Hotel Cavalieri, Corfu Town: Mojito, Venetian Fortress, and the Best Panoramic View of the Old Town

On the way back from Parga and Paxos, the captain who had been to Kaohsiung recommended the rooftop restaurant and bar of Hotel Cavalieri as the place to have a cocktail in the afternoon. At first I was not that interested, until I heard that their terrace bar offers some of the best panoramic views of the Old Town, the Venetian Fortress and the Esplande, I immediately noted down the address.

The next day, I turned up at the hotel and was immediately impressed by this hotel's beautiful front portal and the elegant interiors of its ground floor lobby. This hotel is located in one of the most prestigeous parts of Corfu Town, in front of the Maitand Monument and just a shortwalk from the Liston and the Museum of Asian Art. The friendly lady at the reception who speaks very good English told me their rooftop bar is open only in the late afternoon and the evenings, and I was too early for that. 

As there is no need to make advance reservations unless you want to have dinner up there, I thanked the lady and went around the old town of Corfu for lunch and some sightseeings, before returning to the hotel once more at 5pm. This time, the receptionist already recognised me and I took the lift all the way up to the top floor. The moment I stepped onto the terrace, I was awestruck by the stunning views of the Ionian Sea, the Venetian Fortress, the Old Town, the Esplande, and the harbours on both sides of the fortress. No wonder the captain recommends this place for its panoramic views.  

From the terrace bar, I can observe all that go on in the Esplande Park, as well as the movements of cars, pedestrians etc. in the town centre. The view of the dizzy shorelines of Albania in the distant background gives this picturesque panorama a dreamy touch, as if this was a well-staged photo shot from some pre-arranged film sets.

Even the sights of the old, weather-battered roofs and facades of houses in Corfu Town appear so romantic and unforgettable when observed from high above the ground.

With such stunning views, there is no need for me to say more, as no words can aptly describe the beauty of the place. Just let the photos do the talking. 

One of the best things in life is to have a mojito in the afternoon accompanied by some of the most scenic views in the world. Drinks are reasonably priced here, I could have two in a row, but since it was just 5pm and the night was still young, I did not want to get drunk by 7pm. So one mojito sufficed. 

When I arrived, I was the first customer of the day, but shortly after 5.30pm, other people began to turn up. Some coming just for a drink and the views, while some were ready for a full-fledged early romantic a fresco dinner with red wines and appetizers.

At the beginning, the waiters seemed a bit grumpy; it took a while before one of them came over to take my order, as the two of them were engaged in some kind of a lound and heated conversation in Greek when I arrived, presumably about something important. But as soon as their heated conversation was over, they became very friendly and started chatting to me, asking the almost obligatory question of 'Where are you from?', a question which I had to answer countless times each time I visit Greece or Turkey. As soon as they know my next destination was Zakynthos and I had been to the likes of  Ikaria, Chios, Kastellorizo, Limnos etc. in the past, they became really enthusiastic about my travels in and around Greece, as Asian visitors to Corfu are still a rarity, and they were surprised that I have such a great interest in Greece and its not-so-well-known islands.   

Cavalieri Hotel

Capodistrisou Street 4
Corfu Town, Corfu
Greece

Phone:+30 26610 39041
Fax: +30 26610 39283 
http://www.cavalieri-hotel-corfu-town.com/

Copyrights@2012. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.