to The Sunset Taverna on Main St, today we lunched at Broucilis[sp?] in Arillas - very special taverna - Rick Stein was right, thats all I'll say for now
so far we've done
Paradise
Yiannis
Mythica
Little Prince
Olympia
Rose Garden BBQ
Olive Press
Nafsika
Ozzies
Manthos
Zorba
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And still plenty more to go. :)
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Zimmer - the new Mitchelin!!
But which Restaurant will get a Zimmer Star!! LOL
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* Ho hum
** Oh Mama
*** Mama Mia
**** Big Fat Greek Wedding
***** The Parthenon
Day 1
Paradise Taverna. A nice gentle start to the hols, as is turned out one of the few places to serve veg other than carrots and potatoes.They also spoke some Welsh to us which at least indicated an awareness of a distinction,pretty average ,nice enough***
Day2
Yiannis - Oh dear maybe it was an off night.Lamb from the spit? where was the spit? Arillas? it took over an hour, apparently they were unaccustomed to the demand, they even resorted to the singing waiter trick, some old guy warbling with an accordian ---when the lamb was spat out it was just under luke warm, met some nice people from Pudsey though, food utterly forgetable *
Day 3
Mythica - Ahhh now this is far more like it! and maybe the way to the future, a 21st C Taverna,that doesnt rely on what tourists expect, a clever fusion of old and new,terrefic wine too.
****
Day 4
Little Prince - Seems tired to me and a little bit old fashioned soemhow. It's offering cheap set meals, usually a sign of desperation. Nice enough, but nothing to get too excited about either ***
Day 5
The Olympia.Our desert specialist , Zimmer Jnr thought this the best place, it was a very nice meal, good position, good service ***+
Day 6
The day of the BBQ & Grill at the Rose Garden.Everything was home cooked by Kiki the owner and was brilliant, from the melt in your mouth cheese pasties to the tasty meat balls and delicious Briam.What a shame then that the following week no one went! I felt like going around the pool to dig up interest, but they were the types who either preferred pizza and chips or else wanted to get wrecked, but for sheer lovely home cooking a ****
Day 7
The Olive Press. An odd thing about this place , they had a reserved sign on two tables and no one turned up [ unless it was really late ] the same tables were booked the next night too. Anyway, yet another place that seems to be struggling,I'm not sure if my sardines were whitebait, nice enough and no complaints but no wow factor ***
Day 8
The Nafsika - a windy night , they had to be asked to pull down the protective plastic. I thought this place was a little pretentious. I dont like being served tinned Octupus, and they had one dish where the Maitre D would "Fillay" your fish at your table ! most of the food was good , and yet I cant say I was taken by the place , a bit "Chilly" in more senses than one ***
Day 9 [ bun fight at the OZ Coral ]
Met the two old reprobates, SS' answer to Sid James and Charles Hawtrey - Ton n Don!
But on with the important thing - I think this place too is brilliant - Ozzy Oils - really imaginative fusion of styles , the Shank was meltingly gorgeous ****
Day 10
O Manthos - now this place deserves an honourable mention, it's stuck out on a limb, we were the only customers all night and the food is a tribute to home cooking of Corfiot food.. deserves better****
Day 11
Zorbas
The Blonde's favourite - until thursday - very well presented and fine cooking , a touristy place but very slick, you can set your watch by the dancers, fab deserts, so I'm told
****
Day 12
Sunset - people ignore this one too, very average , I think the wine came from Sarsons **
Day 13 we reserved this day for overall favourite - so went back to .....Zorba's { I preferred Mythica }A nice Kleftico, though I prefer the Cypriot version
and so to the Grande Finale
Beachcomber Bistro
People rave about the sunsets , and boy were they right, it was like a Turner on Acid, the seating/furniture was superb...and the food? brilliant! would not be out of place anywhere, my mains was Perch with real roasties and also roasted in season veg, superb! the cheapest plonk was tremendous , oh , and it had the prettiest waitress in town
*****
Others
We lunched at Waves a few times - very nice and reasonable highly recommended ****
and now I'm going to sound like a snob - We quad biked over the hill to Arillas to a place Rick Stein raved about called Brouclis, the name was in Greek, the food very greek with no concessions , no tourists in there at lunch time but there were half a dozen greeks, try it...taste the difference
Sum up
Where does SS go? some of the places seemed worn out and a bit "going through the motions " food was in most part ok , at times inspired,especially where they trusted themselves rather than relying on the comfort zone of loyal customers, theres probably too much competition in SS, consequently the lowest common denominator affect comes into play where never mind the quality heres the quantity and a full English heart arttack on a plate,personally I think places like Beachcomber,Mythica and Oils are showing the way forward, otherwise........
