Cyprus Gourmet 8

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CYPRUS GOURMET MAGAZINE

Contents December 2011

Publisher: Masis der Parthogh Editor: Matthew Stowell Editorial Consultant: Patrick Skinner Contributors: : Mateo Jarrin Cuvi, Serena Smith, Matthew Stowell, George Kassianos, Donna Phillips, Makis Georghiou, Alexander Lowell, JD Gallant, Avo Koushian Layout and Design: Avo Koushian Marketing & Sales: Olga Glykis, Maria Soboleva Administration: Angela Komodromou Printers: Cassoulides Masterprinters, Nicosia.

Distribution: Hellenic Distribution Co. ISSN: 1986-258X (Print Edition) ISSN: 1986-4132 (Online Edition) CONTACT: Tel. 22678666 / Fax. 22678664 Email: info@cyprusgourmet.com

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CHOCOLATES

Divinely decadent…

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Stepping back in time

1900 OINOU MELATHRON

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In with the In crowd

ARCHONTIKO PAPADOPOULOU

LATIN CHEFS

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PRALINA

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© CYPRUS GOURMET 2011 - 2012

A well-kept secret

From South America to Nicosia

LORD KITCHENER

A memorable dining experience

First Word

Welcome to No. This is my first issue of the magazine as editor, following the retirement of Patrick Skinner, the magazine’s co-founder. Patrick, who is enjoying life in a restored windmill in his native England, will continue to contribute to these pages, and to the Cyprus Gourmet Weekly in the Financial Mirror. It is no easy task to step into Patrick’s shoes as he had been writing so well and with such infectious passion about food and wine in Cyprus for twenty years. But we shall do our utmost to bring you professional writing about good food, wine, and hotels, or anything else connected to living the gourmet life in Cyprus whilst always keeping in mind value-formoney. Value-for-money doesn’t mean cheap, by the way. A great meal with fine wine in a beautiful setting at 50 or more euros can be just as much value for money as a 12-euro mezze in a rustic taverna.

We will continue to promote Cyprus cuisine and champion local wines but certainly will not turn our backs on the rest of the world. In addition to the classic French and Italian cooking found in many hotels and restaurants here, there is in Cyprus, more and more, the possibility to sample the food and wine of many cultures.

Cyprus Gourmet prides itself on having a critical approach to restaurant reviewing. Obviously, not everyone on the planet has the same taste in food and wine. But we hope that our readers will come to trust our reporting, to understand that we have standards to uphold, and although a magazine is a business, our opinions and awards are not influenced by advertising revenue. We do not, like some conglomerate publications, write ‘puff’ pieces in which everything is wonderful, every dish perfect, every bottle of wine an Olympian elixir. If some dish isn’t up to snuff in a restaurant, or the wine list is weak or badly chosen, we have no qualms about saying so. Or we may simply

report with dispassion, matter-of-factly describing the menu, wine or setting, and assume that our readers will intelligently read between the lines.

There are those rare instances, however, when a restaurant or wine is just so good, the review may read like a commissioned testimonial. In this issue of the magazine, I review two such restaurants, one new, and one that has been operating for several years but is shy about being in the limelight. The problem with Lord Kitchener and 1900 Oinou Melathron is that everything about the dining experience really did approach perfection. When you have well-trained, knowledgeable, experienced artists behind the stove, who are able to create dishes with great depth of flavour so that you rejoice in every nuance that comes through the taste buds, this is the happy result. In such cases, we have only to thank the gods and save up our pennies for the next visit.

Indeed, this issue is packed with restaurant reviews.

Among Mateo Jarrin Cuvi’s contributions, are interviews with three chefs from Latin America who have resettled in Cyprus and a visit to the Archontiko Papadopoulou restaurant and wine center, which has just won a Green Key award from the Foundation for Environmental Education. And now that the holiday season is upon us, our biggest feature article focuses on champagnes and sparkling wines. George Kassianos and I present short reviews of more than 40 bottles of bubbly.

To compliment all that fizz, new contributor Donna Phillips samples a selection of gourmet chocolates (you might be surprised at her favourites!). Serena Smith writes in this issue about an exciting new book on mushrooms found on the island and she interviews the director of the Higher Hotel Institute, who has plenty to say about the current state of our tourism industry.

There is much more to read in the following pages, plus several chances to win prizes of wine, food and hotel vouchers.

If you have any comments or suggestions for articles, please email me at m.stowell@cyprusgourmet.com We hope you enjoy the magazine.

Matthew Stowell

New Oenologist at K & K Vasilikon

By Matthew Stowell

For 18 years the Kyriakides brothers have been working steadily together, cultivating their vineyards, experimenting with grapes, interacting with other growers in the region, and building their reputation by making three of the most consistently popular wines in Cyprus: Vasilikon, an easy going aromatic white from the indigenous Xinisteri grape; Ayios Onoufrios, a red blend of (as far as we know) Mavro, Lefkada, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz that is the everyday wine of a majority of the wine-drinking populace; and Methi, a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that is almost exclusively sold on site and has lately taken a silver medal at an international competition in Bordeaux— quite an amazing accomplishment for a Cypriot wine. Up to now, the brothers have relied on their own handeddown expertise (and Erikles has done oenology courses in Cyprus and Greece) and that of consultants.

Beginning with the 2010 harvest, however, there is a new full-time oenologist at Vasilikon, a young woman from Paphos who earned a degree in chemistry in Thessalonika, then decided to pursue a career in the wine industry because it offered an outlet for her creative impulses.

Aphrodite Constanti did not grow up drinking wine; in fact, she knew virtually nothing about Cypriot wine before she started making it. But being a practical as well as clever young lady, she went off to the world-renowned University of Bordeaux for two years and earned a DNO

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degree (National Diploma in Oenology). She stayed on in France, working at two small wineries in Saint-Émilion, worked in Santorini a bit and then found a job at a very large winery in New Zealand.

“After making wine at small family wineries in France and Santorini, it was quite a revelation, and very valuable experience, to work at a big winery. The main focus was on making huge quantities of wine while maintaining the high quality upon which they had built their reputation. I learned so much there.”

The Kyriakides had decided to build a new facility that could handle greater quantities (they are one of the few wineries in Cyprus that sells out its entire stocks each year—the latest Methi, 2005, is just about gone). They also wanted to slightly expand their range of wines by making a rosé, and Aphrodite was brought on to assist.

The rosé, to be called Inalia, a local name for the goddess Aphrodite, will be launched in February or March to coincide with the opening of the new winery with facilities for tastings and public presentations.

Miss Constanti is very pleased to be working with the Kyriakides, “Vasilikon wines are all quality wines. They are well-balanced, attuned to Cypriot tastes, pair very well with Cypriot cuisine and they go well with our climate.

They are made to drink all year long.”

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Cypriot hospitality under scrutiny

By Serena Smith Cyprus can boast a richness of diversity. This ranges from its natural environment, with breathtaking beaches and mountains, to its cultural richness. Since ancient times our culture has been fed by the civilizations that lived and ruled here. Traditionally, tourists have scored our ‘culture’ offering high, as they have our hospitality.

Over the years, however, some of these aspects were neglected, perhaps unconsciously, and although not lost altogether, they have not been expanded or improved upon.

Dr Evi Soteriou, Director of the Higher Hotel Institute Cyprus (HHIC), says that many of our strengths have slipslided into weaknesses: including deterioration of the environment, unsightly development and the neglect of beaches.

“Visitors’ contact with the locals has diminished because we started hiring foreigners at lower salaries,” she says in her assessment of the island’s hospitality industry and the Institute’s role as she sees it.

“Impressive archaeological and holy sites are without adequate interpretation. There was insufficient protection of our handicrafts and traditional food products. To use a blunt example, chips instead of oven-baked potatoes with the traditional Kleftiko!”

How does one restore traditional strengths once they’ve been lost?

Cypriot food products: better promotion needed

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We did not plan, address and set standards for the human resources aspect of our tourism product as we did for other, more easily defined, measurable areas such as bed numbers or hotel room sizes. In terms of client satisfaction, the human aspect is key, yet without a policy to keep us on the right track, we tend to plug gaps with foreign labour because it costs less.

Unfortunately, deteriorating service tarnishes the image of the industry. This situation can be managed only if all industry stakeholders together strategise, plan and provide for their human resources needs.

Limassol boardwalk near Amathus: a well-kept secret?

Evi Soteriou: “Visitors’ contact with the locals has diminished” The HHIC has recommended close cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and the Cyprus Tourism Organisation on a strategy for the development and management of the industry’s valuable human resources and to close policy gaps. For example, in allocating stars, the hotel rating system doesn’t give enough weight to quality of service.

What role can the HHIC play in changing the industry for the better?

We are expected to be a ‘guiding light’ to the industry. Many high-ranking officials in the industry are graduates of the institute, and they are keen on our playing this role. Our Board of Directors comprises all the tourism partners on the island, ranging from trade unions to industry associations to government bodies.

But to make an impact on the industry, we had to be very clear about the Institute’s own mission and strategic objectives, and brutally honest in our assessment of our

own programmes, their shortcomings and the potential for improvement. I remember the amazement with which our strategic plan was met in my first year here! Yet, if we did not show the potential for change, how could we hope to mobilise our industry partners to follow suit?

We started last year with a joint programme with the World Tourism Organisation to redevelop our educational programmes. We have also tapped into EU funds to train hotel workers during the low season. In this way, hotels retain staff, while the Institute trains them and covers their salaries through the European Social Fund.

The emphasis has shifted towards lifelong learning for industry professionals. And by adding new training components (on environmental management, hospitality and culture, emarketing, yield management, etc), we deliver a more holistic, up-to-date education product.

Do you have faith in the future of the Cypriot hospitality industry?

porate and encourage good ideas, drawing on our human capital. For instance, during a recent workshop, a Paphos chambermaid took my hand and toured me round ‘her’ hotel, because she was so proud of it. A Famagusta receptionist came up with the idea of offering dried figs and a thimbleful of Commandaria to newly arriving guests, an inexpensive yet charming local welcome.

Such tendencies must be acknowledged and strengthened.

We are not tapping our potential for niche tourism as we should. Food presents a form of cultural tourism – our kolokasi, our country festivals of strawberries, Commandaria. The Spaniards set an example with their gastronomic tourism. One niche development can benefit the next, eg material on the Troodos area developed for geology study trips would also interest the biker, hiker and nature lover. Huge sums are not needed to develop some of these niche markets. Instead of thinking big money all the time, we should invest in what makes Cyprus special and interesting.

Of course. But I also know that it will require hard work and collective action to build a sustainable future for this industry. The all-inclusive ‘sun and sea’ package holiday sells Cyprus short. It goes against the principles of sustainable tourism, as it centralises the benefits to a few hotel operators. Working together, integrating what we have to offer, is crucial. We need to encourage guests to venture out of the hotel, sample the local cuisine, attend the local festival, engage in activities that relate to their personal interests. Ultimately, this will also attract a better class of tourist.

The potential is there – we need to incor-

A niche market entrepreneur in Polis, Chris Neofytou, caters for disabled people and their families. cyprusgourmet.com 9

“BestofCyprus” TELL US WHAT YOU THINK AND YOU CAN WIN ANY OF OUR PRIZES WORTH A TOTAL OF €350 French Depot: Gift Voucher worth €150 Spectus: 2 Gift Vouchers worth €51 each Londa: 2 Lunch Vouchers at the Caprice worth €50 each

- What’s your favourite restaurant and why?

- Who is the best chef and what did he/she make for you?

We want you to tell us about the best dining experience you may have had recently, or even an establishment you think offers value-for-money. This will help the Cyprus Gourmet Editorial Team revise our Listings and consider some for upgrade (or downgrade) from our 1-, 2- and 3-chef system. Simply send an email of no more than 50 words to Cyprus Gourmet editor Matthew Stowell at m.stowell@cyprusgourmet.com by December 31. Please state your full name and day-time contact number in case we need to contact you for more information. Only original submissions will be considered. The winners will be announced in the Cyprus Gourmet Weekly (Financial Mirror) of 11/01/2012.

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Naturally ahead Grigoriou company breaks ground once again, by bringing to Cyprus a revolutionary method, which ensures safety and freshness of packaged products, in a completely natural way.

This innovative method does not require heating of the products or the addition of any chemicals. It is based solely on the process of High Pressure (HPP) using regular cold water under high pressure, which eliminates all pathogen bacteria, such as Listeria, Salmonella and E.coli. This way the nutrients and the flavor of the products are maintained unaltered, while ensuring at the same time a high level of protection against hazardous microorganisms.

This results in guaranteed freshness up until the last day.

Naturally Fresh bring a new era in deli meats and earn an upscale position in the daily diet, with healthy and tasty products, confirming once more the company’s leadership.

For more information please visit our website www.grigoriou.com.cy

SweetKaterina’sSweets

By Matthew Stowell

Spoon sweets (Glyka tou Koutaliou) are morsels of fruit or vegetable that are carefully boiled then preserved in pure cane syrup to be later served with coffee and a glass of water.

They can be found all over Cyprus in tavernas, restaurants, cavas and supermarkets, but no one is producing them with such creativity and professionalism as Katerina Christoforou. Bite into one of her mushroom or black olive sweets and try to stop yourself from moaning in pleasure. It can’t be done. And no one else has had the particular genius to use such a wide variety of vegetables and fruits for glyka.

Traditionally, the most commonly used are walnut, citrus fruits, watermelon rind, sour cherry, bergamon, grapes or eggplant. Katerina uses all of those, but she also ventures into strawberry, pistachio, pine nuts, kiwi, carrot, kumquat, date and, believe it or not, garlic (with all the flavour minus the bad breath).

Originally conceived as a way to continue eating fruits and vegetables throughout the winter, spoon sweets have been around for hundreds of years, but lately young marrieds have less time or energy to prepare these labor-intensive sweets. And because of improved global distribution, it is now possible to find virtually any produce, any time of the year.

So what prompted Katerina Christoforou to spend hours gathering fruit, then boiling, syruping and canning it?

If generalisations about a culture or a people are still possible, I believe we can say that there is a pronounced entrepreneurial talent in the Cypriot character. With so many centuries of trading experience, and a legacy of thousands of years living under the hammer of someone else’s imperial will, the desire to find one’s own lifesustaining niche and be independent of others’ control is intensified. But the entrepreneurs we admire most do not succeed through family connections, devious prac12 cyprusgourmet.com

tices, or a cutthroat business style—it’s the ones who find prosperity through hard work, honest trade, self-sacrifice and sheer determination that win our deepest respect and warmest affection.

Katerina is one such entrepreneur (Ioanna Charalambous at Petroktisto is another). When Katerina was a child, her family owned large tracts of land in Lapithos, Kyrenia where she enjoyed an ideal childhood. After the Turks invaded in 1974, the family relocated to Limassol, and there they worked hard to build a nest egg. Two years later, they emigrated to Melbourne, Australia, where a Cypriot community was beginning to thrive. Katerina attended university there, concentrating on Maths and Fine Arts, and taught Greek to diaspora children. But on a vacation trip to Cyprus, she met someone, married him, eventually settled in Limassol and found work in an offshore company where she could use the skills she had learned at university. When her second child was about to be born, however, she made a decision to stay home and devote herself to childrearing. Being a fulltime mother was fulfilling, yet it wasn’t quite enough for Katerina.

She wanted something more, though she had no idea about where to start. At the same time, her deeply ingrained memories and passion for Kyrenia (which in those days, she was not allowed to visit), and the rich family life she experienced there, were all the more active.

One of the dearest of those memories was of helping her grandmother make traditional spoon glyka. Her grandmother was living with her now in Limassol, so Katerina began making those same spoon sweets, and with grandmother’s help and recipes, her hobby slowly developed. At

Katerina Christoforou with Mr. Philip Forrest, the Chairman of Judges for the European Business Awards, being awarded the Ruban d' Honneur Award.

first, she made the sweets for family and friends only, but everyone told her they were so good she should turn it into a business. Her local grocer, who had tried some of Katerina’s sweets, asked her if he could sell them in his shop.

“I’ll never forget the day that he announced he had sold all my sweets, and he paid me 27 pounds. You have no idea what that meant to me. I had been living so long without any money in my pocket, and now here was money from something I had made with my own hands. It felt wonderful. I felt part of a long tradition, and I knew I had to continue in this, and that my life was heading in a better direction.”

Katerina continued to operate out of her home while the business grew, and grew more still, until it was impossible to contain it. Finally, in 2003, she found land in Doros and

she and her family built a production facility and showroom there for the sweets. Now there are tour coaches unloading souvenir-seeking tourists from all over Europe, but the quality of the product and Katerina’s generosity of spirit hasn’t changed. Some visitors have little idea of what to expect when they visit, others (such as a recent tour group from Israel) run into the shop demanding, “Where’s the garlic? Where’s the kiwi?” and load up their hand luggage with as many jars and packages as will fit. When a guest samples one of her creations, all of Katerina’s attention is upon them, waiting for the response, a response that inevitably brings a genuine smile of satisfaction to her face.

“Of course, I get tired sometimes from the crowds, but they appreciate what we make so much, they tell me every day how much they love the sweets . . . How can I not be happy?”

“Also,” the Kyrenia refugee continues, “I have found that a lot of visitors have no knowledge of the history of Cyprus or even the fact that we are a divided island. It’s a good opportunity to inform them of our past as well as our present.”

And so the stories flow. When visitors climb back onto the bus and depart the village of Doros, they leave with more than just a few jars of glyka, they also carry home with them a piece of this wonderful woman’s heart.

Having now sampled a substantial number of her spoon sweets, we do not exaggerate when we say that Katerina has raised the level of this simple dessert, which in the past was mostly the province of agrarian families, to the status of fine gourmet cuisine.

