Well, this one was a bit random… I was in Corfu and needed desperately to eat some lunch and we wandered into the direction of The Strofi in Pentati. This place was small, with limited seating but we were greeted with warmth and a smile. I was thinking in my head, “Oh no, not sure about this” but we all sat down anyway because there was not a lot of choice in the matter! This wasn’t the actual plan to come here but we rolled with it. Our guest took the lead and suggested some dishes to take; he ordered for us- (Always a good idea to take advice from a local.) What looked like a whole loaf of bread in a basket was sliced and served to us at the table, it was one of those fluffy, plain white ones with the perfect crust and colour that nobody ever makes anymore, the ones you wished everyone would just serve sometimes, instead of another trendy, artisan sourdough. This came with a dip, bursting with flavour, and generous in size, “not bad” I announced.
The food here fills your plate; they are big portions so don’t order too much! The rice and salad could be shared with a larger crowd. They know how to cook the rice, and the Greek salad is fresh and prepared well, huge, and almost falling out of the bowl. I suppose you can’t complain… The Calamari was perfectly acceptable, the batter crisp and the squid tasting fresh. I had to forget about the waistline this lunchtime! My sofrito came with chips on the side, and dominating was three portions of meat, on top of this an accomplished sauce. I felt home cooking here, it is not gourmet or gastronomy, just honest, normal food in a small taverna.
From the outside, you might not go in, as most people would judge a book by its cover, but don’t do this here, because the people are friendly, encouraging, and helpful, especially if you do not know what to order, they will help you out. It was a pleasant surprise trying this place for lunch, we stumbled across it unexpectedly, and didn’t leave disappointed consequently. The price was also very reasonable. This is why tavernas are still desirable and the beating heart of Greece.
