Pomo d'Oro

Aristotelis Megoulas trained in Bologna and has cooked from the same Corfu square since 2005, which is why Pomo d'Oro reads Italian but tastes Ionian. The plate to order is the monkfish ravioli; the swordfish carpaccio and the "Pomme de terre" — a potato salad built with feta mousse, capers, dried noumboulo and truffle — are the other two regulars come back for. House pasta rotates weekly and mains land around €28. Two stars in Greece's FNL Guide and Athinorama's Modern Greek Cuisine Award put it among the island's serious kitchens, not just its pretty ones.

The address is Skaramagka Square 13, one of the prettiest small plazas in the Old Town, and in summer the terrace takes over most of it under white canvas. Inside, used in cooler months, it's stone walls, low beams and candlelight — conversation-easy, never loud. Smart casual is right; this is a dressed-up-holiday room, not a jacket one. The square does a lot of the work, so the seat you book matters more than usual.

Book this for a first date because the square does the heavy lifting. The setting is romantic without performing it, the Greek-Italian menu is familiar enough that nobody's stressed about ordering, and the evening rolls naturally into a walk through the Campiello afterward. Ask for a square-facing table in the corner near the church when you reserve, take the early-evening light in summer, and let the pasta-and-a-bottle format keep things easy. Reckon on roughly €70 a head with wine.

Not for a quiet, private conversation in high summer: the terrace sits in the middle of a busy square with foot traffic past your table. Book the indoor room in shoulder season if you actually want to hear each other.

Is Pomo d'Oro worth it? Yes, especially in summer for the square. It's one of Corfu Old Town's most serious kitchens — two stars in Greece's FNL Guide and an Athinorama award under chef Aristotelis Megoulas — and the Greek-Italian cooking holds up against the setting. Mains run around €28, so it's not cheap for Corfu but fair for the quality. Come for dinner outdoors, order the pasta, and don't skip the dessert cart.

How hard is it to book Pomo d'Oro? Easy out of season, planned in summer. Book two to three days ahead for July and August, and specify a square-facing table when you do — those go first and they're the whole reason to come. Reserve direct by phone or through the restaurant's site; there's no Resy-style queue. Walk-ins can get lucky at the indoor tables, but never count on the terrace in high season.

What is the dress code at Pomo d'Oro? Smart casual, holiday version. No jacket required and shorts are fine at lunch, but for dinner on the square lean to a collared shirt or a summer dress — you'll be in photos against one of the prettiest plazas in the Old Town. It's relaxed, not formal; dress like you're going somewhere nice on holiday rather than to a city fine-dining room.

What should I order at Pomo d'Oro? Start with the swordfish carpaccio or the "Pomme de terre" — the potato salad with feta mousse, capers, dried noumboulo and truffle — then go to the monkfish ravioli, the signature. House pasta changes weekly, so ask what's fresh. Finish at the dessert cart, an Italian touch you won't find at most tavernas. A Greek white or a Sicilian red from the list rounds it out.