Katerina Sweets also produces many jams and marmalades, as well as a line of diabetic sweets using sorbitol. And for the holiday season, there are packets containing all the fruit pieces, almond paste or fondant icing needed for the traditional Cypriot Christmas cake.

FinancialMirror.com business news & solutions

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Nicolas Protopapas “I Never Negotiate Quality”

By Matthew Stowell

Nicolas Protopapas has had an ongoing love affair with all things Italian ever since he began his post-secondary schooling in Perugia, Umbria, in 1981. After one year of Italian language studies, he went on to concentrate on hotel management in Genoa, gaining hands-on experience in various hotels in Porto Fino and Rome. But his first taste of life in the hospitality industry had come earlier during a 3-day hotel stay in Ayia Napa where a friend’s father was manager. “I knew at that moment, as I was experiencing the lifestyle of the hotel, being in that environment, that I wanted to work 14 cyprusgourmet.com

in this business. Something just clicked.”

At first, he had been keen on studying in San Diego, California, but as the time approached to leave Cyprus, he changed his mind and went to Italy. “I don’t really know why,” he muses. “I always had a special feeling for Italy. Maybe somewhere in my ancestry there were Italians. It’s one of those things, those passions, you just can’t explain.” And with every year spent in Italy came an increase in knowledge and love of the Italian people, their food, culture, language, lifestyle and, of course, their wine.

In fact, wine was already in his blood.

Nicolas grew up helping his grandfather in his vineyards in Silikou, Limassol, learning the winemaking process from the ground up. He also worked every summer in the winery at Sodap, where his father was employed. “I like Cypriot wine, I always have, and it is getting better every year. But my palate is especially attuned to the Italian, to the Sangiovese, the Nebbiolo, Primitivo, Negroamaro and others.”

After his university studies and young working life in the hotels and restaurants of Italy, Nicolas returned to Cyprus in 1987.

But his first day back on the island, he knew that someday he would open his own wine shop to promote his favourite wines from Italy. It would take many years and many career moves before that dream came true.

He began as assistant manager at the 3-star Aquamarina Hotel in Limassol and over the next 23 years, with stints at the Amathus, Columbia, Mediterranean, St. Raphael and Cypria Maris hotels, he rose to the position of general manager. To prepare for his job at the Columbia, he was sent for special training in Germany. “It was a fantastic experience for me. And I was very impressed with the Columbia’s policies regarding the protection of the environment, their ecological concerns, their recycling programs. They were far ahead of others in Cyprus.”

During these years, Nicolas was importing Italian wine for his own use, and on holidays, he toured the wine regions of Italy. “Finally,” he says, “in 2009, I had a month-long break between jobs, and I told

my wife that if she was willing to help, we should open our own cava, because once I got going in my new position, we wouldn’t have this chance for a long while.” So they opened Fine Wine Boutique on the sea road in Limassol in 2009, with Erato managing it during the day while Nicolas continued to work in hotel management.

He slowly and meticulously built up his stock of Italian wines, liqueurs and grappas, adding some tony selections from Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone, as well as Greece and Cyprus. From Chile, he imported several labels from the producer Carmen, and they are some of the most finely constructed and delicious wines on the New World market, able to rival those of Montes. The Carmen Petite Syrah (2005) and the Gold Cabernet Sauvignon (2007) are particular standouts.

Things have gone well and today Nicolas is able to devote all his time to the cava.

There are now 180 different labels, 125 of them Italian. It’s a smallish cava in terms

of volume and size, but Nicolas has not compromised an iota on the quality of his choices. “It took me many years to attain this dream, so I’m not going to sell any wine that is not up to my standards just to please a producer or agent. I never negotiate quality.” Some of the stars of his Italian roster include well-chosen labels from Bertani (Veneto), Donna Fugata, (Sicily), Fazi Battaglia (Le Marche), Bruno Giacosa (Piedmonte), Bisol and Valdo (Proseccos from Veneto). There are good selections from all the wine regions of Italy, many of which are finding their way into the better restaurants in Cyprus, Lord Kitchener (profiled in this issue) being one of the most prominent.

In July of this year, he opened a wine bar on the front terrace, open every night except Monday and the scene of well-attended wine tastings at least once a month. These are quite festive occasions, offering several wines (with more-than-generous pours), light snacks, giant gas-flame heaters, heartwarming Italian and French music and a passing promenade of diverse locals and tourists along the sea road just below. Indeed, the atmosphere of the tastings makes it seem the genial Nicolas is hosting a lively family party—well-acquainted regulars are high-fiving, kissing cheeks—and he has decided to open the festivities to anyone who happens along. Pragmatically speaking, though, it’s a great way to have a genuine taste of the wine before you invest, even if it’s only for a bottle or two. From what I have observed, however, most are buying it by the case.

Fine Wine Boutique also sells specialty foods such as DeCecco gourmet pastas, Venchi chocolates and panettone. One unique item I can recommend is the very tasty, high quality Bottarga caviar made from grey mullet roe, which Greeks have been consuming since the days of Plato and Socrates, considering it an essential part of a healthy diet.

Italian cheeses, breads and charcuterie will soon be in stock. This winter he’ll be offering wine classes and, of course, more tastings as new wines arrive. Some feisty Californian labels will also make their appearance. And sometime down the road, there will be an Italian restaurant. Nicolas has got most of the ingredients already.

He’ll just need to import a good Italian chef, preferably one who sings opera as he stirs a little Barolo into the Marinara sauce. cyprusgourmet.com 15

POPPING THE CORK A Sampling of the Season’s Sparklers

By George Kassianos and Matthew Stowell “I drink champagne when I am happy and when I am sad. Sometimes I drink it when I am alone. When I have company, I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I’m not hungry and drink it when I am.

Otherwise I never touch it – unless I am thirsty”. Thus spoke Lilly Bollinger, the grande dame of Champagne.

Nowadays, Champagnes and sparkling wines are no longer viewed as solely for weddings, anniversaries, New Years Eve and queenly ship launchings. They accompany food or are cellared with as much care as a Bordeaux or Burgundy.

A whole new generation seems intent on keeping the Champagne flag flying, in spite of the worldwide economic crisis. Prosecco and sparkling wines are gaining popularity as well.

As the holiday season approaches, a frequently asked question is: What Champagne or sparkling wine shall we serve for Christmas? The answer depends not only on your budget, but equally as much on the situation. An intimate dinner for two might demand a different Champagne from one you would serve for a party of 30 or more friends.

To help you decide, we have researched the Cyprus cava market and tasted a few bottles. But first, some basic information: Grape Varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Gris grapes are used to make

Champagne and sparkling wines, while Prosecco and Malvasia Bianco grapes go into the making of some of Italy’s sparklers.

The difference between Champagne and Sparkling Wines The Champagne we know and love comes exclusively from the Champagne region of France, and claims the honour of being the most famous of sparkling wines.

Technically, it is the only sparkling wine that may be referred to as “Champagne.”

Bubbly from all other regions in the world is simply referred to as “sparkling wine”, although these sparklers may compare well to Champagne in terms of quality, and often are less expensive.

Champagne categories Champagnes and sparkling wines are categorised according to the amount of sugar present per litre. Going from driest to sweetest they are: Brut Natural/Brut Zero; Extra Brut; Brut; Extra dry/Extra Sec; Dry/Sec/Seco; Demi-Sec/Semi-Seco; and Doux/Sweet/Dulce. Champagne and sparkling wines are also categorised as “vintage” or “non-vintage” (NV), meaning in the first case that they come from a single year; in the latter, that they are a blend of several different years. Vintage Champagnes are typically pricier, as there are fewer of them and they are produced only in years with exceptional harvests.

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Champagne NV Deutz (€46 Cava Remuage) An elegant, mellow Champagne with an ethereal freshness. There are aromas of toast and bread dough, with a hint of ale, but the open, delicate aromas also suggest white cake and dried fruit.

NV Taittinger Réserve, Brut, Reims (€38 Fereos) A lively, fresh wine, with fine bubbles and a mousse both discreet and persistent. The substantial nose is expressive and open. Fleshy, fruity with clean aromas and pleasant vivacity. On the palate, it shows harmony and delicacy, with flavours of fresh fruit and honey.

NV Pol Roger Pure Brut Nature (€39.90 Cava Dionysion) Also known as the connoisseur’s wine, due to its complexity and finesse, no sugar is added. A clean, deep straw colour, complex yet lively, it shows hints of spices, yeast, oak, lemon, white stone-fruit, tobacco, and herbaceous notes.

High acidity, a sharp, clean finish and commendable balance.

NV Louis Roederer, Brut Premier, Reims (€44.74 Intercellars) An elegant, balanced wine capable of achieving some bottle age. Fresh aromas of multi-grain bread are off-set by ginger, toffee and vanilla accents, along with apple. It has a lively, frothy entry, and is tart, with lemon and lime flavours laced with razor-sharp acidity. A lengthy, dry, mineral finish.

NV Pommery, Brut Royal, Reims Brut, (€39.90 Bottles & Bottles) A straw-gold lively Champagne with amber lights. The palate is one of fruit and honey, with ripe peach, apple and pastry flavours that are a tad sweet and pick up a nutty quality when aired. Full-bodied, with plenty of bass notes, moderate mousse, with fresh acidity, and a strong finish with a lingering note of marzipan.

NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut Abv 12% (€49.91 Intercellars) A very accomplished, perfectly balanced Champagne with astonishing persistence. Youthful aromas express themselves in a fruity, meringue register. Notes of ripe apple, apple blossoms, quince and peach laced with vanilla and pecan. A creamy finish.

Champagne Billecart Salmon, (7 different labels, €42-€200 Oenoforos) A classy Champagne with good depth of colour. In the glass, the Billecart Salmon is a straw yellow. In its full, broad nose, the Pinot Noir depth and breadiness show. Soft, harmonious and balanced in terms of palate, the wine is poised between richness and austerity, with a fruitiness derived from Pinot Meunier, and a fresh acidity lending it elegance.

Ruinart Brut Rosé, Reims (€54 La Maison du Vin, stocks full line of Ruinart,) The oldest Champagne in the region, this outstanding rosé has a salmon-pink hue and appealing, shy nose of raspberry, strawberry and cherry, with notes of creamy vanilla. Bright flavours of cherry-pie, strawberry and creamy vanilla come through on the palate with a toasty appeal, with some tart cherry and tangy citrus noticeable in the finish.

Bruno Paillard Brut, Premiere Cuvee, Reims (€55 Inon Pnevmata) Golden color with fine beads. Sublte and less expressive on the nose, with earthy tone and underlying white fruits and mineral with a hint of nuttiness. Tart apple, tart peach nose and palate; medium clean finish. One of the best NonVintages out there.

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Abel Lepitre Brut, Ideale Cuvee, Reims (€34 Inon Pnevmata) A fine mousse rises against a background of intense gold. The scent is full of diverse and flattering aromas. On the palate, dominant notes of apricot and citrus fruits give way to spicy aromas of pepper and gingerbread, butter, cream and tobacco. The complete impression is that of a generous, balanced champagne.

NV MoÍt et Chandon Imperial (prices vary at supermarkets, Photos Photiades Group) A harmonious assemblage of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. A fleshy, fairly supple brut with pleasant fruity, bisquity (almost nougat) notes are distinctive characteristics of this great Épernay. This Champagne has a delicate well-balanced palate, yet it is complex. Very pleasurable to savour, leaving a sense of harmony and mellowness with peach and nectarine lingering.

Champagne Pipier Heidsieck (prices vary at supermarkets, ACM Christophides) In a delicate style, this is pure, delightful aperitif Champagne that enters the mouth gently and then rounds out with a creamy, refined texture, dry but not too crisp, the finish soft and caressing. Candied apple character with a hint of red berry marks this elegant, dry and crisp, medium bodied bubbly, which is fresh with a moderate finish

NV G.H. Mumm, Brut Cordon Rouge (prices vary at supermarkets, Cosmos Trading) Well structured, tonic, elegant and long. The nose develops aromas of grapefruit and lemon with notes of white peach, apricot and acidulous apple. There are lingering notes of vanilla, dried fruit and honey. The flavour, complex fresh fruit and caramel flavours are the mark of great wine.

Jacquart Brut Tradition (prices vary at supermarkets, Vasos Eliades Ltd) There are pink tinges to the lemon-hued, onion-skincoloured wine. It is creamy and easy to drink, has full bodied flavour. Hints of strawberry, hints of peach and earth and yeast and, yes with the addition of Pinot, the bubbles are big. Fruity and toasty with a fruit salad connotation and a touch of herb on the finish, rich and wine-like.

NV Champagne Laurent-Perrier (prices vary at supermarkets, KEO) Delightful pale gold in colour, an immensely popular Chardonnay-dominant wine. Has lightness, depth and richness with its vanilla pastry flavours. Delicate and fresh citrus and white fruit aromas are followed by an elegant and fresh fruity palate with a crisp acidity, supple upon entry with rounded and expressive flavours also in the long aftertaste

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Prosecco If you are looking for character, quality and style as opposed to just cheap fizz, seek out Prosecco, from Italy. It is both an aromatic grape, high in acidity, as well as the name of a sparkling wine. Italians say the grape is asciutto, meaning that it leaves the palate refreshed.

Cinzano Prosecco Gran Cuvée Dry (prices vary at supermarkets, Cosmos Trading) Fine with generous bubbles, dry with mild fruit, honey flavour and so fresh and fun. The fruit is vibrant - citrus, melon, lemon and nutty notes, with balancing acidity, it is full bodied and well balanced.

Danzante Prosecco, Charmant Method (€10.30 Cava Protasis) Fully sparkling, Spumante style, but loses most effervescence after a few minutes. Not fruity at all, very clean taste, goes down as easy as mineral water.

Good choice for someone who insists on extremely dry wine.

Gancia Prosecco DOC (prices vary at supermarkets, ACM Christophides) It is light and refreshing -- scents of flowers and peaches. Juicy apple and pear lead the flavours...they are nicely set against a core of earth and stone. It is ripe and juicy as it finishes. Less acidic than some of the others (more round and ripe), but heavy or cloying. It has a soft, very appealing presentation.

Paladin Prosecco, Dry, DOC, Veneto (€11.50 Spectus) Typical sparkler from Veneto. It’s a versatile wine, with freshness, liveliness and unique flavours and scents. Colour is light straw yellow, with fine perlage.

Intense, rich and lingering. The softness is balanced by a pleasant acidic note. Wonderfully matches light courses of the Mediterranean cuisine

La Marca Conegliano Valdobbiadene Superiore Cuvée DOCG (€18 La Vinotheque) Stone, chalk and yeast dominate the bouquet. It is appealingly dry with lots of stone fruit, aromas of apples and pears, with tangy, citrus-like flavours.

There is a crisp acidity, with a pleasant, bitter twist towards the finish.

Zonin Prosecco DOC Special Cuvée Brut (€11.33 Intercellars) A fresh, lively wine with plenty of fruit on the nose, ranging from apple, peach and lemon to mineral. The ripe apple and peach flavours are braced by good acidity and a fine stream of bubbles. An interesting mix of anise, crunchy minerals and lemon emerges at the finish.

2010 Zardetto Gongliano Valdobbiadene DOCG (€14 La Maison du Vin) Here we have a good accompaniment to food because of the wine’s balance and pleasant acidity.

Apples, a whiff of clover honey and a delicate hint of wildflowers mingle in the pleasant aroma. The crisp tart-apple flavours are nearly bone-dry, with a frothy, prickly feel in the mouth and mouth-watering acidity in the long finish.

Belstar Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, DOC (€12.80 Cava Remuage) From the Trentino based Bisol family, this Prosecco is redolent with enticing fruit and floral aromas, yet light, elegant and refreshing. One detects white peaches and freshly picked flowers, as well as a subtle yeastiness on the nose. Quite dry with excellent acidity and a long finish.

Valdo Cuvée Viviana Valdobbiadene Superiore di Cartizze (€15.80 Fine Wine Boutique) A rather sweet modern-style Cartizze, fine, yeasty and stylishly made, its intensity off-set by tiny bubbles, with an engaging freshness and length on the palate. Aromas of apple, yeast and herb are intense, with a taste of peach and apple.

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Valdo Rosé Brut Nerello Mascalese Glera (€15.80 Fine Wine Boutique) This is an interesting blend of lesser known grapes, the Sicilian Nerello Mascalese and the fruity Glera from Veneto. Young and trendy, it has more apple than other red fruit on the palate, along with notes of pear, and some yeast. It’s approach is rather subtle –ideal for romantic dinners!

Sparkling Wines NV Crémant de Bourgogne Louis Bouillot « Perle de Vigne », Brut Grande Réserve, France, (€9.50 Bottles & Bottles) A sparkling blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with Gamey and Aligoté grapes adding complexity. Yeast is noticeable, together with aromas of peach and pear. The mouth is filled with refreshing acidity, yeast and crisp apple.

NV Blanc de Noir, Louis Bouillot Perle Noire, Brut, (€9.50 Bottles & Bottles) Made from red grapes, mainly Pinot Noir and Gamay, based on a Blanc de Noir concept. It has the red-fruit aromas of a rosé. Quite full in the mouth, it is a tad yeasty, with piercing acidity, and more red fruit evident towards the finish.

NV La Marca Pinot Rosé, Vino Spumante, Cuvée, Brut, (€20 La Vinotheque) You may think you are drinking Chardonnay, but the colour says otherwise. In fact, it is made from Pinot Nero. In the nose, one detects peach, pear and some pink grapefruit, as well as dried herbs. It has a berry-like fresh taste in the mouth, and a dry, invigorating finish.

Gustave Lorentz, Cremant D’Alsace Brut, Bergheim (€16 Spectus) A medium-bodied Crémant, with toasty brioche and nut notes, mixed with hints of apple and lemon curd.