Keith Myrna and Alex
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Goodness me. I didn't think you had been gone 2 weeks already. Time has flown so fast. Do you think you will go again or recommend SS to anyone? :)
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Hi Jools - yeah - "time is a jet plane" as his Bobness once sang, I'll write up a full "Newbie" review shortly setting out things possibly - I hope - from a fresh perspective, right now Tesco calls ;)
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welcome home zimmer.looking foward to the review through a newbies eyes
chris
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Hi Zimmer,
Very interesting read although I have to disagree with your overall summary.
You can find restaurants like Mythica and Ozzy Oils anywhere, particularly Mythica which we found pretentious and dull, it was like eating in a Library
Surely we go to Greece to experience 'Greek' Tavernas rather than places that are trying to copy (usually unsuccessfully) trendy British establishments.
Scala in Kefallonia has been taken over by places like the Mythica most with names more suited to a 1980's New Romantic pop group! I and many others do not want to see this trend develop in SS but in the long run restaurant owners will give people what they want so we will see.
Our favourite Taverna was the Little Prince and yes it has many return customers but doesnt that tell us something?
Andy
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Reasonable point Andy - the way I see it is that people are now very well acquainted with Mousakka and Kleftiko, it's become standard fare, the Greek equivelent of bangers and mash , which lots of people in the UK eat in pubs up and down the country but which they arent passionate about.
Where was the Horta salad? Fasolakia, Bianco and Corfu's most famous dish, Bourtheto? this is not being pretentious it's being true to your heritage rather than merely serving up the expected, if you want authentic Greek food it seems you need toi get out to the less commercialised places like Kamani,AG Stef NE,at least those places like Mythica are giving the new a bash rather than staying in the tourist comfort zone
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it goes to prove we all like different thing and look at san stef in different ways life would be boring if we all thought the same also if we all liked the same place we would never get in
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Its still nice to try the new places as you never know what you might be missing as well.
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Thanks for your report Zimmer. As I often eat alone (Billy no mates haha) one way I make a choice is the banter that I have with them. For this reason Olympia and Ozzy Oils come tops for me! Luckily the food is great too!!!! :)
Will definitely try Beachcomber next time. I know the food is great there but I'll have to check out "the prettiest waitress in town". Big thanks for that info Zimmer haha!
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we never got to try olympia but i think we will have to next time if the puds are good will have to we have our sons girlfriends dad round today for a meal looking like i may need a new hat so have made a peach pavlova and a whiskey bread and butter pudding so theres the diet gone up the shoot
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Sounds lovely Zoe.
Hendrix as you have found out you are never alone in SS.
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Great review Zimmer :)
brings back memories of fab food in San Stef ! and Arillas too, love them both
Helen
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Thanks Zimmer, thought your your report was very well written and agreed with you totally. Did you stay at Rose Gardens? and are you and your family planning to visit SS in 2010.
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Went to Zorbas tonight. If ever the Yanks started a franchise chain of Greek restaurants then Zorbas would be the role model. Bland, Bland, Bland!! Greek for the tourist mentality!
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Yep! agreed it was slick , food is cooked well though - for what they do,and is more "professional" than - say - "Little Prince" which struck me as being in a tourist rut
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Thanks Zimmer, thought your your report was very well written and agreed with you totally. Did you stay at Rose Gardens? and are you and your family planning to visit SS in 2010.
