Restaurants in Corsica
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Restaurant du Cours
You'll be hard-pressed to find a cheaper place for a sit-down meal in the centre of Sartène. Long on character and short on frills, this welcoming eatery set in a pokey vaulted room whips up pizzas, salads, meat dishes, lasagne and seven varieties of tagliatelle.
reviewed
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A Scudella
This snug place on Corte's liveliest square owes its reputation to a carefully composed menu, based solidly on good-quality local produce. The decor in the dining room won't win any prizes, but the outdoor seating is pleasant enough.
reviewed
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Auberge U Sirenu
Punters are drawn to the family-run U Sirenu for its choice grilled meats - go for the sanglier et ses pâtes (wild boar and pasta), best accompanied by a bottle of Saparale. If you're counting the coins, opt for the pasta. The platter of charcuterie deserves a special mention: it's served on a wooden plate in the shape of the island. The dining room is certainly not sassy, but the terrace is much more enjoyable. Post-repas, you can bask lizardlike by the pool.
It's on the road to Bonifacio, about 10km from Sartène.
reviewed
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Bergerie d'Acciola
A mandatory stop for cheese lovers (and we know what we're talking about), this produce shop set in a lovely granite house on the Bonifacio road doubles as a restaurant in summer. We'll never forget the terrine de fromage aux herbes (cheese terrine with aromatic herbs) and the crêpe à la farine de châtaigne (chestnut-flour pancake). Don't leave without buying a pungent casgiu casanu ('Fromage Fermier' in French; farm cheese) at the shop. Local wines are available too. It's 8km from Sartène.
reviewed
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Le Grand Café Napoléon
This one-of-a-kind Ajaccio institution scores a perfect 10 on our 'charm-meter' for its mind-blowing decor and refined cuisine. Push beyond the streetside terrace (itself rich in atmosphere) to the august belle époque former ballroom, with its tall mirrors, high ceilings, black-and-white terrazzo floors and soaring cream arches. Despite the classical surroundings, the menu is surprisingly modern, featuring elegantly presented fish and meat dishes. The weekday lunchtime menu du marché represents excellent value.
reviewed
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Cantina Doria
A Bonifacio institution, this cavernous little joint has a tantalising menu showcasing all the classics of Corsican cuisine, served in snug surrounds complete with wooden benches, copper pots, rustic tools and dented signs. Tuck into perennial favourites such as lasagnes au fromage Corse (lasagne with Corsican cheese) and soupe Corse, aubergines à la bonifacienne (aubergines stuffed with breadcrumbs and cheese), and you'll leave patting your tummy contentedly.
reviewed
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Auberge Santa Barbara
Send your tastebuds into a tailspin at this iconic restaurant serving authentic dishes with a creative twist. Award-winning chef Giséle Lovichi is a true alchemist, with such delectable concoctions as pigeon with myrtle sauce or veal stew with tagliatelle. Another draw is the bucolic setting, with elegant tables set around a well-manicured flower garden. A respectable wine list completes the perfect picture. It's about 1.3km from the centre on the road to Propriano; follow the signs.
reviewed
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U Museu
Just below the entrance to the citadel, U Museu may look like your typical tourist trap but that's deceptive. Dine on its gazebo-covered terrace and choose from its wide range of Corsican specialities (the menu Corse is excellent value), including civet de sanglier aux myrtes sauvages (wild boar with myrtle) and tripettes à la Cortenaise (tripe with shallots in a red-wine sauce). It doesn't take reservations and closes on Sunday in low season.
reviewed
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Le Jardin de l'Échauguette
No matter how hectic the day, as soon as you step inside this oasis of calm, stress evaporates as fast as light drizzle on asphalt in summer. Soak up the cool karma on the shady terrace while savouring well-executed classics, such as légumes farcis au brocciu (vegetables stuffed with sheep or goat cheese). A toothsome crème brûlée à la banane (banana-flavoured cream pie with a caramelised topping) will finish you off sweetly. Yum.
reviewed
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Le 20123
This one-of-a-kind place started life in the village of Pila Canale (postcode 20123 – get it?), and when the owner upped sticks to Ajaccio he decided to take the old village with him – water pump, washing line, life-sized dolls in traditional dress, central square et al. It all sounds a bit tacky, and it is (see the website) – but you won't find many more character-filled places in Corsica. Needless to say, the food is 100% authentic, too. There's just a single menu, presented orally.
reviewed
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Kissing Pigs
Soothingly positioned by the harbour, this widely acclaimed restaurant and wine bar serves savoury fare in a seductively cosy interior, complete with wooden fixtures and swinging sausages. It’s famed for its cheese and charcuterie platters. For the indecisive, the moitié-moitié (half and half), which is a combination of the two, is the perfect answer. The wine list is another hit, with a good selection of Corsican tipples, available by the glass.
reviewed
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L'Oliveraie
Offering particularly friendly, attentive service, this restaurant, on the outskirts of town, serves creative family cooking (Madame up front, her son in the kitchen). Try for example squid stuffed with brocciu or the house creation, poulet aux cèpes et pommes (chicken with cepe mushrooms and apple). For dessert, the homemade crunchy chestnut tart contrasts wonderfully with the scoop of ice cream that's served with it.
reviewed
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U Fornu
A surprisingly hip restaurant inside a restored stately house, this cool culinary outpost specialises in creative dishes that stray off the familiar Corsican path. Dishes are elegantly presented and filled with subtle flavours, and the menu Corse is excellent value. Eat in the sassy grey and red interior, or on the shady terrace. U Fornu is smack dab in the centre, but tucked away in a quiet cul-de-sac off the main thoroughfare.