Well balanced, fine bubbles with refreshing finish.

One of the best alternatives to Champagne. Truly great value.

Brut Cattin, Cremant D’Alsace Rose, Voegtlinshoffen (€12.50 French Depot) Produced in the same way as Champagne, the crémant d’Alsace is a high quality sparkling wine.

Dry, but delicately fruity, it is an ideal aperitif for all festive events and celebrations. Gold and silver medal winner.

2008 Schlumberger Brut Sparkling, Austria, (€18.86 Intercellars) This stylish wine is made from the Welschriesling grape. Both in bottle design and taste it is unique.

Its spicy nose is framed by ripe, fresh fruit flavours, especially apricot, with hints of mature, smooth yeast that makes it a full-bodied, elegant bubbly, with good structure and a pleasant reverberation.

Nani Rizzi Spumante, Rose Brut, Treviso (€12 Inon Pnevmata) A prosecco of great finesse, lots of fruit and typically fresh.

Well known for its appearance at Harry’s Bar. Blended with peach juice, it became the famous Bellini!

Brut Cattin, Cremant D’Alsace Brut, Voegtlinshoffen (€11.50 French Depot) Made in the Méthode Traditionnelle with Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chardonnay. Light and effervescent with numerous fine bubbles. Goes well with non-spicy Chinese food.

Henry Varnay Brut, Blanc de Blanc (€8 French Depot) Made exclusively from Chardonnay and contains very little residual sugar. Lovely, easy-drinking wine with medium-size bubbles and notes of apple and pear. Dry and sharp tasting finish.

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Sparkling Wines NV Barton & Guestier Rosé Cuvée Reservé (prices vary at supermarkets, Photos Photiades Group) This is a sensation from Southern France, a Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah blend that has a nose of red fruit and spice. You think strawberries and black pepper whilst raspberry comes as a catalyst. More red fruit in the mouth, cherry and forest fruit dominate. The alcohol seems to be held back, further enhancing the delicacy.

NV Asti Gancia Spumanti, Asti D.O.C.G, Italy (prices vary at supermarkets, ACM Christophides) The floral aromas are unbelievable and delicate, simple and with quite soft fruit flavours. There is a lot of orange blossom and mountain honey, the taste is fresh, pleasant, delicately sweet and aromatic. This is also a favourite party drink, as it is low in alcohol.

NV Cinzano Rosé Gran Cuvée Sweet Sparkling (prices vary at supermarkets, Cosmos Trading) Something wild from Cinzano made from a blend of Durello, Garganega, Trebbiano and Pinot Nero, it has a distinctive natural pink colour. The nose is full of ripe wild berries, the palate is crispy and refreshing, full of cherry fruit and light acidity. A soft finish to the back of the palate gives a lovely approachable balance.

NV Amalia Brut, Méthode Traditionnelle, Domaine Tselepos, Greece (€14 Fereos) The Greek Moschofilero grape has been transformed into a lively, sparkling wine with a good cord of bubbles. On the nose, a bouquet of roses mixed with citrus, dough and honey. It is crisp and lush, with lasting intensity and hints of pear leading up to a vibrant finish.

NV Freixenet, Gordon Negro Brut, Cava Spain, (€9.43 Intercellars) This bubbly in the black bottle goes well with food. It is a blend of Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Lightly fragrant, with less acidity than might be expected, flavours of green apple, pear, lemon and lime are dominant. Crisp and clean in the mouth, with fruitiness towards the finish.

Charms Bracelets Necklaces Gift Ideas Hand made, for all occasions Faceted Oyster beads with Pink Coral and Gold plated spacer - Gold plated toggle closure

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For viewin g call Alice or orders, on 9968 9948

FRENCH DEPOT The best in French wine, spirits and charcuterie Now at two Limassol locations:17 Spyrou Kyprianou (near Carrefour) 25 32 74 27; and corner of Sissifou and Ammohostou, next to the Apollon Debenhams T: 25 73 20 07

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Divinely decadent

By Donna Phillips

Photography: Avo Koushian

As we all know, Christmas is an indulgent time of the year, when excess and plenitude is to be expected, in fact most definitely encouraged.

A growing number of fine wine cavas and delis that have appeared on the high street of late not only supply fine foods, wines, cheeses and charcuterie choices; many of them have also expanded their product range to stock specialty confectionary, chocolates, truffles, sweets and ‘treats’. The packaging is stylish, with brand names exuding class and sophistication—

chocolates for the more discerning palate.

With the assistance of two colleagues, and intermittent sips from a lovely Blanc de Blanc sparkling wine from Henry Varnay, I recently conducted an informal tasting session of several varieties of fine chocolates.

The first offering was from a selection of Maxims de Paris ‘Le Chocolats Dessert de Paris’, available at La Maison du Vin (Li-

massol and Nicosia). The chocolate smelt good and looked inviting, very dark, rich and dense. It was difficult to tell just by appearance whether it had a hard or soft centre. In fact it was almost solid, very rich with a pronounced, quite bitter flavour representative of the high cocoa content. Too bitter for my taste I’m afraid, although elegantly packaged, and a thoughtful gift for the chocolate lover. My tasting partners, who prefer dark chocolate—the more bitter, the better—gave it the thumbs up.

Next came Maxim’s Noir, a selection of

Leonidas chocolates

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three varieties of dark chocolate. For the connoisseur, the high cocoa content indicates much deeper chocolate intensity and flavour, the end result being far less sweet and not so calorific. The three varieties in this gift box were pistachio, pate d’amandes (almond paste) and ganache (a creamy chocolate filling). All three were again dark and bitter chocolate, although the fillings lessened the strength of the bitter cocoa aftertaste. Of the three, the ganache was my personal favourite, although again the extreme bitterness of the chocolate would not have inspired me to buy this box for a gift, unless I knew the recipient loved the bitter varieties.

An unusual choice next, this time from Maxim’s de Paris new line, Parisiennes Specialties. The Lemon Pie ‘chocolate balls’ came in a gloriously mottled, sandy grey, sugary shell; they smelt divine and if I hadn’t known these were chocolate balls I would have sworn they were quails eggs!

They tasted very lemony, and true to their name, they really did taste of morsels of moist lemony pie pieces. The crisp chocolate outer shell gave way to a soft, fondant lemony centre, sharp enough to offset some

of the sweetness. However, just one of these balls was sufficiently rich to stop you wanting more; just as well, because there are only 8 in the box! This new line also came in two additional flavours: Pistachio Macaroon and Salted Butter Caramel Fondant.

Definitely an unusual and special treat.

Next came the Italian Venchi chocolates from Fine Wine Boutique in Limassol. The assortment of white, dark and milk chocolate slabs (again, a large box with just 12 mini slabs of chocolates to choose from) looked elegant and inviting. However, each of the chocolate flavours tasted a bit flat, and there was no significant difference in taste or texture between the milk, dark or white varieties.

The Venchi milk chocolate ‘Giandujotti Classici’ bar, however, tasted better with its smooth, rich texture and inviting scent of fine cocoa.

Spectus Wine & Spirits (Limassol and Nicosia) provided an assortment of Belgian chocolates from Hachez, a renowned chocolatier house originally established in 1890 that uses mostly South American cocoa beans. First a festive tin of Cocoa de Maracaibo, packed with leafshaped chocolates (blatter) with a cocoa content of 55.5%. These not only looked Christmassy—and there were plenty of them—but they were quite addictive. After my third leaf, my very thoughtful colleagues decided to remove the tin from me.

Trying the Hachez bars next (there were

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three), the Premier Cru Superior dark chocolate with 88% cocoa content, left me feeling totally overwhelmed by the strong, acrid, almost pure cocoa taste. I did not like this at all, but then my British-BornCypriot tastes, formed in childhood, run to creamy, Cadbury-style milk chocolates.

Second was the Hachez Classic, branded a superior mild dark chocolate with just 77% cocoa content. Again this tasted too bitter for me. The scent of the chocolate was pleasant, but far too strong and harsh in flavour. And typically, my partners oohed and aahed over it.

The third of the Hachez bars was flavoured with d’arriba orange, again with 77% cocoa content. This one I found to be much smoother and more interesting, perhaps the bitterness of the high cocoa content was offset by the sweetness of the orange essence. It was certainly the best of the Hachez offerings as far as I was concerned.

After my previous ‘bitter’ experience I was looking forward to the German Feo-

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dora chocolate bar, which promised to be more suited to my personal taste with just 33% cocoa content. In fact, this very smooth, sweet chocolate also had a very pronounced vanilla flavour (which is why it tasted so sweet I imagine). A definite improvement on the dark chocolates I’d tried thus far, but I still was not overly enamoured.

From Cava Remuage in Paphos came two small bars made by Valrhona, a long-established French company that uses beans from many source countries. The Guanaja, at 70% cocoa content developed extraordinary pungency as I chewed, revealing a whole aromatic range of warm flavours. The Cao Grande, made from organic chocolate, was at first bittersweet, but soon acidulous notes came through with slight flavours of unripe fruits.

Lastly (and by now I could quite happily never eat another chocolate till 2012!) was the New York Sweets Belgian chocolates.

These are made in-house by the patisserie, and offer a mix of dark, milk and white varieties, with soft and hard centres, some with fruit and nut accompaniment. I tried 2, a very creamy milk chocolate piece with whole almond and raisin topping (delicious) and a strawberry heart. I didn’t realise this last was a soft-centred fondant, but I’m so glad I tried it; a real surprise. By far, my favourite of the day. The almost yoghurty middle wasn’t overly sweet or rich, but fresh and natural tasting, with just enough piquancy to stop it being cloying.

This box definitely had my vote and despite only managing to get through two of the samples offered (how much chocolate can a girl eat in one sitting?), I would not hesitate to offer this box to a host at a dinner party.

Naughty or nice?

Leonidas chocolates

By Makis Georgiou Feeling a bit naughty? Want to treat your friends to something nice these days? With the brief Cyprus winter upon us, the solution to many of your problems is fine chocolate.

For quite some time now, the legendary Leonidas Belgian Chocolates created by Leonidas Kestekides a century ago, are available at their flagship outlet in Nicosia and two partner shops, one in Limassol and the other in Larnaca.

Here is our recommendation from the big collection of assorted chocolates, fruit jellies and marzipan.

Cerise Emballee Dark - a dark chocolate with a whole morello cherry with liquor cream. Enjoy it with wine in a festive environment. It is soft on the pallet as it does not have a strong spirit flavour due to the cream inside.

Manon Cafe Milk - coffee butter cream praline for the coffee lovers, with a soft praline tint. It comes in milk and white chocolate with a whole hazelnut.

Gianduja - perfect for treating your guests in a bowl of these praline chocolates, individually wrapped, with ground hazelnut inside.

Marron Milk - an intense coffee flavoured praline chocolate.

Alexandre Le Grand Milk - caramel filled milk or dark chocolate with a slight tint of coffee in the milk chocolate and pure caramel in the dark chocolate.

Carre Croquant Milk - soft praline cream with crisped rice in a shaped chocolate with the Leonidas emblem.

Ganache Milk - soft ganache filling with clear, soft ganache cream.

For the young at heart, try the chocolate bars in 50g varieties or the ‘pyramides’ to prepare hot chocolate drinks.

Leonidas also offers a completely sugar-free assortment that includes ganache vanilla, manon blanc, pear mousse, praline dark nibs, praline milk and praline puffed rice.

Leonidas, 99A Strovolou Ave., opp. Strovolos Municipality, Tel. 22512424, 99657569, 40 euros per kg.

Also, Candy Bouquet, 2 Arch. Makarios Ave., Mesa Yeitonia, Limassol, Tel. 25755014; and, Vienna boutique, Academy Centre 3, Shop 46, Larnaca, Tel. 24655816. cyprusgourmet.com 27

EW YORK SWEET

stylish, skillful success

By Alexander Lowell In Cyprus, we love our desserts. Throughout many city neighbourhoods there is a bakery every thousand metres. Restaurants seem to open and close with alarming speed—most in operation now are younger than ten years old—but there are several confectionaries here that were opened more than a half century ago and are still doing a brisk business.

A Cypriot hostess would not dare serve coffee in her home, even if it’s just for family members stopping by, without offering at least three or four different sweets on a doilied platter. At the workplace, when it is your name day, you are expected to bring boxes of sweets, enough for everyone two or three times over (including the cleaning crew). We’ve seen statistics claiming that Cypriot schoolchildren eat more sweets than do their peers in any other European country. At gala buffets promoting the cuisines of other cultures, many Cypriots are hesitant to even taste the unfamiliar though elaborately prepared food. But there is no shame on display when the dessert table is officially open. If you don’t get there fast, you’ll find nothing but scattered crumbs and a few wayward smears of chocolate.

All of the above might lead one to believe that sweets are a very important element of Cypriot culture. As they say in America, you’d better have your act together if you hope to break into this highly competitive market.

The Christofi family that runs New York Sweets clearly have got their act together.

First of all, before we even see their sweets, everything

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that constitutes their image—the logo, the signage, the look and design of the shops—convincingly communicates that through those doors something modern, stylish, and skillfully made is waiting for us under glass. The sleek elegance of the image accurately foretells the deliciousness of the sweets.

Secondly, the company has cornered the Cyprus market on New York dessert style, which, like the multi-cultural make-up of the Big Apple itself, is really a combination of styles from various places. The typical New York cheesecake, for example, is basically a Warsaw dessert adapted

by Polish immigrants in New York. The carrot cake came to New York from California by way of England by way of Sweden. The New York brownies started in Chicago but were further developed and made moister by a woman in Bangor, Maine. Many of the chocolate-iced mousse concoctions came originally from Austria or Germany and were modified to please American tastes. Many of the cookies were influenced by immigrant Italian bakers. But wherever they came from, these sweets were re-invented by, and ultimately identified with, New York—and now they have been meticulously recreated right here in Limassol.

The last and most important element in New York Sweets’ success is the fact that they never skimp on the quality of the ingredients. The chocolate is brought in from Brussels. The Philadelphia cream cheese from the US. The highgrade butter is churned in Germany or Bel-

gium. And the business is run by four members of a single family, all of whom are educated and qualified in the various disciplines of the industry: food technology, food chemistry, etc.

New York Sweets makes more than 300 different products, including a line called ‘Healthy Nutrition’ that is rich in fiber but low in calories, fat and sugar, as well as a variety of special Orthodox fasting sweets. A couple of years ago I purchased one of these fasting items, the Toffee Cake (made with vegetable cream), as my contribution to a big family meal before Easter, but no one was willing to try it as it looked too good for fasting.

After my swearing on the nearest bible that the cake was Orthodox, two or three people had a taste but stopped eating after the first bites because it was so rich and indulgently delicious.

They were convinced I had tricked them. In the end, I was very happy—I was forced to take it home, and over the next few days, I had it all to myself.

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Il Bàcaro for Venice lovers

By Mateo Jarrín Cuvi Venice lovers now have a hangout in Nicosia. Inaugurated a few months ago, Il Bàcaro is a Venetian eatery housed in a corner shop on Prodromou Avenue with ample outdoor seating, a gorgeous bar inside and an overall rustic sensibility. Its owners, Zenios Tselepis and his Italian wife, Manuela Migotto, note that the restaurant’s main idea is to focus on a selection of small dishes and snacks (cicchetti) instead of full-course meals, and to rotate its menus on a daily basis.

On my visit, I sampled most of the dishes listed on the chalkboard behind the bar. The chicken liver pâté was creamy and matched perfectly with the sweetness of the raisins sprinkled on the plate. The cheese platter was stacked with wedges of Le Moulis from the Pyrénées, Asiago (similar to Parmesan but from Veneto) and Cumin Tomme, plus black olives, almonds and grapes. I had pesto, fresh mozzarella and tomato tramezzini (tea sandwich), an Italian sausage with a mild sweet flavor, and a well-executed aubergine Parmesan. The highlight was the baccalà alla Vicentina (salt cod with polenta), slowcooked in milk and quite delicate in flavor. For those customers with larger appetites, two penne pastas—that night, one with pesto and another topped with zucchini and pancetta—are usually available.

Il Bàcaro also functions as a wine bar, providing its patrons with wines from the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions of northeastern Italy. Prosecco, Venice’s more affordable answer to France’s Champagne, stars alongside several reds and whites that are available by the glass or the bottle.

Il Bàcaro – Vini E Piattini, 131 D Prodromou Avenue, 2065 Nicosia. Tel: 22 676969 or 99 143980. www.bacaro.com.cy. Open for lunch Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and for dinner Wednesday to Saturday from 7 p.m. to about 1 a.m. €20 per person with a glass of wine.

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In with the In Crowd

By Alexander Lowell Photography: Avo Koushian Pralina, on fashionable Stasikratous Street in Nicosia, has long been one of the most popular café/restaurants in Cyprus. It has the reputation as the place to be seen in. A proud young Cypriot male wouldn’t dream of making an appearance at Pralina without first asking his mother to hand-wash and press his favourite designer jeans and do a quick spit-shine of his loafers. Sixty per cent of the café’s clientele are female, of whom easily ninety per cent add a decorative loveliness to the upbeat ambience. This broad veranda venue is probably the closest thing Nicosia has to the stylish boulevardier cafes of Paris’ Latin Quarter.

But Pralina’s appeal is due to not only its in-crowd status, its convenient location, its attractive young staff and chic, minimalist design. If the food were not good, the crowds would not keep coming. And they certainly do.