Thanks for the appreciation - Yes - brilliant place [ though not so brilliant that I feel compelled to go back every year ;D - gentle joke ] and no, next year we may not go abroad at all , it all depends on a few things
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Great report Zimmer, don't agree with everything you say but that's what a forum is all about allowing everyone to express their own views and opinions.
http://www.sanstefanos.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=648.0 (http://www.sanstefanos.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=648.0)
I think with the onset of places like Ozzie and Beachcomber (can't speak for Mythica as we missed that one) there are a few taverna's/restaurants who will need to pull their socks up if they want to survive and those that do will have a long queue.
How come that these new places can serve up such quality food, fresh chicken etc for such good value when some of the old ones obviously serve "ping" food?
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Sorry to say it but when we were sat in the Mythica - you could hear the 'ping' of the microwave going off on a regular basis!!
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Maybe on certain things (possibly starters) they would have to use the ping service.
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Great report Zimmer, don't agree with everything you say but that's what a forum is all about allowing everyone to express their own views and opinions.
http://www.sanstefanos.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=648.0 (http://www.sanstefanos.co.uk/smf/index.php?topic=648.0)
I think with the onset of places like Ozzie and Beachcomber (can't speak for Mythica as we missed that one) there are a few taverna's/restaurants who will need to pull their socks up if they want to survive and those that do will have a long queue.
How come that these new places can serve up such quality food, fresh chicken etc for such good value when some of the old ones obviously serve "ping" food?
well said ;D :-* - the longer a menu the longer the food's either been prepared or else is, as you say, "pinged".
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Can assure you all that any "pinging" in Mythica is only reheating, as i know for a fact that, Leo and his parents do all the cooking themselves, some of which can be prepared during the day.
Everybody has their own opinion and preferences, but Mythica is one of a handful that is proper "home-cooked" food.
Sarah H
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it certainly didnt seem pinged to me ! I thought it was brilliantly cooking and the concise menu indicates cooked on spot...more power to your elbow!!
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Zimmer - Keith and co!! enjoyed meeting up - didn't agree with your report on Don and I - Cheeky boy!! (Who was Charles Hawtree then?) LOL!!
Nice report!!
Didn't agree with some of the follow up comments made, lets be realistic now - you can eat in authentic Greek Tavernas anywhere in the UK - especially London.
What I find boring is to go to Greece and have no choice except an old Greek Taverna to eat in.
I like choice and San Stef now gives that international choice that leaves everyone happy.
So just eat where ever it is you like, not put down the choices!!
The food here is great and no one should try to be a "Greek-Food" snob, theres choice for all here!!
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true ....point taken :-[
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Sorry to say it but when we were sat in the Mythica - you could hear the 'ping' of the microwave going off on a regular basis!!
Oh no! Andy you just burst my bubble! I raved about Mythica! :(
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Could possibly be them cooking the veggies. That's how I usually cook broccoli n cauliflower these days. Had the crispiest roast potatoes there.
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Having worked in the catering business, I know that if a Restaurant has a large menu, then a lot of the food will be 'pinged'. You cannot have pans and pans full of fresh food sitting around hoping people will order them.
I know that the Olive Press used to (may still do, but didn't go this year), only cook fresh everyday. The choice was limited and when it was gone 'it was gone'. You cannot do this if you have a huge range of meals on your menu.
Therefore, the smaller the menu, the far greater chance that the food is prepared fresh that day.
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Well that's true as well, but whether pinged or not, I judge food by the taste and am a handy chef myself,
Mythica's food tasted great on the meals I had - so I loved it and really don't care if it was cooked on an old fashiond fire out the back,
or heated in the microwave as long as it tastes great!!
Some one else had a poor meal there with tough chicken, but mine were all brilliant and I would go again!!
Olive Press has changed tactics this year and was empty most of the time.
Beachcomber meal was brilliant as well!!
Loved my last night's sizzling Steak in the Little Prince!!