Kosher food and Shabbat in Corfu: the synagogue, the Jewish quarter and what to do about food
Corfu is a favourite island for Israelis, but we found no kosher restaurant or Chabad house there. Here is how to plan a kosher, Shabbat-observant holiday and what to see in the historic Jewish quarter.
- We found no active kosher restaurant or Chabad house in Corfu (as of October 2026).
- You can order kosher food for delivery from Athens via e-kosher.gr, which also ships to the islands. Order a few days ahead.
- The historic synagogue on Velissariou Street in the Old Town is open to visitors, and there is a small community of about 60 people.
If you keep kosher, bring or pre-order food for Shabbat, choose an apartment with a kitchen and check Shabbat times on our page. The synagogue is worth a visit, but do not rely on a regular minyan.
Is there kosher food in Corfu?
As of October 2026, we found no active kosher restaurant, kosher grocery or Chabad house in Corfu. The synagogue exists and is active as a historic site, but it offers no kosher services for tourists, so kosher-keeping travellers need to plan ahead.
How to manage kosher food in Corfu
- Delivery from Athens: e-kosher.gr, run by Chabad Athens, ships kosher food and products across Greece, including the islands. Order a few days before you arrive and check delivery times to Corfu.
- An apartment with a kitchen: lets you cook, warm Shabbat meals and keep separate utensils.
- Supermarket basics: vegetables, fruit, eggs and fresh fish (with fins and scales) are available everywhere. For processed products see kosher products in Greek supermarkets.
- Via Athens: if you pass through Athens, you can shop at the Chabad grocery and eat at Gostijo in Psiri. See kosher food in Athens.
Shabbat in Corfu
Check candle-lighting and Havdalah times for Corfu and the rest of Greece on our Shabbat times & kosher in Greece page. If you want to visit the synagogue, stay within walking distance of the Old Town, and check in advance that your room does not rely only on an electronic key card.
The synagogue and Jewish quarter of Corfu
The Jewish quarter is in the Old Town, near the Old Port and the New Fortress. The synagogue on Velissariou Street is a pale yellow, two-storey 18th-century building, the only one of the ghetto's synagogues that survived the Second World War. Upstairs a marble plaque commemorates the roughly 2,000 community members murdered in Auschwitz.
According to AllCorfu, the synagogue is open to visitors during the day. According to Travel.gr, if it is closed you can ask the shops on the street to call the person in charge to open it. Today the community is small, about 60 people, so do not assume there is a regular minyan.
Near the New Fortress stands Corfu's Holocaust memorial, and a nearby street is named after the Jewish victims of Nazism.
A little history: the Jews of Corfu
For centuries Corfu had two communities: Romaniote Jews, who spoke Greek, and Jews of Italian origin. Each had its own synagogue and cemetery, and relations were not always easy. According to AllCorfu, in 1802 about 1,229 Jews lived in Corfu out of some 45,000 inhabitants. Until the 15th century Jews lived inside the Old Fortress; later they moved to an area called "Jews' Mountain", which became the Jewish quarter.
In June 1944 the Jews of Corfu were deported to Auschwitz, and most were murdered. In 2002 a plaque with the community's family names was placed in the synagogue. The French-language writer Albert Cohen was born in the quarter, and his birthplace is next to the synagogue.
How to get to the synagogue
The quarter is signposted. You can walk there from the Old Port and New Fortress area, or from the main street linking San Rocco Square and the Old Town. There is no parking in the narrow streets, so leave the car in a car park outside the Old Town.
Tips for a kosher holiday in Corfu
- Plan food before you fly: ordering early saves stress on your first Shabbat.
- Ask your hotel: some hotels let you store food in a fridge and use a microwave in the room.
- Consider a destination with a community: if a minyan and a kosher restaurant matter, Rhodes, Crete and Athens have Chabad houses. See Chabad houses in Greece.
See also our Corfu guide.
FAQ
Is there a kosher restaurant in Corfu? We found no active kosher restaurant in Corfu as of October 2026. You can order kosher food for delivery from Athens via e-kosher.gr.
Is there a Chabad house in Corfu? We found no active Chabad house in Corfu. The nearest Chabad houses are in Athens, Rhodes and Crete.
Can I visit the synagogue in Corfu? Yes. The synagogue on Velissariou Street in the Old Town is open to visitors during the day; if it is closed, ask neighbours to call the person in charge.
Where can I check Shabbat times for Corfu? On Yavanet's Shabbat times & kosher in Greece page.