The humble but very talented chef, Christos Hadjilyras, is so unpretentious and selfeffacing he hesitates to even call the place a restaurant (an attitude that’s a welcome relief after listening to so many Cypriot restaurateurs describing everything they produce as ‘the best’). Yet most of the dishes Christos has created and developed at Pralina can rival similar but much pricier offerings at the island’s five star hotels. His mushroom risotto, for example, (a dish that’s popular with many chefs because it’s a reliable crowd pleaser), is far superior to one we recently tried at a €100 a plate Italian-themed dinner. Pralina’s wasn’t as fancy—or as nouvelle-cuisine-mean in size—but it certainly hit all the correct flavour points and had everyone at the table digging in for more.

On two recent visits, we participated in the sharing of many dishes, and although the kitchen didn’t get everything perfect, we went away well-feted and more ready to wage further battle with the harsh vagaries of the world.

The menu jumps around the globe a little but not so much that you grow dizzy from jet lag. Christos did his training in England, France and Italy, worked in Sweden and travelled extensively in Asia, trying different cuisines, learning about the philosophy and culture of each country. At Pralina, the signature dishes are mostly a product of his French and Italian influences.

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“I learned quite a bit in London,” he says. “They truly helped me appreciate cooking as a creative profession. But the French will change your way of thinking about food completely.” As a result, he is dedicated to providing diners “with honest food, keeping things simple, drawing out the essence of the ingredients. The sauce for the lamb shank, for example, is basically just from the meat of the lamb. We do the mushroom risotto not mushy but a little al dente, so you get the essence of the rice grain. Why use top quality rice if you’re going to cook all the flavour out of it?”

Chicken Pekina is a justly popular dish here. It is light, healthy and features sesame and enticing Thai spices that leave refreshing sensations in the mouth. The Baby Chicken comes with a dark, beefy sauce and a very tasty cabbagebased stuffing, but the chicken itself is somewhat dry and might benefit from an overnight marinade. The Wild Boar, however, was perfectly and tenderly cooked. The meat was moist after simmering in a pork jus infused with rosemary and black currant, and dense with an attractive, slightly pungent flavour that you expect but don’t always get in wild game.

The menu carries many succulent fish dishes and a comprehensive selection of salads. Desserts are created from scratch and beautifully decorated by Chef Christos himself. They are rich, airy and indulgently delicious.

Pralina’s wine list is nicely put together but could use a few more selections of wines by the glass. Not many of us have the time and leisure necessary to drink an entire bottle at lunchtime. Although it is buzzing with good food and good cheer at night, Pralina, for me, is the ideal spot for a bright, healthy, stimulating mid-day meal—it’s a pleasing and tasty way to break up the workday or an errand-filled weekend.

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1900 Oinou Melathron A well-kept secret

By Matthew Stowell Photography: Avo Koushian

The fine dining restaurant known as 1900 Oinou Melathron (Palace of Wine), off Nicosia’s Eletheria Square, is one of the best kept secrets in Cyprus. And that is by intent. The name attached to the front of the building almost fades into the stonework. There are no bright lights outside or any signs on corners to point you in the right direction. You need the address in hand, and once you have found the street, you will happen upon the entrance as if by accident. You push the door open hesitantly, still not certain that this is the right place.

Step inside, however, you will be greeted as if you were royalty, as if George Tzandiotis and staff have been expecting you all day. And once you are under Mr Tzandiotis’ able and amiable protection, you have nothing to worry about.

Indeed, for the next two or three hours you will experience a gastronomic evening that is possible in very few places outside of Paris, London, Venice or Rome. But Mr Tzandiotis likes to keep things quiet—as if the gods of Olympus will burden him with twelve loathsome labours if he shows any hubris over his accomplishments.

The name Oinou Melathron means Palace of Wine, an appropriate name for a restaurant that holds more than 4,000 bottles in its cellar. The collection has been growing for more than ten years and includes 250 different labels from Bordeaux, 100 from Italy, 150 from Greece and 50

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from Cyprus. Most of the other wine-producing countries are represented as well. The list itself is fairly comprehensive and up to date, but if you are looking to drink a particular wine and don’t see it on the list, ask George and he will probably have it or can suggest something very similar.

Mr. Tzandiotis hails from Lefkada, an island off the west coast of Greece, where he created his first restaurant, a trattoria, when he was nineteen.

Since then he has owned several restaurants and travelled the world, always building his knowledge and passionate appreciation for gourmet food and wine. His successes have afforded him the enviable position of operating a restaurant for only eight months a year and not having to cater to the fickle whims of the marketplace. Thus, you’ll see no flashy commercials on TV featuring pneumatically enhanced models in low-cut evening gowns sashaying between Oinou Melathron tables while they quaff champagne from gold goblets, etc. One of the first things you will notice about Mr Tzandiotis is that he has genuine style. And it is his refined sense of style that is reflected in the intimate but quietly formal interior design of the restaurant. Procure a table within view of the alluring painting of ten modern beauties by Georgiou Giorgos and increase the quotient of elegance.

The kitchen is the domain of Constantina Iannou, also from Greece, a vibrant young woman

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who trained in Crete, then worked in many fine hotels in Athens and various Greek island resorts. She came to Oinou Melathron three years ago and since then, during the restaurant’s annual four-month hiatus, she has advanced her culinary education with intensive courses and seminars in Italy, France, Spain and other countries. The cooking she performs here is in the classic French and Italian traditions, and it is exceptional, to say the least.

We began with a salmon and goat cheese salad garnished with salmon caviar that was a smooth marriage of distinct tastes well-suited to each other and designed to temporarily satisfy while at the same time whet the appetite for further intrigues.

Mr. Tzandiotis, a knowledgeable sommelier in his own right, chose a GewĂźrztraminer from Weinbach that was surprisingly complex and refreshing, cutting through the fatty oils of the salmon and the tart umami of the goat cheese to deliver aromatic notes of Alsace spiciness and fresh lychee.

The foie gras was gently braised, as it should be, allowing the delicate savoury qualities of the goose liver to shine through. When you start out with top quality ingredients, it is criminal to alter the essential flavours through too much cooking.

Sea Bass with Celery and Hazelnut Risotto was equally delightful, the combined vegetable and nutty-sweet flavours of the risotto setting off a nice contrast to the richness of the truffle sauce gracing the fleshy fish.

Food critics often like to test a restaurant’s kitchen by ordering roast chicken, a seemingly simple dish but a clear indication of fundamental values and skills in a chef. This one passed the exam with high marks, though I was hoping for a crispy, slightly charred skin. Had I paid closer attention to 38 cyprusgourmet.com

the menu, I would have noticed that it was served in a mustard reduction, therefore the skin would have to be soft in order to absorb those flavours.

And what flavours they were! I haven’t had a Pommery mustard sauce in many years and this one devised by Chef Constantina had me seriously contemplating using my dessert spoon to finish it off. My only complaint was that it was difficult (and a bit messy) to separate the chicken meat from the bone, but the combined tastes of the dish’s ingredients were wonderful.

Somewhere along the way we had switched to a Bordeaux from 2001, the Chateau Pedesclaux Pauillac, which was silkily full-bodied, with rich tannins and hints of cassis, and a lengthy blackberry-like finish. Again, this was chosen (wisely)

by George Tzandiotis, who decanted it into an artfully designed crystalline vessel. The Pauillac went well with everything, including a treacherous chocolate dessert (with ice cream) appropriately named ‘Etna’. This was architecturally fascinating, in the classy French confectionary tradition, but the deep, deep richness of the fudgy cake and dark chocolate sauce made me wish I had paced myself earlier. In the end, completely and marvellously sated, I felt like a character in a Beckett play (“I can’t go on. I’ll go on.”) If someone cautioned me that if I took another bite, I might very well have a heart attack, I would have chanced just one more taste.

When, after such a meal, you exit the nearly hidden doors of 1900 Oinou Melathron, you move in the rare glow of aesthetic satisfaction. cyprusgourmet.com 39

Archontiko Papadopoulou Stepping back in time

By Mateo Jarrin Cuvi Photography: Avo Koushian

Visitors to Archontiko Papadopoulou in Kornos may feel they are stepping back in time. Dozens of family portraits, letters and other mementos, some harking back more than one hundred years, hang crooked along the main staircase’s long wall. An 18th century priest’s cassock of Venetian design and a 17 century Spanish holy communion cloth serve as decorative th

art for the main dining room on the second floor. Massive clay urns (pithari) unearthed from the dark, low-ceilinged wine cellar are displayed throughout the internal courtyard like boulders in a climbing gym.

A weathered septuagenarian woman—you hear resilience in her heavy breathing—repeatedly pounds a ball of red clay with frail hands, then manually spins it on the traditional wheel until it metamorphoses into something beautiful. The pungent bouquet from ancient petrified Commandaria still evokes a slew of sentiments associated with Cyprus’ most famous wine.

The old house’s history stretches back to the 19th century, when Peri Vontris’ greatgrandfather fabricated fez hats and Commandaria and sold them to the villagers, his wine being particularly popular for religious ceremonies and weddings. The house was then passed down to her grandparents who opened the first grocery shop in the area, supplying the local market with fresh bread, produce and olive oil. A prod40 cyprusgourmet.com

uct of Peri Vontris’ hard work and vision, the striking building was renovated and expanded two years ago with help from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, and today serves as a Centre for Cypriot Gastronomy, Wine and the Pottery Art of Kornos,. When I asked Peri what had motivated her to transform her family’s house into a cultural centre and restaurant, she said she always liked “people coming into the old houses to see how others lived in the past.” The initial concept behind the centre was to attract visitors by showcasing the historical legacy of Kornos and the building itself, with the end-goal of establishing the village as a “destination.”

Given the region’s acclaimed history with ceramics, Peri started off by setting up a pottery studio that village women could utilize as a workspace and eventual teaching area for the art’s preservation. There is a wonderful shop with high arches, rustic floors and ancient wooden boxes hung on its walls like makeshift shelves where visitors can buy, among other items, ceramic pitchers, casseroles, flowerpots and vases, serving platters, piggy banks, ash trays and candleholders. On special occasions the centre hosts traditional bread and pastamaking exhibitions for which the village women offer their talents.

Following her great-grand father’s passion for wine, Peri also established the

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island’s first Commandaria bar with a comprehensive selection available by the glass or bottle. During renovations, twenty-eight kilos of solid Commandaria deemed to be more than a century old were found in the cellar. Eleven kilograms were shipped to the Ministry of Agriculture where the wine was reconstituted into twelve numbered bottles with labels individually hand-crafted by acclaimed Cypriot artist Nicholas Panayi. Peri’s plan is to share this discovery with museums in Cyprus, Greece and the rest of the world. Most impressive, though, especially for the ambitious oenophile, is the wide-ranging Cypriot wine list containing more than 150 bottles of the island’s crème de la crème, including several older vintages that are nearly impossible to find elsewhere.

According to Peri, not everyone thinks highly of Cypriot cuisine and part of Archontiko’s objective is to alter that mentality by presenting the island’s food in a sophisticated and modern style. The restaurant relies solely on Cypriot products and rotates the menu from season to season based on the availability of the freshest ingredients, primarily from Kornos and the surrounding villages.

With the help of Marilena Ioannidou of ΓΑΣΤΕΡΑΙΑ (Cyprus Gastronomy), Peri started compiling long-forgotten Cypriot recipes such as the Korniotikos tavas to create dishes that retained their traditional flavors but were presented in a modern way. Some of the recipes have been rescued from old books. “Unfortunately,” Peri told me, “as our society tried to catch up with contemporary Europe, many Cypriot women began to look 42 cyprusgourmet.com

upon cooking as a trivial endeavor, and they carelessly disposed of their family cookbooks.” Ultimately, the greatest sources of information have been the village grandmothers who, through years of dedication, provided satisfying meals to their families, and have memorized countless recipes that are now being recorded for posterity. For instance, pork with beetroots, cilantro and fresh lemon juice, a popular and rather distinctive item in Archontiko’s menu, used to be a traditional wedding meal in the Nicosia village of Orounta.

Chef Vasilis Koutouroushis, who shares Peri’s ideology and passion for fresh Cypriot food, is in charge of the centre’s kitchen. His desire to express his creativity led him at the age of twenty to pursue a career in cooking. Vasilis moved to Corfu where he attended culinary school and worked at several international restaurants before making the big move to Paris. In France, he perfected his technique by completing the Grand Diplôme—a specialized degree in patisserie and cuisine— from Le Cordon Bleu and had the privilege of being sous-chef at the Michelin-starred Le Meridien. Upon his return to Cyprus, he had a brief spell at Sixty One in Nicosia before falling prey to Peri’s marketing skills and joining the Archontiko Papadopoulou team. As a chef, he takes great pleasure in speaking to his customers and receiving their feedback, while always treating them as if they were guests in his own home.

Reactions to Archontiko’s work have been overwhelmingly positive, from Cypriots, visiting tourists and the foreign-based media. UKbased Cypriot television personality Tonia Buxton, who paid the centre a lengthy visit in early August, raved that Archontiko includes “the best Cyprus has to offer” and that she “can’t wait to go back.” Moreover, on a separate visit, Julian Hanton, presenter for the UK’s Travel Channel, had this to say of the place: “What a truly amazing restaurant. Sensational food, a magnificent setting and wonderful service.” With words like these, I think Cyprus can rest assured that its vinous, culinary and pottery past, present and future are in excellent hands. cyprusgourmet.com 43

From South America to Nicosia

By Mateo Jarrin Cuvi Photography: Avo Koushian An ancient Mediterranean maxim posits, “All roads lead to Rome.” In the case of three talented Latin American chefs who are cooking up a collective storm in Cyprus, all roads led to Nicosia. We recently had the chance to sit down with them to discover what started each of them down that particular path.

Jorge Perez: “I want to steal a smile from people!”

VINOCULTURA For a long time now, Jorge Perez has dreamt of finding the perfect way to juxtapose the presence of a radiant sunset with high-end cuisine. So far, the closest he’s been to this union was at La Torre del Mirador Restaurant in Tenerife, Canary Islands, where he labored as chef and each day created dishes in front of a tall window that overlooked a small Atlantic beach. Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Jorge was raised by a grandmother who taught him from an early age how to prepare rice, lentils and fried eggs. When he enlisted in the Colombian army, Jorge volunteered his cooking skills and soon realized that being a chef was his calling. It’s hardly surprising that when asked what gives him the greatest pleasure from cooking, and he exclaims, “stealing a smile from people!”

One of his first jobs upon arriving in Spain was in Salou, Catalonia, where Diana, back then an eighty-year old grandmother and restaurateur, taught him to make authentic paella. (Palm Beach Hotel in Larnaca still calls Jorge to man the paella stand at their wedding buffets.) After fifteen years in Spain, where he trained at the Escuela Superior de Hosteleria de Barcelona, attended specialized courses in gastronomical design and plied his trade in several other Spanish and Italian restaurants, he landed in sunny Cyprus.

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To this day, Jorge also finds inspiration from Joan Roca, mastermind behind El Celler de Can Roca, a Michelin three-star restaurant in Girona, Catalonia. Just as important, however, is the memory of grandmothers back in Colombia who put their hearts into cooking for their loved ones.

Today you can find Jorge at Vinocultura in Nicosia where he recently redesigned the menu, with items to be rotated on a bimonthly basis, and incorporated a futuristic presentation for each tapa.

Or, if you’d like, give him a call and let him make your family paella. Just make sure to set him up near your largest window.

Jorge Perez C,. 99-493395 or 96-636610.

Juan Paz y Miño: “Come to me… and I will restore you.”

GOLDEN HABANA When I asked Juan Paz y Miño, the Venezuelan sous-chef at Golden Habana in Nicosia, to name his main source of inspiration, he related some history from the world’s first restaurant, opened in Paris in 1765. Outside its door hung a sign that read, “Come to me, all of you whose stomachs are in distress, and I will restore you.” This sentiment has always touched Juan’s heart; he cherishes the rewarding feeling of seeing his customers on a repeat visit to the restaurant, asking again for one of his dishes.

Juan’s culinary journey began with a TV show. At the age of eight, he recalls being enthralled by the cooking prowess of a hirsute Spanish chef who then inspired Juan to test out recipes on his supportive family. By his twelfth birthday, preparing Venezuelan delicacies such as arepas, pulled beef and black bean stews and the traditional Italian fare taught to him by his Italian nonna were child’s play. A few years later, Juan spent nearly three years studying international cuisine at Zi Teresa Center of Culinary Art in Valencia, Venezuela, and then landed a job at Hotel Pipo Internacional in Maracay where he worked his way through the cold food section, the creation of decorative fruit sculptures, and eventual supervision of the hotel’s three restaurants. Juan has also hosted private cooking lessons for desperate housewives in Ecuador and served as head chef at a Portuguese restaurant in Maracay where he had the arduous task of redesigning both the entire kitchen and tired menu.

Given the economic uncertainty of the times, Juan—also an Italian citizen—made his move to Cyprus three years ago to work at the ill-fated Cipriani Restaurant. Now, along with Chef Kyriakos Pillatsies, he runs the kitchen at Golden Habana, the trendy international restaurant and bar tucked on an alleyway off of Ledra Street in old Nicosia. Together they fashioned the menu, incorporating a mélange of Spanish, Italian, Latininspired, Asian, French and Cypriot dishes that, my guess is, would restore most stomachs. cyprusgourmet.com 47

Malcolm Emmanueil: “I love negative feedback.”

CAYENA LATIN FUSION

Chef. Consultant. Food columnist with the Reading Chronicle.

Brazil, peeling and chopping onions and garlic or making shrimp

Upcoming memoirist. Malcolm Emmanueil, executive chef at

turnovers from scratch.

Cayena Latin Fusion, is a culinary Renaissance Man. No wonder,

Upon graduation and following a short stint at Las Iguanas Latin

considering Gordon Ramsey, Anthony Bourdain and Indian guru

restaurant, Malcolm spent two years working at Gordon Ramsey’s

Osho serve him as eclectic role models.