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A Cantinetta
In this minuscule cellar dating from the 19th century, you'll be welcomed by Marie-Dominique Bartoli. A fireplace, a couple of chunky wooden tables and old photographs on the walls - it's button-cute and high on atmosphere. Try the homemade chestnut-flour cakes or the platter of local cheeses with fig jam - sinfully good. And wash it all down with a glass of Fiumicicoli or a vin de myrte (myrtle wine).
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L'Abri Cotier
It's safer to reserve at this popular spot, just off the quayside; ask for one of the coveted tables beside the panoramic window, one floor up and lording it over the restaurant terraces below. The cuisine is imaginative (try, for example the sea bass accompanied by a basil flan) and the house desserts are a dream (save a corner for their chestnut ice cream with toffee sauce). It also does a vegetarian platter.
reviewed
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U Pampasgiolu
The rustic arch-vaulted dining room of this Ajaccio institution is packed with punters nearly every night of the week. They come for the first-rate Corsican food made from carefully chosen ingredients. Go à la carte, or choose from the planche spuntinu (snack selection) or planche de la mer (fish and seafood selection) for a great assortment of Corsican specialities served on wooden platters.
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Le Voilier
A bastion of haute cuisine on the marina, Le Voilier attracts serious gourmets keen to enjoy elaborate fish and meat dishes. The carré de denti et pistou de coquillages (dentex steak with a Provençal sauce) certainly won our hearts. Save room for desserts - the crème brûlée au basilic (cream pie with a caramelised topping and basil) is a victory for humanity.
reviewed
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Le Gregale
On Plage de Maora, Le Gregale is well worth the detour. This is the place towards which all heads turn when it comes to tasting the freshest of fish. Depending on the daily catch, the menu may feature John Dory, sea bream, sea bass... and lobster. It's a family affair, with Mum, Dad (the cooks) and two sons (fishermen and waiters). Another draw is the rustic-chic setting, with blond-wood furniture and beams.
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Kissing Pigs
Get in early here as this zany fave, right by the harbour, teems with punters from far and wide anxious to wrap their mandibles around some of the best charcuterie and cheese platters in town. Go for the moitié/moitié (half-and-half), which is a combination of the two. Since wines also feature highly here, let things rip with the list of well chosen Corsican tipples. Fiumicicoli, anyone?
reviewed
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Emile's
Yes, the set menu has the potential to flag a red alert to Amex, but it's the top-end darling of central Calvi. From the scenic 1st-floor terrace overlooking the quayside, it provides a memorable dining experience with unobtrusive service and fabulous food. If you've never had the chance to try grilled lobster, this is the place to do it, washed down with an ice-cold bottle of white.
reviewed
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U Pescador
Near the beach and sandwiched between the car park and a recently planted grove of trees (with the sea just out of sight, alas), The Fisherman does a quite magnificent fish soup. Rub a clove of garlic into the toasted bread, sprinkle on some grated cheese, pour on the rich broth, add a dollop of rich rouille, sip and sigh with pleasure. To follow, both the fish and seafood are delightfully fresh.
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Le Sud
Reasons for making your way here are threefold: to admire the views of the marina and the watchtower from the delightful vine-covered veranda; to sample the lip-smacking fish and meat dishes that grace the menu (what about veal with banana?); and to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and lovely Mediterranean decor. For a little midday indulgence, tuck into its brimming assiette repas.
reviewed
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Les 4 Vents
The setting is eye-catching, with seafaring paraphernalia adorning the dining room and a terrace soothingly positioned on the waterfront. Les 4 Vents serves good Corsican dishes made with salutary attention to detail. Push the boat out with the brochette d'espadon (skewered cubes of swordfish) and salade de seiches et crevettes (shrimps and cuttlefish salad). Deadly.
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Le Maquis
There's a cosy all-wood interior but, for preference, reserve a table on the balcony with magnificent views of the bay, comfortable wicker chairs and candles flickering all around. Service is friendly and attentive and the food a delight. Save a cranny for the cheeseboard with around a dozen different varieties, mostly without name and all bought directly from the producer.
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U Minellu
This small family-run place with its vaulted ceiling and exterior tables beneath a lantern-lit wooden canopy is down a tight alley, just off rue Alsace Lorraine. It offers a good-value menu and a decent range of AOC Corsican wines. The menu Corse includes specialities such as brocciu cannelloni, Corsican cooked pork, and chestnut and apple cake.
reviewed
