The place and the people
The entrance from the seaside promenade to the gardens of the 5-star hotel, which was founded with the birth of Greek tourism in 1953, is the portal to another world. In daytime, the beautiful gardens, the azure of the sea and sky, the turquoise of the pool and the bright sunlight automatically create a sense of joy for the visitor. In the evening, the lighting and flickering candles set a new romantic and promising backdrop for dinner.
The luxury, just enough to feel opulent but never garish, is complemented by the ever smiling and attentive staff. Before talking about the restaurant’s famous food, it would be the gravest omission for this hotel not to make a special mention of the staff. The Corfu Palace is very much defined by its staff. They are like family to each other while with the guests they are professionals of the highest level, but always welcoming, with the warmth of people who are keenly aware of the rules and the smallest details of their duties. They are all smiling, all willing and all trained 5-star service professionals.
At Scheria restaurant, the head chef is Thomas Lampouras, a chef who was lucky enough to study under weighty names of gastronomy such as the late Swiss chef Adolf Blokberger with two Michelin stars and the Swiss chef Peter Buser, who has since been naturalized as a Corfiot. He now lives as a retired man with his family in Corfu.
The cuisine – French & Mediterranean
Thomas Lampouras, with his vast experience and the legacy of his great teachers, has led the Scheria restaurant into a new era. In keeping with the strong elements of French cuisine, he has created contemporary dishes while keeping iconic ones such as the Chateaubriand with authentic Bearnaise sauce, the classic peppered fillet steak and the émincé à la zurichoise with rösti. Of course, the kitchen team is always open to fulfill the wishes of a customer looking for a classic dish that has been removed from the new menu. A sincere willingness to please is, after all, one of the distinctive characteristics of the Corfu Palace.
Thomas Lampouras also created new Mediterranean dishes, some inspired by the Corfiot cuisine such as the popular monkfish bianco and the salad with Corfiot ‘noumpoulo’ which is truly one of a kind!
The philosophy of the restaurant, and obviously of the chef, is that “we follow the recipe faithfully, no deviation” even in the most modernized versions of local and Greek dishes. The lunch menu is full of such examples with moussaka, octopus with orzo, sea bass a la spetsiota to satisfy all visitors to Corfu who want to get a taste of Greek cuisine. The Mediterranean cuisine section could not be without its fresh pasta with authentic Italian recipes in a specially inspired menu.
At Scheria restaurant it goes without saying that the wine list includes the best wines of Greek wine producers as well as selected fine wines from France and Argentina.
As for the desserts, the story is sweetly glorious, since here is found one of the most skilled confectioneries on the island. The ice cream is handmade, the vanilla used is Madagascar vanilla, standing out in appearance and taste, the sorbets are some of the most refreshing in the world, while classic famous desserts like lemon pie now vie with innovative inspirations like orange soup with mastic ice cream.
Why is Scheria restaurant so special?
The truth is that these days when gastronomy is at its height of glory worldwide, and too many restaurants are just good, the truly special is rare.
But here we are talking about the truly special and for more than one reason. One is its history. As an integral part of the historic hotel, Scheria Restaurant has long been renowned for its gracious hospitality even now by assimilating each new staff member into the spirit of the solid and beloved existing team.
Another reason that Scheria stands out is its location and aesthetics. In the heart of the city with plenty of space, bathed in sunlight by day and moonlight by night, with flowering gardens, with the sea in front, and the city with its fortified walls behind, the whole environment is unique and enchanting.
On the other hand, how often does one eat out nowadays with silver cutlery, Rosenthal china, and white tablecloths? All of this without pretensions, only the elegance of experience that history has bestowed on places.
Really, could Corfu Palace be called a Corfu landmark? Definitely so.
We left the most important reason that makes Scheria Restaurant and Corfu Palace so special for last: the owners. The Corfiot-Swiss owners live part of the time in the hotel, treating it like their home and their staff like family.
To conclude this short tribute to the Scheria restaurant of the iconic Corfu Palace Hotel in Corfu, a little anecdote: the young chef at the time, Thomas Lampouras, had purchased two types of smoked salmon to try. By chance, the owner Mr. Christos Fokas passes by the kitchen and the chef asks him to try the two different salmons and give his opinion. Mr. Fokas, as a keen gastronome, chooses the higher quality and clearly more expensive one. Then the chef says to him “But it’s much more expensive per kilo”. “Never mind, that’s the one we’ll buy”, the owner replied. Among the main factors that make the Scheria restaurant stand out is the feeling in every bite, and that comes from the best ingredients on the market.
My Kerkyra team would like to thank the chef and staff for their warm hospitality, time, and willingness to welcome us into the wonderful world of quality and history at the famous Scheria restaurant. They offered us a cosmopolitan, unique experience of refinement and taste.
Scheria Restaurant
Contact Number: 2661047540
Email: info@scheriarestaurant.com
Website: https://scheriarestaurant.com/
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