Connaught Hotel’s modern Italian restaurant as senior demi-chef

Son of a British-Brazilian marriage, Malcolm began his educa-

de partie for chef Angela Hartnett. Drained by the nineteen hour

tion at the University of West London (formerly Thames Valley)

days at the Michelin-starred restaurant, he moved to the Marriot

and The Cordon Bleu London, where he took a one year course in

Hotel Kensington, working his way up to head chef within a year,

complex cooking. For six months, as part of his degree’s internship

and then Aubaine, where he implemented the menu and decided

requirement, Malcolm honed his skills under the tutelage of Alex

on the daily specials. Eventually, Malcolm’s own consulting firm,

Atala at São Paulo’s D.O.M., one of the world’s top ten restaurants

Chef Steady Catering Solution, which offers his expertise to restau-

according to Restaurant Magazine. There he learned diverse mari-

rateurs, brought him to Cyprus.

nation and cooking techniques and to appreciate native Brazilian

For now, Malcolm plans to introduce more Peruvian dishes and

ingredients such as quinoa and bamboo. Malcolm also spent many

expand the tapas menu at Cayena, while completing his culinary

summers working in his maternal family’s bistros in Diadema,

travelogue and memoir by the end of 2011. So stay tuned!

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Brasserie Au Bon Plaisir, Nicosia

Authentic French cuisine at affordable prices, in a charming brasserie setting.

Reduced rates for corporate events and holiday parties.

Tel. 96 755 111

cyprusgourmet.com 49

Dean, Pina and daughter Gabriella

A memorable dining experience at Lord Kitchener Psematismenos Text and photos py Matthew Stowell Partners in life Dean Simmons and Pina Alfano chose a bucolic yet convenient spot to open a restaurant dedicated to fine dining. The village of Psematismenos is so small that if you didn’t have to slow down to navigate its windingly narrow street, you might miss it altogether. It’s in the countryside but only thirty minutes by car from Limassol, Nicosia or Larnaca. Gourmands from Paphos need an hour (and an up-to-date passport, of course), but the trek is well worth it.

Lord Kitchener is one of very few venues in Cyprus that are offering genuine gourmet cuisine. 1900 Oinou Melathron, in Nicosia, is another fine example, but the rest can be counted on one hand. Some hotel restaurants are on our short list, but most spend a lot of money and energy on the looks of the dining rooms and the appearance of the plates but no concerted effort on the actual cooking. As a result, everything looks beautiful but the taste is instantly forgotten.

Lord Kitchener and Oinou Melathron have created extremely pleasant environments as well, but they have wisely placed 50 cyprusgourmet.com

maximum attention on what and how they cook.

In Cyprus, when people journey to an outlying village to eat, it’s usually because they want to fill their bellies at a taverna that loads the table with an overabundance of meze.

When it’s time to go home they are often bloated and dizzy and must drive with the window wide open and the radio blaring to avoid drifting into sleep and racing off the nearest precipice.

When you venture out to Lord Kitchener, you are on a very different sort of mission. You may end up overeating (if you order too much food) and become soporific, but you will have a singular, memorable dining experience in which the first taste of every dish is a celebratory event. You will be in a cosy, sophisticated environment where you will enjoy yourself while being well aware that everyone around you is having an equally wonderful meal with well-chosen wine that you may not find elsewhere.

Dean Simmons has been a chef since 1985. He did his

training in London, worked in the Westbury Hotel there and in New York, Los Angeles and Italy. At 22 he was head chef at a seafood restaurant in the UK, but after he met Pina and began to have children, he took a job as development chef for a contract caterer because the work hours were more suited to family life. In 2009, seeking a better environment for his children, he and Pina decided to try Cyprus. Pina was born in Sicily but raised in the UK. She had been visiting Cyprus for 30 years, liked the lifestyle, and knew that her children could continue their education in English here. It was she who designed and renovated the restaurant space—leaving the distinctive interior arches intact—and chose the furniture, linen and everything else. The idea was to make it as comfortable as a home (albeit a stylish one), and in this she has succeeded admirably.

But it’s the food itself, being on such an elevated level, that advances the general tone of elegance, sophistication and bonhomie, and in the end sets this restaurant apart.

Most likely Pina will be your first contact when you visit, and she is an unobtrusive, sweetly engaging hostess who can also help you choose the best wine to enhance your dinner. Her family has been in the wine business for many generations, and she well knows the better wines of Italy (which country clearly dominates the wine list). Soon someone will come round with a large basket of fresh breads and rolls. The wine list will appear and it is not a large one but every label is a winner. Only four Cypriot estates are represented—Vasilikon, Hadjiantonas, Kyperounda, Tsangarides—but this will be corrected soon, as the entire list is being expanded. If you opt for the vino della casa, you won’t go wrong, as Pina believes the house wine should deliver the same impression as the food, which is, simply, that

serious attention is being paid to quality.

The food menu is also limited and changes frequently, sometimes daily, according to what is available and freshest in the market. Dean spends a great amount of time finding and procuring ingredients, his high standards forcing him to import most of the fish and meat from the UK. Only the pork and the chicken livers, vegetables and herbs, are sourced locally.

A recent menu featured a first course of Chicken Livers with bacon, and these were so lusciously tender—braised on the outside, moist on the inside—that I asked two different waitresses if they hadn’t by mistake presented me with high-grade foie gras. Salt & Pepper Crispy Prawns and Squid was another surprise. They were served with a mild chilli sauce, which was a perfect dip for the already juicy prawns, but the pieces of squid were a mouth-burst of deeply flavoured crunchy/soft flesh. Chef Simmons wouldn’t reveal his secret except to say that it was a fruit-based marinade that had tenderised them to such a silky degree. After one bite, you will understand why he has named it squid rather than calamari—it certainly looks like that popular dish, available at nearly every restaurant on the island, but calling it calamari would be like saying that Pavarotti was just an older version of George Michael.

The Seared Moroccan Tuna with bulgur salad and yoghurt dressing was another revelation. It is usually quite risky to order tuna or swordfish steak in a restaurant because it is so often dry and tasteless, though smothered in butter or sauce in an attempt to make it palatable. Lord Kitchener uses only sushi grade tuna and this one was seared just enough to coax out the delicious briny-fat essence of the fish. The sauce was tasty in itself, but unnecessary. You might want to push it aside, becyprusgourmet.com 51

cause every bite of the tuna is wonderfully satisfying.

There are usually four or five desserts available, all made in-house except for the amazing syrup cake, created by a woman from Maroni. We recommend that at least one person in your party order the syrup cake. It is light but extremely rich in taste and complete in its ability to sate one’s sweet tooth and round off the meal with a smile. Lord Kitchener is usually booked solid every night—proving that there is justice in this world—so reservations are essential.

Nicolas Protopapas

K&K Vasilikon Winery Kathikas

Three Brothers Three Wines Three Sure Winners

www.vasilikon.com

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D

DOORS The Hippest Old Place in Town

By J. D. Gallant

Wandering the narrow cobblestoned streets of Old Limassol, you might halt in your tracks at the sight of two worn but elegant stone arches rising above the courtyard of an ancient town house and wonder if you’ve stumbled upon an archeological excavation. In fact, the antique arches are part of a landmark building that three Cypriot brothers have transformed into a hip, sophisticated meeting place for light dining and cosmopolitan socializing over coffee, cocktails or excellent wine.

Opened in January of this year, the combined classic/modern decor of the lounge bar/ restaurant creates an atmosphere that’s open-air and cozy at the same time, subdued as well as brightly fashionable, casual yet high-class, with aspects of the best in modern Mediterranean design and the oldest elements of historical Limassol architecture. In short, it is one of the most pleasant, stylish places to be in Cyprus, day or night. With its mellow ambience and easy-flowing music creating a sense of chic geniality, it’s the perfect environment for a productive, amiable business lunch, an afternoon rendezvous with companion or sweetheart, or a long, vibrant night of food and drink with good friends.

The food menu reflects the global tastes of the well-travelled proprietors and features Italian, Spanish, French, Tex-Mex and American light-but-satisfying snacks and bar food that flirts with serious cooking. The drinks menu has all the in-vogue smoothies, coffees (alcoholic and non) and popular cocktails while the wine list features smart selections from Greece, Italy, Chile, New Zealand and Cyprus (Kyperounda, Tsiakkas, Vlassides, Zambartas, Vasa).

The music, a lively mix of well-loved international tunes, is never so loud as to impede comfortable conversation. It’s there, unobtrusively, in the background, further advancing the sense of shared intimacy. Also quiet is the giant video projection (usually sports minus the noise) on one of the cream-coloured exterior walls. The sensation of this giant high definition image against time-worn stone is like seeing the stark new steel-and-glass Acropolis museum against the backdrop of the ancient, night-lit Parthenon.

On a recent evening, I nibbled on Jack Daniels Chicken and sipped a glass of Shiraz while behind me four attractive young ladies out for a fun night of cocktails were preening and checking out prospective suitors. Across the courtyard were a happy group of men and women in business suits toasting somebody’s promotion with Champagne. Just sitting down at a table inside were three swankily dressed Cypriot TV stars, while under a French Impressionist painting in the corner four of the best winemakers in Cyprus relaxed with a bottle of fine scotch. As we said, it’s the hippest place in town.

Doors - Highly recommended for quick and tasty business lunches. Happy hour every weekday afternoon from 5 to 8. Thursday nights from 9 pm to 1:30 there is live music. cyprusgourmet.com 53

Petroktisto Fish Taverna A Hideaway for Excellent Fish

By Alexander Lowell

Y

ou wouldn’t expect to find one of the crown jewels of Cypriot fish restaurants so far from the seafront, but if you head for Linopetra in Limassol, that’s just what you’ll discover.

Almost hidden within the pedestrian environs surrounding the businesslike Ajax Hotel, and definitely away from the glut of fish tavernas along the tourist-crowded beaches, Petroktisto is one of the best Limassol venues for the rich bounty of the Mediterranean. It can’t boast of the great 54 cyprusgourmet.com

wine list and the wide international training and experience of the chefs and sommelier at Fat Fish, but it uses high quality ingredients and cooks everything with passion and an intense desire to please your palate. It also has its own special charms, chief among them being the warmth and coziness of the place, creating an intimacy that can turn a normal night out into a romantic evening that lingers in the memory.

The concrete-and-steel atmosphere of the neighbourhood is quickly forgotten as you approach the entrance through a rustic tunnel trellised overhead with grapevines

and lined with vanilla-hued wall stones from the hills of Trochni. By the time you are inside, stepping across oversize stone tiles, the ambience has changed to that of a pastoral Troodos hideaway.

The interior design is simple: a small bar, two main seating areas, and an adjoining garden annex—but the food is extraordinarily good. The only way you will find fresher fish in Cyprus is if you catch it yourself and grill it on deck. The fish meze (€21), which includes at least eight varieties of seafood, is the big draw here, and unless you’ve just left ‘coffee’ at Auntie

Loula’s, where she stuffed you with moussaka and three kinds of sweets, that’s what you should order.

The night we dined, among a party of ten, there was prawn salad, light and crispy calamari, toothsome barbecued octopus, wine-anointed octopus casserole, grilled cuttlefish (soupia), finger-licking red mullet (barbounia), exquisitely grilled tsipoura (that’s the big boy) and very tasty (so I heard) sautéed prawns in a butter-garlic sauce. I say ‘so I heard’ because by the time the platter reached my end of the table, it was empty. A note on the cuttlefish: On two previous visits to Petroktisto, I took one taste of the cuttlefish (I’ve never liked it in Cyprus), and pushed it away. This time, however, it was prepared in a new way that rendered it tender, and it was one of my favourite dishes.

The stand-alone fish menu features a hearty fish soup (in winter only), sea bass, grouper, red snapper, sea bream, lobster, crayfish, mussels and an extremely popular, tummy-filling seafood pasta, which usually requires some advanced notice (best to phone in the morning). If you order a whole fish, you’ll be pleased to see that the chef has skillfully deboned it just before it

is brought to the table.

Service is nothing fancy but friendly and always accommodating. Everything is made to order here, so don’t expect to sit down and immediately start chomping down on the meze. The wine list, although put together haphazardly, is surprisingly good for this smallish venue, with a choice of at least 25 reds, and no less than 35 whites.

Cyprus wineries are well represented. Unfortunately, the waitresses aren’t wine savvy (there is no sommelier), but this is the first restaurant I have visited in Limassol that stocks Methi, the wonderful Cabernet Sauvignon from Vasilikon. I would drink it with anything; fish, fowl, meat or chocolate.

For dessert, there are homemade cakes, puddings and assorted spoon sweets. I must confess, I have never had room for dessert at Petroktisto, but others give high praise to the spoon sweets.

Fish meze is popular in our Petite Paris by the Sea, as Limassol was once known, and I have sampled it in more than twenty

establishments that cater to a variety of budgets. Usually, one or two items of the meze stand out, while the rest are merely adequate. At Petroktisto, every dish is exceptional, a testament to the fine-honed skills and attention to detail of the talented Ioanna, owner and chef. She takes genuine pleasure in presenting food that leaves a long-lasting, happy impression. Each new steaming arrival in the meze assemblage seems better than the one just finished.

And it’s this, along with the casual comfort, gentle ambience and pronounced dedication of Ioanna, that makes this a destination of choice for les fruits de mer of seabound Cyprus.

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Nicos Noizos and Socrates Papasavvas

Cyprus cuisine goes international at Pithari, Aphodite Hills Text and photos by Matthew Stowell Recently, we had reason to visit the Aphrodite Hills resort, located a few kilometers before the Paphos city limits, and we discovered the Pithari Taverna, which concentrates on traditional Cypriot cooking and features a large veranda commanding a panoramic view of the sea.

Pithari, named for the ancient clay vessels used to store oil, water or wine, is the flagship restaurant in a group of food venues located within the Village Square at Aphrodite Hills.

Others include: The Secret Garden, a steakhouse; Zimi, a pizza restaurant; Anoi Pub & Bar, which specialises in gourmet burgers; Asia Corner, offering Chinese, Thai, Japanese and other oriental dishes; and Ladi & Rigani, a take-away kebab house. The executive chef for the whole shebang is Socrates Papasavvas, who is a native of Paphos but trained and worked for several years in New York. Pithari’s in-house chef is Nicos Noizos.

In general, we might describe the food at Pithari as traditional Cypriot and Greek cooking that has been only slightly finessed in some dishes and raised to the status of international gourmet in others.

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The appetizers include the usual dips of humous, taramasalata, melintzanosalata (baba ganoush), tahini and others, plus something we don’t find everywhere: tyrokafteri, from Greece. This is a very tasty dip made with feta, chili pepper, anthotiro cheese, lemon and olive oil. It resembles the Greek kopanisti, but is not as spicy.

The menu continues with baked feta (saganaki); mushrooms in red wine sauce; Greek Drunken Chicken with pasta in an ouzo-pistachio sauce; Pork Tenderloin stuffed with feta, spinach and Commandaria-coriander sauce; Afelia, which is tender pork morsels cooked in red wine, served with cracked wheat and yoghurt (and, I believe, one of the true stars of Cypriot cuisine); and Shieftalia, made in-house, and ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­available on it’s own (with pita) or as part of the meat meze. As a passionate aficionado of this sausage-like delicacy, I must say Pithari’s shieftalia deserves a special award. Great attention has been paid to the quality of the meat used, and its spice/ herb combination—a secret, unfortunately, but very fresh, very piquant—was an inspired choice. Let’s hope those herbs

are available year round, because they make a significant difference.

Another highlight of the menu is Beef Stifado, made with locally sourced beef, onions and spices in a deeply rich wine sauce. Pithari’s chefs well know the importance of using quality wine in their sauces rather than generic ‘cooking wine’, which is little more than vinegar. The same small-farm beef is used in the Moussaka, which can also boast of highgrade minced pork and organically grown eggplant, zucchini and potatoes in addition to the cream-based béchamel, making for a special dish that combines Greek, Cypriot and Turkish styles.

The very Cypriot-style lamb shank, slow-cooked in the kleftiko method, with new potatoes, onions and carrots in a coriander-cumin-white-wine sauce with sea salt from the wilds of Akamas, was tender, juicy and with beautiful colour, but, suffered, at least on the day I tried it, from a bit too much salt. I realise that Cypriots love and need their salt (I’ve seen young people here coat a fresh lemon with salt until it was white before chewing into it), but in this case a perfectly cooked piece of quality lamb had to be abandoned after only a few bites.

The Wild Hare, stuffed with wild boar and cubes of duck

meat, however, had no such problems. Again, the meat is very fresh and locally sourced—you can instantly taste the difference—and the other ingredients (couscous, pumpkin, raisins shallots and Glenfiddich) are intriguingly well suited to each other. The red wine sauce nicely melds cinnamon, cumin, cloves and hiromeri, the traditional smoked ham treat, making for a stimulating medley of taste impressions.

Pithari should also be congratulated for its small but skillfully assembled wine list, which includes 18 Cypriot labels from a total of 10 local producers. Bravo! There could always be more from Cyprus, but this is a strong effort and quite fitting for a restaurant featuring traditional fare. There are also selections from France, Italy and Spain, as well as an impressive bottle contingent from the New World.

The dessert menu is exclusively Greek or Cypriot and includes such standards as spoon sweets, baklava, revani (syrup cake), galaktoboureko, bourekia and yaniotiko, a lighter variation of baklava.

But I highly recommend the scrumptious anarotourta, which brilliantly uses the Cypriot soft whey cheese anari in combination with filo, honey, cinnamon and rose water to create a unique pudding to end the meal on a mellifluous note that is distinctly Mediterranean.

