More than enough

Ikos Dassia on Corfu takes the all-inclusive model and improves on it brilliantly, finds Laura Millar

It’s an odd feeling, leaving a restaurant without paying. My friend and I have just devoured several courses of hearty Greek food, including some delicious dishes which are local to Corfu itself, at Rex, a simple, yet chic taverna just off the main street of its atmospheric capital, Corfu Town. There’s been octopus marinated in vinegar, served with a fresh, crisp Greek salad; a riff on a spinach pie, the bright green leaves cooked in cream and interspersed with crisp filo pastry squares; a huge helping of pastitsado – tender, braised beef flavoured with cinnamon and topped with thick, tube-like pasta; and veal sofrito, prepared with a vibrant white wine sauce, its name a nod to the centuries of the island’s Venetian rule. Yet at the end, and after ample bottles of good Greek red wine, I might add, we just bid a breezy farewell to the waiters and walk off into the night.

No-one comes to arrest us, as the concept of eating at a local restaurant is part of all-inclusive resort, Ikos Dassia’s, Dine Out experience, where – as well as having access to six à la carte restaurants (and one buffet) on-site – you can also choose from several nearby. Dassia is the newest offering from the Greek-owned company which already runs two, smaller resorts in Halkidiki. They have proved so popular, particularly with us Brits, that Dassia is a much bigger prospect. It comprises of 411 rooms, which are divided between two main buildings (Sea and Sky), as well as a series of one to threebedroom villas, and separate clusters of suites, some with their own private pool. If you don’t have one, don’t panic; the resort has seven, including a couple for kids. There’s also a spa, a 24-hour gym, and several bars dotted throughout. And the good news is, you can eat and drink whatever – and as much as – you like.

Over the next few days, my friend and I put this challenge sorely to the test, sampling universally delicious food from most of the resort’s restaurants. A couple have menus overseen by Michelin-starred chefs, including Ouzo, a pretty, airy space by one of the main pools, decked out in shades of blue, with bright pink splashes of bougainvillea on its walls. Alternately, if even dragging yourself to a proper chair and table is too much effort, you can order and eat beach or poolside. It was tempting to fall into a lazy, overpampered existence – the staff are so unfailingly smiley, friendly and helpful they almost strong-arm you into never lifting a finger – but Corfu, after all, is where author Gerald Durrell lived, and set his evocative

autobiographical novel, My Family

and Other Animals. If you’ve not yet caught the TV adaptation, you can immerse yourself in various parts of the island which will make you feel like you have.

Part of Ikos Dassia’s all-inclusive offering includes one day’s hire of a Mini Cooper, so you can set off on a day trip and explore. They also provide tickets to some of the museums on the island, so as well as taking in the magnificent scenery, you can get a good dose of culture, too. We start by driving across to the western side of the island to the beautiful bay of Palaiokastritsa, which, locals claim, has the most intensely turquoise-coloured sea of all the beaches. Legend also has it that Odysseus came ashore here, during his epic journey.

Another jaw-dropping beach is at Sidari, on the northern coast; don’t miss a swim along the fabulouslynamed Canal d’amour, a crystalclear channel naturally formed by the rock formations by the water. Singletons, particularly, are to be encouraged – the story goes that any woman who swims its full length will meet the man of her dreams. We give that a miss, however, opting

Clockwise from main: Corfu Old Town; the Canal d’amour; one of the rooms at Ikos Dassia

instead to check out the imposing, marble-white Palace of Achilleion, in Gastouri, built as a summer palace for the Empress of Austria in 1890. Finally, we finish at Corfu Town, as dusk is beginning to fall. The ancient, polished flagstones of the main street in the historic, UNESCO centre are slippery, but they take us past a couple of elegant Orthodox churches, with their stepped belltowers, and rows of elegant, balconied buildings, many graced with colourful flowers. One of the town’s three forts, Palaio Frourio, constructed by the Venetians in the 13th century, looms over the eastern side of the port, while to the west is a newer fortress, built by them 300 years later, and marked with their symbol, the winged lion. And after seeing some of what this wonderful island has to offer, our ‘free’ meal in Rex never tasted better. ■

Don’t miss a swim along the fabulously-named Canal d’amour

Seven nights in a double room with inland view starts from £1,115pp on an all-inclusive basis, including UK airport security fast passes, access to No1 Lounges, transfers and return flights from Glasgow with Sovereign Luxury Travel (sovereign.com, 01293 832 459). Seven nights in a deluxe one-bedroom suite with pool view starts from £1,587pp, also including Ikos Deluxe Collection benefits.