Bring your queen to Del Sol for an experience she won’t soon forget Del Sol Restaurant, Limassol www.delsolrest.com 25 32 06 06

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Mussels and oysters still popular at Brasserie Au Bon Plaisir

By Alexander Lowell On a recent re-visit to this charming, very French brasserie off Nicosia’s Kennedy Avenue (first reviewed two years ago in our pages in the Financial Mirror), I found little change except that the snail-paced, dust-stirring roadworks in the neighbourhood had forced Madame Gatienne to temporarily shut down during the noon hours.

Alas, no more pâté and mussels for lunch on the veranda. But there’s always Sunday brunch, and every evening after 7, there’s a lively scene.

Those mussels, as well as the fresh-offthe-jet French oysters, continue to be popular, but there are now two new recipes for them. One proving to be a hit uses harissa, a Tunisian hot chili sauce common throughout North Africa, that comes in degrees of mild, medium and hot. The other new mussel dish, which sounds tantalizing, is with a citrus sauce of white wine, onions, grapefruit and lemon. I tried the Harissa, and having plenty of experience with mucho picante Mexican food, I opted for the hot version. ¡Ay Chihuahua! My mistake. Fortunately, there was an entire bottle of water on the table along with a nearly full bottle of wine. Next time I’ll go with the medium. Unless you are the type of bandito who munches on jalapenos all day as if they were chewing gum, the good briny flavour of the mussels is entirely lost when the spices cause your mouth, eyes, nose and throat to catch fire.

For the mussels, oysters or crab, Gatienne, who is well

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versed in wine, can recommend a good seaworthy bottle from her impressive wine list, many of which she imports herself. But her Muscadet always works wonders. If you do brave the hot harissa, though, I would recommend one of the stouter Belgian beers (a great selection here) that grace the menu.

The house-made pâté comes in a generous portion and, being countrystyle, is hearty and pork-fat tasty. My only complaint is that the bread served is too small to handle the chunky pâté and there’s not enough of it, so you must ask several times for more. But the taste is just right and puts you in mind of the Normandy countryside.

There is not much I can add to the high praise lauded on Au Bon Plaisir’s foie gras. Check the Internet and the descriptive word that comes up every time is ‘amazing’. I concur that it’s something to write home to Mémère about—and then some.

One thing I’ve consistently noticed about Au Bon Plaisir is that every table of customers, whether couples or large groups, is having fun. This is created in part by the bright and casual charm of the décor, partly by the festive ambience created by Gatienne’s happy-go-lucky personality, and more than partly by the whimsical retro French music that lilts in the background. Whatever the synergy of influences, you walk away with a lighter step, humming a cabaret tune you’ve never heard before but won’t forget.

The wild mushroom – nature’s gift to the chef

By Serena Smith

Mushrooming is an action sport for photo enthusiasts.

Although the locals generally are in the know about the most popular kinds of wild mushrooms with which Cyprus is endowed, species of spectacular beauty and gourmet flavour remain unappreciated because they have not yet been ‘discovered’. A new extensive guide to the fungi of the island, and an association aimed at promoting the ‘sport’ of mushroom spotting, should put the situation right.

Love of exotic food and cooking led a young Cypriot graphic designer to ‘mushrooming for the table’ in the woods around London. Upon his return to Cyprus in 2004, Michael Loizides could find no field guide on local fungi. He realised that 60 cyprusgourmet.com

local people had only a fragmented idea of fungi. The obvious lack of information in this field, the fruits of his own identification efforts on the island and the fact that he soon discovered other mushroom-mad ‘hunters’ with keen lenses led to the formation of the Cyprus Mycological Association in 2008.

Three years later, he was able to produce a richly illustrated book about the main edible and toxic species of fungi in Cyprus.

With over 400 colour photos, and descriptions of more than 230 mushroom species that have been found growing wild in Cyprus, Edible and Toxic Fungi of Cyprus

by Michael and his co-authors, Thomas Kyriacou and Andreas Tziakouris, is a

welcome addition to the local culinary and scientific literature. It offers information on mycology, truffles, oral traditions and common names of species, the biology and ecology of fungi, and on toxins and poisonings. The main language is Greek, but English summaries adequate for identification and field expeditions are provided.

It is believed that only 5% of the world’s fungi have been recorded to date, which leaves enormous room for exploration. A dry country like Cyprus is hard to associate with a plethora of wild mushrooms, yet over 750 species have been identified to date, 100 of which are edible – and at

least ten notoriously poisonous (to the point Lactarius deliciosus (commonly known of causing death). Hundreds more may be as ‘saffron milkcap’) is the most sought after lurking under soil or on wood, dung, hooves mushroom species and fetches up to 50 euros or others sorts of substratum, waiting to per kilo. It appears exclusively under pine trees reveal themselves to a trained eye, especially in autumn and winter. (Photo: Thomas Kyriacou) in the rain.

The Cyprus Mycological Association is a non-profit environmental organisation open to anyone interested in studying, collecting, identifying and photographing fungi. Field trips, seminars and the occasional gourmet dinner all hold out opportunities to meet like-minded people and explore the countryside.

If you feel challenged by the fact that no species indigenous exclusively to Cyprus have been identified yet, or you are a keen photographer who prefers to hunt with the lens, get in touch with Michael at the Association. Rare mushrooms may not appear above ground for decades, many are visible only for a limited period, and some are stunningly beautiful. All of this makes their study an exciting and rewarding pursuit.

Edible and Toxic Fungi of Cyprus is available in bookshops throughout the island as well as from cyfungi@yahoo.com or on 99435795 (Michael Loizides). The price of 30 euros does not include postage.

The first sighting of the world-famous Chanterelle species in Cyprus was in 2007. It appears on the cover of the book. The scientific name is Cantharellus subpruinosus.

A truly gourmet mushroom, Morchella costata, with unique flavour and sparse in appearance.

Those in the know keep their hunting grounds for it (in and outside forests in spring time) a close secret.

In culinary value, this morel mushroom is second only to truffles.

(Photo: Michael Loizides) The beauty and flavour of the so-called ‘gilded brittlegill’ or Russula aurea are not yet recognised. It appears in high temperatures in coniferous woodland in early autumn.

(Photo: Michael Loizides) Considered first choice for pickling and preserving purposes, the fleshy ‘European matsutake’ or Tricholoma caligatum is popular among the locals. Here it is rather common, although it is a rare species in Europe.

(Photo: Andreas Tziakouris)

The ‘King oyster mushroom’ or Pleurotus eryngii var ferulae has the longest season of all edible mushrooms and can reach stunning proportions of several kilograms. It is found on the rotten remains of the giant fennel plant in autumn and spring. (Photo: Michael Loizides) One of the best known edible mushroom species worldwide, the field mushroom or Agaricus campestris appears, as it name indicates, in fields and pastures in late winter and early spring.

(Photo: Michael Loizides) The common name ‘shaggy inkcap’ for the species Coprinus conatus warns of the danger of an inky, pulpy disintegration if this mushroom is not cooked very soon after being collected. It grows in clusters on disturbed ground, eg. on roadsides, near roundabouts and in fields. (Photo: Michael Loizides)

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Recipes GammonHam (by Grigoriou)

Add some flavour to your dinner table this Christmas with Grigoriou gammon, either baked or grilled.

diamonds and stud their corners with cloves, frost it with honey or sugar and vinegar and bake in a medium oven (150C) for about 20 minutes.

Serve whole or cut into slices, garnish with thin orange or pineapple or cooked quince slices.

You may also accompany it with any of the two other sauces mentioned on this page for more relish.

Cooking in the grill:

1 medium Grigoriou gammon Whole black pepper and cinnamon ½ litre orange juice 100mln dry white wine A lttle celery and onion Cloves Honey or sugar Vinegar Orange or pineapple or cooked quince slices

Cut the gammon into thick slices and cook on the grill for 2-3 minutes on each side. If you wish, the gammon may be soaked to salt out before being cut into slices, by boiling it for 1 hour in water and leaving it for 5-6 hours in cold water. The Gammon Steak is served with pineapple, or pineapple with quince marmalade or cooked quince, or try one of the two sauces mentioned below.

Cooking in the oven: Bring the gammon to boil and simmer for about an hour in water with the whole black pepper, cinnamon, orange juice, wine celery and onion.

Leave to cool and then remove the net and carefully cut away the rind. Score the surface into

Pineapple sauce (sweet and sour) ½ glass sugar A little water, vinegar 2 glasses pineapple juice 1 glass orange juice

Corn flour to thicken the sauce

Pineapple chunks Put the sugar with a little water into a small saucepan over medium heat and let them caramelize. Add the vinegar, pineapple juice, orange juice and cook for about 10 minutes. In the end, thicken the sauce with the corn flour dissolved in a little water and add the small pineapple chunks.

Apple sauce 5 peeled apples cut into slices in cold water with a little lemon juice 2 spoonfuls white dry wine 1 cinnamon stick 3-4 tablespoons sugar Put the apples, cinnamon, sugar and wine into a small pot and bring the mixture to a boil.

Simple Korniotikos Tavas

Chef Vasilis Koutouroushis, Archontiko Papadopoulou Serves 4 persons 1 kilogram lamb cut in cubes 2 zucchinis 2 large onions 3 potatoes 8 artichokes hearts 1 shot of olive oil 1 tablespoon of tomato paste Salt and pepper to taste 2 grams of cracked cumin seeds

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Wash the vegetables and cut them in small cubes, about the same size as the meat. In a big bowl, mix all the ingredients and allow to marinate for an hour. Place the mixture in an ovenproof pot (preferably a traditional ceramic one for tavas) and seal it with parchment paper. Cook in a preheated oven set to 160°C for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Serve hot in a small bowl with a side of village salad.

Prawns with Lemon and Saffron Cream Chef Jorge Perez, Vinocultura

3 large prawns 2 shallots 1 lemon 4 threads of saffron 1 small cup of cream 3 twigs of fresh dill Salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon of olive oil

saffron and the prawn heads to the pan so that they release their natural aromas and juices. Add the prawns until they are brown on both sides. Pour in the cream, gently moving the pan in a circular motion to form the dish’s sauce. Without stopping to move the pan, add the lemon juice and allow it to blend into the other flavors.

Clean the prawns, making sure to keep the heads for later use. Chop the shallots and fresh dill and add salt and pepper to taste. Place the shallot and dill mix in a hot pan with the olive oil. Add the threads of

Serve only the prawns covered in the sauce and garnish with some lemon zest and a few additional threads of saffron. Accompany with a glass of Anakena white wine and a nice bolero.

Pan de Jamón (Traditional Venezuelan Christmas Stuffed Bread) Chef Juan Paz y Miño, Golden Habana

For the yeast 1 1/2 cups of lukewarm water 5 tsp of instant yeast 1 tsp of sugar For the dough 250 grams of butter 1 liter of lukewarm milk 2 kilograms of flour 1 tsp of salt 1 tsp of sugar For the stuffing 1 1/2 kilograms of sliced ham 500 grams kilogram of smoked bacon 100 grams of melted butter 500 grams of stuffed olives 500 grams of raisins

1 beaten egg for the egg wash Preparation In a bowl, place the lukewarm water and sugar.

Sprinkle the yeast and allow to sit for 15 minutes until it foams.

In a separate bowl, mix the lukewarm milk, the 250 grams of butter, the sugar and salt and slowly pour the mixture over the flour (working it in with your hands) until it becomes a dough.

This process should take more or less 15 minutes. Blend in the yeast and knead the dough until it no longer sticks to your hands or the kitchen counter. Allow to sit for 1 hour.

Once the dough has rested, stretch it out with a roller and brush with the melted butter. Start layering the rolled-out dough with slices of ham, smoked bacon, olives and raisins. Make

sure to leave an empty space at each end so that when you roll it into a loaf the sides stick.

Prick the loaf with a fork in several spots and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Brush the loaf with the beaten egg and bake in a 175° Celsius preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the bread is golden brown. Let it cool and then cut into thick slices.

Recipe adapted from http://www.venezuelatuya.com/cocina/ pandejamon2006.htm

Fish Fillet “A lo Macho”

Chef Malcolm Emmanueil, Cayena Latin Fusion For the Fish Fillets 4 wild sea-bass fillets 1 cup of flour Salt, pepper, dry oregano and clarified butter For the Seafood Sauce 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 red onion, chopped 2 tomatoes, diced 2 spoons yellow bell pepper powder 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves 1 cup fish broth 1 cup white wine 1/2 cup double cream

300gr fresh sea food mix (shrimps, mussels, scallops and baby squid) 1 spoon potato starch 2 spoons vegetable oil Salt and seasoning Preparing the Fish Fillets: Season the flour with salt, pepper and dry oregano. Very lightly dust the fillets with the seasoned flour. Fry the fish fillets in very hot clarified butter until they are golden brown. Put them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Preparing the Seafood Sauce: In very hot oil, fry the garlic, then the onion and yellow bell pepper until it is all transparent. Season with salt and seasoning. Add the tomato, half of the chopped cilantro, and half of the fish broth. Allow to boil until you get a sauce of paste-like consistency.

Cook the seafood in boiling water and add to the above mix. Add the rest of the broth and the white wine. Allow to boil for three minutes and then add the cream. Thicken the sauce with the potato starch. Lower the flame and simmer gently.

Serve the fish fillet in a big plate and top it off with the seafood sauce. Add white rice as a side and garnish with the rest of the cilantro. cyprusgourmet.com 63

The CG Listings

We value our readers’ comments on our listings and their own experiences. The more comments, criticisms and suggestions we receive, the better standards and value-for-money will become.

All you have to do is Email: publisher@cyprusgourmet.com. All contacts will be acknowledged and prizes for helpful contributions will be awarded regularly.

Hotels … Restaurants … Cafés ... Tavernas ... Services… Delicatessens and Food Stores ...

Every entry in these listings is visited at least once per year by Cyprus Gourmet reviewers and has been “Cyprus Gourmet Magazine APPROVED” (1 Chef ) Entries with a “ONE CHEF” Symbol have achieved high standards in what they do and are “Cyprus Gourmet Magazine RECOMMENDED” (2 Chefs ) Entries with “TWO CHEFS” have attained a “Cyprus Gourmet Magazine SEAL OF EXCELLENCE” (3 Chefs ) Entries with “THREE CHEFS” are awarded the GOLD SEAL The ultimate Cyprus Gourmet Award for superlative, faultless quality. At this time no awards have been made in this category, but the Editorial Team is currently reviewing the status of all establishments in our list.

All awards are permanent, unless a regular evaluation downgrades or upgrades the establishment, the product or service.

Prices quoted are a guide for a meal for two with house wine.

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“Approved”, “Recommended”, “Excellent” “Gold”

NICOSIA INTERNATIONAL 1900 Oinou Melathron,

11-13 Pasikratous St., Eleftherias Sq., 22 667 668. From 7 pm – 11:30 pm every day except Sunday. One of the few truly fine dining venues in Cyprus. Classic French and Italian cooking. Extraordinary wine list of more than 1,000 labels. Closed four months of the year so phone ahead.

Fontana

at the Cyprus Hilton.Tel: 2237 7777. Every day 11a.m. to 12.30 am.

Comfortable panelled dining room, good international menu and wine list, excellent buffets and food festivals. €70 up.

Marco Polo at the Holiday Inn.

Tel: 2271 2712. Seasonal 7.30 to 11.30 pm daily. Amazing international menu drawn from three kitchens, so plenty to choose from.

Great bar and live entertainment. Good for a night out. €90 up.

Old Electricity Power House,

19 St. Barnabas Street, Old Nicosia. Tel: 2243 2559. Tuesday to Saturday 11a.m. – 2.30 p.m. and 7p.m. to midnight. Sunday 11a.m.

– 3p.m. The Power House also houses a Municipal Cultural Centre along with this elegant restaurant. Well presented international fare, with good service. Good wine selection, too. €70.

Pralina Café,

Stasicratous Str., Nicosia. Tel. 22660491. Popular for morning coffee, light lunch, casual drink or dinner. Chef Christos has overhauled and expanded the menu with VFM and “honest” food and in-house dessert. Try anything, you won’t be disappointed. From salads and light meals to pasta, meats and sushi. Excellent service, good wine list.

Aperitivo Jetset,

1 Kennedy Ave., Nicosia, Tel. 22100990. Popular meeting place.

VFM buffet lunch or sushi. Open all day for drinks, snacks, dinner or late-night clubbing. €45 for drinks and snack, €92 for dinner.

Oktana Restaurant,

Aristidou 6. Tel: 22760099 Fascinating, bookish atmosphere/ clientele and original menu of snacks, lights meals, pasta and other dishes. Short but good wine list. Open daily from 10a.m. – 2a.m.

Wagamama,

18 Them. Dervi Street. Tel: 2287 0140. Open daily from mid-day – 11.30 p.m. Sunday from mid-day – 11 p.m. First Cyprus outlet of incredibly successful contemporary-Japanese short-order cooking chain. All here! Pasta, rice, griddles, soups, wok and you-name-it.

Clever wine selection. Great addition to capital’s food. €50 and up.

FISH Latsi,

1 St. Paul’s Street, Ayios Andreas. Tel: 2278 0937. Every day, 12.30 – 3p.m. and 7.30 - 11.30 p.m. Closed on Mondays. In a quiet part of western Nicosia, Latsi offers good quality and well cooked fish.

Choose from the menu rather than taking the meze. €60.

Paraghadi,

Nando’s,

3 Niovis str. (off Nikis Ave.). Tel: 2249 1310. Second generation popular fish restaurant, with à la carte menu and meze prepared under the watchful eyes of Mrs Katerina. Open daily, lunch and dinner from 12 mid-day – 2pm and 7pm – midnight. €60 up.

Starz,

5 Menandrou. Tel: 2244 5636. Daily from 12.30 mid-day – 3pm and 7.30 – 11p.m. (kitchen). Busy lunchtimes with business clientele. Other times family and friends. Excellent cooking of fresh ingredients. Must have the fish soup to start. €80.

Solomou Square, Tel. 2244 5151. International franchise with good choice of family food; very tender chicken dishes, from mild to PeriPeri hot (sauces also sold separately). Good service. Every day, midday – 11p.m. €45.

18 Doiranis Street, Makedonitissa (near State Fair East gate), Tel. 2265 8313. Monday – Saturday 8p.m. – 1.30 a.m. (Kitchen closes at 11.00 p.m. daily and on Friday & Saturday until 12 midnight).

Sunday closed. Menu dominated by steaks and grills, salads. Ask for a table with view. €85.

Pyxida,

Nordsee,

Romantica Restaurant,

Mondo Centre, 9A, Makarios Ave, Nicosia. Tel. 77778044. Starter, main dish, wine and dessert for €66.

Uqbar,

Themistokli Dervi Str, Eliona Tower 18, Nicosia. Tel. 22673777. Fast food sea food chain that operates in all towns. €32.

13 Evagora Palikaridi Str., Tel. 22376161. Casual business or light lunches with “dish of the day”, from €40. in basement of Oktana. Tel: 2276 0055. Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday, 6p.m. – 2a.m, Friday & Saturday 6p.m. – 3a.m. Offers music, bites, beers, wines and lots of cocktails. Nargileh at both very popular. €50.

ASIAN Akakiko,

Mondo Centre, 9a Arch. Makarios Ave. Tel: 7777 8022. Monday to Friday, mid-day to 11p.m. Sat. and Sun. mid-day to midnight. €60.

Bonzai

Japanese Restaurant and Peninsula Sushi Bar at the Holiday Inn. Tel: 2271 2712 Every day 12.20 – 3pm and 7.30 to 11pm. Sushi, Sashimi, Tappan-yaki – these and other Japanese pleasures are here and, in the Peninsula, they come around conveyor belt style. €60.

China Spice,

26 Pindarou Street Tel: 2287 5875. Monday – Saturday mid-day to 3p.m. and 7p.m. to midnight. Sunday, dinner only. Vibrant and busy with people of all ages; family orientated in early evenings.

Speedy service, consistent quality on every visit. €50.

Pagoda

Chinese Restaurant, 11 Loukis Akritas, Tel: 2287 8000. Mid-day to 3p.m. and 7pm to 1a.m. every day. Long established with a wide choice of wok fried, baked, steamed and grilled Chinese dishes. €90.

Ocean Basket,

FRENCH Au Bon Plaisir,

15 E Alasias Street, Nicosia, opposite Russian cultural centre, Tel: 96 755 111. Monday – Saturday, mid-day to 3p.m. and 7p.m. to midnight; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3p.m. brunch (€11.00); then 7p.m. to midnight. French regional cooking using good ingredients. Customers’ favourites: fresh seafood and meat dishes. Parking on the street; Wheelchair accessible on first floor and outside tables. €30.00 to €100.00.

ITALIAN Il Forno,

216-218 Ledra Street, Tel. 2245 6454. One of the better pastapizza places in Nicosia, located in the heart of the old town. Limited seating makes booking a necessity. Open daily from early lunch to evening: 11.30 a.m. to 11 p.m. €30.

La Pasteria,

9 Spyrou Kyprianou (ex-Santa Rosa). Tel: 2246 0460. Open daily, lunch and dinner mid-day to midnight. Good pasta, light and spicy dishes, risottos and meats. Revised menu and new pizzas created by celebrity chef Ettore Botrini. €55 up.

La Spaghetteria,

31a Evagoras Ave. Tel: 2266 5585-87. Open daily - lunch and din-

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ner, 11am – 11pm. Locally-made fresh pastas, popular for its wood oven baked pizzas. €30 up.

Vivere

at the Holiday Inn, 70 Rigainis Street, Tel: 2271 2712. Daily, 12.30 to 3p.m. and 7.30 -11.30p.m. Watch the chefs spin the pizza pastry and do your home-made pasta dishes. Good range of dishes and wine list. €70 up.

GREEK AND CYPRIOT Aegeon,

40 Ectoros Street, near Famagusta Gate. Tel: 2243 3297. Every day 7.30 – 11p.m. The long established and loveable Greek place in the walled City. Lots of good dishes, quick and efficient service and great atmosphere. Good wine list. €50.

Greco’s Nest,

25 Eleftheriou Venizelou, Makedonitissa, near Ay Panteleimonas church. Tel. 22358666. Mainly Cretan and alternative Greek cuisine. Try salads, saganaki, melitzanopourekia, sfakiano, psaronefri, kotsi (pork), Mosxari Nisiotiko, Mosxarisio Fileto, and end it with a chocolate soufflé. Good wine list of mainly Greeks.

Maistrali Tavern,

69 Tseriou, Strovolos, Tel. 22511212. Unique mix of local favourites.

Try the anthoi, saganaki prawns, melintzanes, kolokithaki, piperies, chicken and pork kebab, sheftalia, lamb paidakia (ribs). €49.

Stou Kyriakou,

5 Paleologou Str., Strovolos. Tel. 22497539. Probably one of the best kebab and grills in Cyprus. Try in-season side dishes. Closed Sundays. €35.

To Pantopoleio Kali Orexi,

7 Vassileos Pavlou, Nicosia, behind Old GSP stadium. Tel. 2267 5151. Greek and Mediterranean cuisine, rich selection of dishes.

Cyprus and Greek wines. Assured and tasty cooking. Monday – Saturday, 12.30 – 3p.m. and 8 – 11p.m. €55.

Matthaios,

28th October square. Tel: 2275 5846. Monday to Saturday 9am to 5 pm. By the mosque of Misirikou and Phaneromeni school, day-time, unpretentious, family run place, favoured by well known Nicosians, foreign visitors and diplomats. Customers enjoying the home cooking are well looked after by the owners and service is friendly, quick and efficient. €30.

Old Square,

5 K. Karaoli square, Aglandjia. Tel: 2233 7128. Every day 7.30 to 11.30 pm. In the main square of this eastern suburb of Nicosia.

Tranquil, especially in the summer when you eat outside. Grills are excellent. Good wine list with lots of Greek wines. Service is quick and efficient. €50.

Costas Grill House,

21 Stassinos and Alkeou Str., Pelekanos Bldg, Nicosia. Tel. 22668920. Traditional kebab and grills. Closed Mondays. €32.

Take away.

Leventis,

474199. Open from 7pm till “late”. Closed Mondays. Home cooking and juicy grills. Satisfying meze includes crunchy loukanika, pastourma, deer and wild boar (check for availability). Menu changes almost every week. €32.

Pikis,

1 Nikis Ave, Nicosia, 22317762. Popular kebab restaurant for the past 30 years. Open Mon-Sat, 12-3.30pm, 6-11pm. Sunday evenings only. €25. Delivery.

CAFÉ-RESTAURANTS Alfa Mega Café,

3 Nicou Kranidioti Street, Engomi. Tel: 2279 3700. Monday – Saturday mid-day to 6 pm. Value for money and budget meals and sandwiches, dish-of-the-day at €4.95. Also take away.

Café la Mode

at Marks & Spencer, 14 Arch. Makarios Ave. Tel: 2244 7272, 90 90 Acropoleos Ave. (2251 0788), 106 Limassol Ave. (2287 1787), 33C Yiannis Kranidiotis, Latsia (22 467256). Open daily from early shopping hours to late dinner. From tea/coffee, to casual snacks or good, robust main courses. Fresh in-store bakery at the Acropolis M&S branch.

MIDDLE EASTERN Fanous,

7C Solonos (in the heart of the old town). Tel: 2266 6663. 11 a.m. to midnight. Atmospheric place with very good fresh and authentic cooking. Narghile. €51 up.

Sawa,

31 Clementos Street. Tel. 2276 6777. Related to Syrian Club. Premium Syrian and Arabic cuisine, very good salads. Don’t forget the Narghile. Wow! décor. €70 up.

Syrian Friendship Club,

17 Queen Amalia St. Tel: 2277 6246. 11a.m. – midnight every day.

Authentic Syrian food with very good salads and charcoal grills.

Friendly but not luxurious surroundings. The food’s the thing here. €55.

SPANISH / LATIN / TAPAS Casa Vieja,

3 Archangelou Michael Street, Old Nicosia. Tel: 2267 3371. Monday to Saturday. 7.30 to 11.30 p.m. Charming restaurant in a traditional house in the heart of the walled city. Spanish tiles and bright colours on the walls. Tasty tapas and paellas. Good wine list with, of course, Sangria. €60.

Cayena

Latin Fusion Restaurant & Lounge, 38 C&D Metochiou Street, Engomi, Nicosia. 11am to 11.30 pm (Tuesday to Sunday) .Tel: 22 777787.

Golden Habana,

4 Tagmatarchou Pouliou, Agios Dhometios, Nicosia. Tel 22773201.

Traditional kebab and grills. From €26.

11 – 19 Lykourgou Street, Nicosia. 11am – 2am (weekdays) and 11am to 4am (weekends). Tel: 22 676868 or 99 727979. Good wine list. Sunday buffet lunch €12.50pp.

(Ethnofylaki Club), Ay. Pavlou Ave., opp. Ay Pavlos church. Tel 99

20 Kyriacou Matsi, Ayioi Omologites, Nicosia. Tel: 2267 6707, 9932

Pavlos’ Place

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Vinocultura Wine & Tapas Bar,

3960. Bar is open Tuesday to Sunday, 6p.m. to midnight. Reservations advised. €50/couple with a glass of wine.

HEALTHY, SALADS, DELICATESSENS Chop’t

Restaurant Café, 207 Ledra Street. Tel. 2281 8781. Lots of good ideas for big salad bowls, including make up your own from lettuces (various), veggie, meaty or fishy toppings and dressings. Monday to Saturday 10a.m. to 11p.m. Sundays: 10a.m. to 5 p.m. €40.

Get Fresh,

4 Andrea Dimitriou Str., off Themistokli Dervi. Tel: 2266 7332.

Impressive menu of soups, sandwiches, wraps, salads, baguettes, pots & dips, cakes and slices, desserts, and lots of juices and other beverages. Monday to Friday 8a.m. to 5p.m. Saturday 9a.m. to 3p.m.

Kalopesas,

Ippodromion 1, Ayios Dhometios (road to Race Course). Tel. 22878177. Premium boulangerie – patisserie with anything you can think of, from superb classic baguettes to party platters. Chocolate creations are heavenly.

Leonidas Chocolates.

The famous Belgian hand made chocolates, milk and dark. For presents or just to take home and enjoy. Leonidas, 99A Strovolou Ave., opp. Municipality, Tel. 2251 2424, 99657569. Also, Candy Bouquet, 2 Arch. Makarios Ave., Mesa Yitonia, Limassol, Tel. 25755014; and, Vienna boutique, Academy Centre 3, Shop 46, Larnaca, Tel. 24655816.

OTHER To Psito,

45 Griva Digeni Ave., near Honda/Opel traffic lights. Good home cooking with dishes of the day. Popular chicken rotisserie.

LIMASSOL MEDITERRANEAN The Agrino Restaurant

at Apokryfo Traditional Houses, Lofou Village, Limassol. Tel: 2581 3776. Light lunches (salads, platters and several main dishes as well special requirements by arrangement) from €50 for two.

A highly original and delicious take on meze at dinner, with wine, from €85 for two. Lovely place. Good chef. Open every day; must book especially for Friday and weekend.

Karatello Cyprus Taverna

at the Carob Mill, Old Port area. Tel:2582 0472. Busy brasserie type restaurant with impressive Cypriot meze menu (and style of ordering) with unusual and surprising items. Open for dinner every night 7.30p.m. to 11pm. Wheelchair access. Car park at the Carob Mill. Booking essential. €75.

Mavrommatis Gourmet Greek

at the Four Seasons Hotel. Tel: 2585 8000 Comfortable luxury ho-

tel dining room offering some excellent and interesting cooking and presentation of Greek-with-a-French-accent dishes. Open for dinner most evenings from 7.30p.m. to 11.30p.m. but best to check. Must book. Hotel parking. Access for disabled. €130 up.

Neon Phaliron Restaurant,

Gladstonos Str. Tel: 2536 5768 Beloved of several generations – good local and international cooking at this popular neighbourhood place. Excellent wine bar. Open for lunch every day from mid-day to 4 p.m. Dinner Monday – Saturday (closed Sundays), 7p.m. to midnight. Access for disabled. €80.

Ta Piatakia,

7 Nikodimou Mylona. Tel: 2574 5017. The incredible Roddy cooks up a storm with amazing meze dishes, a new take on Cyprus cuisine, helping you compose your own selection from a list of originals and favourites-with-a-difference. Open for dinner every night Monday to Saturday from 7.30pm till 11pm. Must book. €80 up.

O Taraxakos,

15 Ambelikion off the sea road, 25 320 603, open every day 5 pm to 12 am. Simple taverna serving traditional Cypriot food at low prices. Calamari pita and seafood platter recommended. Limited wine list. Usual selection of beers. Nothing fancy but honest food and great value for money.

INTERNATIONAL Aliada, Irinis 117

(near Police Station) in Limassol Old Town. Tel: 2534 0758 Long time favourite with a super 4-course formula: soup served at the table; marvelous cold buffet; hot dishes served; dessert buffet. Open 8p.m. to 11p.m. Monday to Saturday. Parking nearby. From €70.

Caprice at The Londa,

72 King George A Street, Yermasoyia. Tel: 2586 5555 Young and young in heart congregate here for drinks, snacks, bar meals and a luxury but informal table. Awarded for its integrated and clever catering master-minded by Chef Partric Steklmacher. Friendly informal service in comfortable and modern surroundings with super sea views. Open throughout the day every day. Full meals from €90.

Central Turf and Surf Restaurant,

Ellados Street. Tel: 2537 3760. Daily from 7.30 p.m. “Turf and Surf” suggests steaks served with lobster or prawns but the wide-ranging menu has something for everybody. Comfortable ambience, good service and wine at reasonable prices. Disabled access. Parking.

Must book. €100 up.

Del Sol Restaurant,

Azur Apts.,Georgiou A., Potamos Yermasoyias. Tel: 2532 0606.

Off-shoot of a restaurant of the same name in Russia. Offers sunny looking food from around the globe – more than a hundred dishes culled from the cuisines of 20 countries. A colourful encounter.

Every day, mid-day to midnight. Parking nearby. €100 up.

Doors,

Genethliou Mitela 24 (not far from the castle), Limassol, open every day from 11am to 2am. Tel 25 371 030. Hip scene in a beautiful restored Old Town house. International menu of light fare. Solid wine list and all the latest cocktails. Live music some evenings. €40.

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The Steak House

at the Columbia Plaza, St Andrews Str. Tel: 2527 8000. Open every evening for dinner. Stylish ambience, good service, huge and good steaks and many other dishes. Assured cooking with excellent use of flavours. Reservations advisable. Good wine list. Disabled access. Parking below building. From €100.

Terra e Mare Restaurant,

on the seafront, opposite Hawaii Grand. Tel. 2563 5343. Part buffet, part service-at-the-table, with lots of hot and cold dishes on offer. Open for dinner every day from 7p.m. Last order 10.30pm.

Wheelchair access. €75.

FRENCH La Maison Fleurie,

18 Christaki Kranou St., Potamos Yermasoyias. Tel: 2532 0680.

The Cypriot-born, French trained and experienced Ioannou family run this stylish restaurant and patisserie with panache. Muted Bordeaux colours, relaxing atmosphere and romantic French music, coupled with a rich menu and fine wine list make you feel like a bon vivant. Daily, mid-day – 3.30p.m. and 7p.m. to midnight. Booking recommended. Wheelchair accessible €100 up

ITALIAN Bacco,

Mediterranean Beach Hotel, Amathus Ave, Limassol. Tel: 25 559 999. Tuesday – Sunday 5pm.-11.30pm Hours in winter subject to change, phone ahead. Italian franchise. Very fine food, excellent wines and quiet atmosphere. €130 up.

Il Gusto,

on the Strip at Akrotiri. Tel: 2573 7499. Open for dinner every night from 6.pm. Disabled access. Must book. Mammoth portions of many Italian favourites – good ingredients, well cooked and presented. €70.

midnight. Access for disabled. €40 up.

Vintage Wine Bar,

2 Spartis. (near the Castle) Tel. 2534 3427. Pleasant place to relax, with tasty, well-prepared food (wraps, sandwiches, salads, pasta, excellent Sushi and desserts). Good wine list. Every day from 11a.m. “till late”. Parking on street nearby, also car parks. €40 up.

ORIENTAL Kyoshi

at the Grand Hotel & Resort, Amathus Area. Tel: 2563 4333. Open for dinner every night except Tuesday from 7p.m. Outstanding and authentic Japanese food. Impeccable service and delightful ambience. €100 up.

Noodle House,

3 St. Andrews Street. Tel: 2582 0282. For home delivery and takeaway service: 7777 8979. Could easily be in Hong Kong, Singapore or Shanghai, it’s amazing that this haven of culinary delights is in a charming quiet corner of old Limassol. Mostly Chinese favourites (duck is house special and it’s great), well cooked, served and presented. If these standards can be maintained, the Noodle House will take its place at the top of far eastern cooking in Cyprus. Open daily mid-day to 11.30 p.m. €50 up.

Pagoda Chinese Restaurant,

30, Ampelakion Street, Yermasoyia. Tel: 2531 2000. Open daily midday – 3p.m. and 6.30p.m. – 12.30a.m. Booking recommended. Big menu ranging across stir-fries, baked and steamed dishes.

A veritable oriental banquet. €100 up.

Seasons Oriental

at the Four Seasons Hotel. Tel: 2585 8000 Open 7.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. every day except Tuesday. Must book. Hotel parking. Access for disabled. Very comfortable, very good service, very good modern Hong Kong style cooking. €120.00 up.

Shanghai

at the Four Seasons Hotel. Tel: 2585 8000 Open for dinner every evening except Monday, from 7.30 p.m. Spacious, comfortable with quiet, excellent service. Italian regional specialities, impressively cooked and presented. Major cards. Access for disabled. Must book. €120 up.

Far Eastern Restaurant, 2 R. Feraiou (at the Curium roundabout), Tel: 2574 8777. Lunch, midday to 3p.m., dinner 6p.m. onwards, Monday to Saturday. Sunday: dinner only from 6 - 11.30pm (kitchen closes 10.30pm). Three-in-one restaurant; Chinese, Indian, Japanese. Long established, popular oriental food. Mix and match from interesting and comprehensive menu. Disabled access. Major cards. Booking recommended. €75.

CAFÉ-RESTAURANTS

FISH

Chesters Bar & Restaurant,

Fat Fish,

Vivaldi

194 Amathuntos (opposite Grand Resort), Tel. 2563 5155. Warm atmosphere, good snacks (buffalo chicken wings, onion rings, ultimate nachos). Popular meeting place for all ages and persuasions. €50 up.

Dino Art Café,

Irinis Street 62 – 66, near the Castle. Tel: 2576 2030. Outstanding sandwiches, salads, pastas and desserts to die for. Dino has style and a great ability to make customers happy. Terrific! Open Monday – Saturday from 10.30 a.m. to midnight and Sunday 4p.m. to

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by the Limassol Nautical Club, Georgiou A’ Potamos Yermasoyias. Tel: 2582 8181. Operated stylishly by the “Barolo Brothers”, Marios and Georgos Hadjisylianou. Mainly (good) fish and seafood but USDA Beef and other excellent dishes, too. Lunch and dinner, Tuesday to Saturday. Sunday lunch. Ample parking nearby. Access for disabled. From €80.

Ladas Fish Taverna,

the Old Port. Tel: 2536 5760. Fresh fish just up from the fishing boats nearby. Simple well cooked food and good wine list. Open

from mid-day to 11 pm, Monday to Saturday. Disabled access.

From €60.

Petroktisto Fish Taverna,

zle you own meats, fish or seafood as part of a tasty international menu. Good wine list, ambience and service. €80.

Galu,

22 Georgiou Neophytou Ave. (near Ajax Hotel), Limassol 25 58 30 99 or 25 58 31 57, open every day 12-12. One of the best fish restaurants in Cyprus. Everything is made from scratch, cooked to order. Fish meze and seafood pasta are highly recommended.

Call ahead for seafood pasta. Good, if haphazard, wine list. €50.

Mesopotamias 34, Larnaca – Dhekelia Road (opp. Fire Station) Tel: 24 824100. ‘In’ place to see and be seen. Super location, stylish place, pleasing food and drink. Must book. Open every day.

Morning coffee: 9a.m. – 1p.m. Lounge bar: 9.p.m. to 2a.m. Restaurant: 8p.m. to midnight.

DELICATESSENS & FOOD STORES

14 Athinon Ave., Finikoudes promenade, Tel. 70000888. One of the oldest and most reputable family-run steak houses in town, if not all of Cyprus. Open for lunch and dinner, reservation required for Saturday night. €70.

Alio – Olio,

137 Gladstonos, Limassol. ������������������������������������� Tel.: 2535 4144. Open �������������������� Monday to Saturday from 9a.m. to 11p.m. and closed on Sunday. The energetic Pambos presides over this well established food and wine haven.

Very good “Deli” with super cheeses, charcuterie and other delights. Excellent wine selection. Snacks and meals for much of the day.

Bavarian Delicatessen,

38 Ayia Zoni Street (just south of Ariel corner). Tel: 2574 7441.

Daily 8.30a.m. – 7p.m. and on Wednesday & Friday 8.30 a.m. – 11.30 p.m. South German Winfried Gutmann and his Cypriot wife Niki purvey excellent meats, charcuterie and cheeses (beer and wine, too). Winfried cures, smokes, dries many of his products at his ‘factory’ in Ayios Filaxeos, mostly from the excellent local pork.

Eat here too: lunch Monday to Saturday. Evening meals, Wednesday and Friday. Disabled access

Green Choice,

521 Grivas Dhigenis Str, Ayios Nikolaos, Tel. 2559 1949. Top quality organic local and imported foods, from nuts to juices, fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs, oils, wholesome speciality breads, and lots more. A treasure trove of organic good things. Every day from 7.30a.m. to 7.30pm. (7.30 am - 3p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays) Closed Sundays.

TCP Frozen Fish Shop,

Episkopi (on the road to Episkopiana Hotel). Tel: 9931 2705 Sells fine frozen food – and not just seafood. As well as lobsters, prawns, mussels, oysters and all sorts of great fresh and smoked fish, there is duck and goose and pheasant, guinea fowl, venison and more.

LARNACA INTERNATIONAL Campanario Steak House.

10 Nikodemou Milona. Tel: 2462 6110. Mon. – Sat. 6pm to 11pm.

Now long-established, Andreas and Xenia Kyriakides’ eatery is deservedly popular with excellent grills as well as international dishes. €80.

Flavors Stone Grill,

25 Cosma Lysioti. Tel: 2482 3995. Every day, 11a.m. to midnight.

Closed on Mondays. Australian franchise and a popular venue. Siz-

Hobo’s Steak House,

The Promenade,

Piale Pasha, Makenzy Area, Larnaca, Tel. 24653521 (99445947).

Good food, great view. Menu includes fish and steaks. €60.

GREEK / CYPRIOT Blue Wave/Galazio Kyma,

Dhekelia Road, nr. Police Station. Tel, 24646311. Christakis Andreou and Loulla Michael serve good casual food, as well as octopus, red mullet and squids. Special buffet lunch on Sundays. €41.

Filippos

Taverna. 62 Agiou Georgiou Makri. Tel: 9945 4877. Mon. – Sat. 7p.m. to 11p.m. Vegetables and fruit organically grown by ownerchef Filippos. Charcoal grills to order and you can find wild boar, hare, partridge and duck according to season. Great steaks, lobster and tuna too. Good wine list of Cypriot, Greek and other wines. €60.

Grada Taverna,

5 Pedeias, Oroklini. Tel: 2464 7122. Every day for dinner from 6p.m. – midnight. Nicos Andronicou gets the varied and imaginative 55 dish meze ready and Jasmine Temene runs the front of house. Good team. Disabled access. €60.

FISH Psarolimano,

118 Piale Pasha, (ample parking at fishing shelter) Tel: 2465 5408. Daily from 11a.m. – midnight. Good choice of fresh fish.

Mezze is a safe choice, or create your own. €45 up.

Varoshiotis,

7 Piale Pasia Street. Tel: 7000 3536. Lunch and dinner every day from mid-day – midnight. Base of a burgeoning catering empire, which has graduated from fish meze to highly skilled menu planning and a range of sophisticated local and international fish and seafood offerings. Great desserts. Good wines. €80 up.

CAFÉ / WINE BARS Art Café 1900,

6 Stasinou. Tel: 2465 3027 9932 2709. Every day except Tuesday, 6 p.m. to 2a.m. - cuisine until 11.30pm. Owners Marios Dianellos and Maria Pyrgou have a delightful art-filled (Maria’s a painter) bar

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and restaurant in this old town house (1876). Food: Greek with personal touches. Big wine list and 100 malt whiskies to choose from. Blue and jazz featured, too, in this lively place.

PAPHOS INTERNATIONAL Bacco

at the Elysium Hotel-Resort. Tel: 2684 4444. Monday – Saturday 7.30 pm.- 10.30pm, closed on Sundays. Every evening for dinner.

Italian franchise successfully implanted in one of the most beautiful locations for a restaurant in Cyprus. Very fine food, excellent wines and when reviewed quiet and delightful live music. €130 up.

Gabor

French Restaurant, 68 Poseidonos Ave. Tel: 2696 5343. Daily 6.30 p.m. – 11p.m. Closed on Sundays. Owner-run old-style neighbourhood’ restaurant. Good kitchen. Booking recommended. €85

Grazie

Ristorante Italiano, 3 & 5 corner of Agias Anastasias & Theoskepatsis. Tel. 2681 8298. Friendly, happy place with the owner very much involved (he sources as many ingredients locally as he can) – outstanding pastas and other Italian dishes. Open every evening 6 - 11 pm. €55.

Rib Shack,

65 Poseidonos Ave., Kato Paphos (next to the Amathus Hotel).

Tel: 2696 4083. Bustling atmosphere, great steaks, grills and Tex-Mex. Open every day for dinner 6-11.30 pm. Disabled access.

Booking €85.

Risto la Piazza,

Café, Bar, Restaurant, 11 – 12 Alkminis Street, Kato Paphos.

The restaurant provides elegant dining with Italian-based menu, splendid cooking, impeccable service and award-winning wine list. Lunch and dinner every from 9a.m. – 11.30p.m. Tel: 2681 9921. Must book. €105 up.

Tweedie’s,

Kysonerga Village, Paphos District. Tel: 9912 6590. Craig Tweedie cooks (innovations on Mediterranean and British, very nicely done) whilst his wife Hilary looks after customers. Super atmosphere.

Open for dinner from 6 pm, Thursday to Monday. Disabled access.

Cash only, no cards. Must book. €75.

Notios Restaurant,

Almyra Hotel. Tel: 2688 8700. Classy Far Eastern/ Mediterranean eating experience – with some great culinary thoughts. Daily 7 – 10 p.m. Access for disabled. Notios also cooks the fantastic guest-chooses-meal-in-advance with the-chef “Omakase” dinner for those staying in an Almyra suite. €120 up.

ASIAN Chloe’s Chinese Restaurant,

Tombs of the Kings Road (opposite Venus Beach Hotel). Tel: 7777 70 cyprusgourmet.com

1737. Open daily mid-day – 3p.m. and 6p.m. – 11.30p.m. Saturdays from 6pm – 11.30pm (closed for lunch). Chloe’s at Kato Paphos (Tel. 2693 4676.) daily mid-day –3p.m. and 6p.m. – 11.30 p.m. Sundays 6p.m. – 11.30 p.m. (closed for lunch). Popular Chinese show-places. Great wok cooking. Access and welcome for disabled. €90.

Bombay Brasserie,

65 Poseidonos Ave., Kato Paphos (next to Amathus Beach Hotel) Tel: 2696 4083, 2696 4084. Open every day 6pm –midnight (cuisine until 10.30pm) Same ownership as the enjoined Rib Shack with just as much attention to the cooking and customer care. Authentic cuisine. €70.

Phuket,

44 Tombs of the Kings Road, Kato Paphos. Tel: 2693 6738. Long -established and exceptionally popular Chinese, now with Thai menu. Lots of choice and big helpings served in attractive and comfortable surroundings. Open every day 6.30 - 11.30 pm. Access for disabled. €75.

CAFÉS, DELIS AND CATERERS Oliveto,

96 Tombs of the Kings Road, Kato Paphos (opposite Venus Hotel, next to Chloes No. 2 Chinese, whose director Dimitris Mosfilis runs this one, too.) Tel: 2622 0099. Lots of salads, starters and mains, but the thing here is you can cook your own meat or fish on a sizzling hot stone in front of you. Fun! Monday to Sunday 6p.m.

-11p.m. Parking. €65 up.

Politeia Café-Bar-Restaurant,

25 Martiou, Ktima-Pano Paphos. Tel: 2622 2288. A sociable place you can go at almost any hour of the day or night for a drink, a snack or a meal and watch the local (non-tourist) passing parade.

The building is an old town house, with a modern interior dominated by a long bar. Good value. Open every day from 8.30 am until “whenever”. Disabled access. €45.

Emphasis Café,

70 Apostolou Pavlou Ave, Kato Paphos, (opposite the nursery at the big traffic lights), Tel 9911 2115. Snacks, salads all-day meals, lovely cakes and pastries - good, fresh ingredients (mostly local), all truly “home-cooked” and prepared, coupled with sensible pricing. Emphasis specialises in Cypriot wines. Open daily 10a.m.

-9p.m., except Sundays. Disabled access.

Gina’s Place,

3 Agiou Antoniou Street, Kato Paphos. Tel:2693 8017. Well entrenched “Deli” with lots of goodies and tables aplenty for snacks, meals and wine. Great bread! Open Monday to Saturday, 9a.m. to 10p.m. Sundays mid-day – 10p.m. Access for disabled. €30 up.

Orexi Amourabia

Contact Elena Tel: 9988 7293. Excellently prepared Lebanese and Italian dishes brought to you at home or wherever: private parties, lunches, weddings, birthdays, christenings; with all tableware, a fully stocked bar, decoration etc. if required. Paphos and Limassol districts, but can do further afield by arrangement.

Millefeuille Patisserie Francaise,

107 Makariou Avenue, Kikolina Court, Geroskipou. On the left past Petrolina on the Old Limassol Road just before the turning to Agia Marinouda. Great selection of very good French brioches and croissants (€1.60) and a variety of superb millefeuilles (€1.902.20). and savoury quiches (€3.00 per slice). Open Tuesday – Sunday (Monday closed) 8a.m. to 8p.m. On Sundays 8a.m. – 2p.m.

Tel: 9678 5546 / 9997 7648.

Oliver’s Delicatessen,

ZYGI Captain’s Table Fish Tavern,

48 Gregory Afxentiou, Zygi. On the new marina promenade. Open daily. Crowded on Sunday lunchtime. €46.

LIMASSOL DISTRICT Ariadne’s,

Polis Road above Tremithousa turning; Tel: 26653024. Recently opened re-incarnation of Tala deli. Friendly, family run; fresh salads made on the premises also local dips you can sample; great imported charcuterie, 60+ cheeses, gluten-free dried products and lots more. Interesting wine selection. Disabled access. Open daily except Sunday 8.30a.m. to 5.30p.m. Closes at 1 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.

on the “Old Road” to Vasa. Tel: 2594 2185.Very good Cyprus food, cooked to order by a real country lady Ariadne, who may well show you a basket of baby chicks she is rearing or her pickles, preserves and other good things. Often with dishes you don’t get elsewhere, she will also cook rare traditional goodies to order. In season the Stuffed Courgette Flowers are special. €40.

OUT OF TOWN

in the centre of Arsos Village. Tel: 9932 5396 or 9963 0077. Lots of Cyprus favourites. Best to park up the street from the square and walk 200 metres. Open every day for lunch and dinner, Sunday buffet lunch only. €30.

AYIA NAPA/PROTARAS Nozomi

Japanese Restaurant and Lounge Bar at the So Nice Hotel Resort, 103 Nissi Avenue, Ayia Napa. Tel: 2372 3010. Enjoyable lounge for drinks. Pleasant comfortable and quiet ambience, good sushi, sashimi and other oriental delights. Every evening. Cards. €50 up.

Alati by the Sea,

32 Perneras street. Paralimni. Tel: 2383 3740. The menu is well thought through with something for everybody, and the cooking very good indeed. Spotlessly clean facilities, a super sea-side location, and amenities like private sun lounges complete the picture.

Calypso

restaurant at the Golden Coast Beach Hotel, Protaras. Tel: 2381 4000. Good and varied international hotel buffet with live “cooking stations”. Open every day - booking recommended.

LARNACA DISTRICT Lord Kitchener,

Psematismenos, 24 333 484 (30 minutes from Nicosia, Larnaca or Limassol). ����������������������������������������������� Winter hours Tuesday 7 – 11, Thursday to Saturday 7 – 11, Sunday 12 – 4. First class international cooking in a lovely building in the middle of the village. Quickly becoming a top choice among gourmets all over the island. Wine list strong on Italian. Must book ahead. €60 up.

Lefkara Pavillion,

1 Grigori Afxentiou, Tel. 24342211, www.lefkarapavillion.com.

Open for lunch and dinner. Closed on Mondays. Michalakis and Athanasia Lefkaritis serve the famous Lefkaritiko Tavas, as well as psito, koupepia and other traditional dishes. Reservation recommended on Sundays. Municipal parking nearby. Up to €40. CG Recommended.

Estiatorio Agora,

Makris Taverna

on the Platres road at Moniatis. Tel: 2542 1275. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Happy atmosphere and copious local mezze with different items such as roasted vegetables. €30 up.

Plataniskia Taverna,

Plataniskia Village. Tel: 9984 3941. Monday– Friday 6pm – 11pm.

Closed on Tuesdays. Saturday and Sunday mid-day– 3p.m. and 6p.m. – 11p.m. Meze, grills, house specialities, Nargileh, family atmosphere. Local wines. Nice place, close to the superb Hambis Print Museum. €25.

Takis Taverna,

Vouni Village. Tel: 2594 3631 or 9949 0917. Open Friday evening, Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday for lunch. Other times by arrangement. €12.00 a head for a big meze. Wine: Local, including the excellent and well priced Constantinou and Island Vines. €30.

Skylight Restaurant,

below the car park and police station, Platres. Tel: 2542 2244 Daily 10a.m. – midnight. Comfortable, friendly establishment, well appointed for both dining inside and outside (there is a pool).

Tassos, Helen and family offer a varied selection of appetizers from €4.70 and main dishes from €8.50. Open every day for lunch, dinner, snacks and drinks.

Phoini Taverna

(“Taste of Village”) Foini Village. Tel: 2542 1828 Tuesday - Saturday mid-day – 3p.m. and 7 – 10p.m. (Closed Mondays and Sunday). Not really a taverna, because owner-chef Augostos’s steaks,

Dover sole,

King Prawns are as good as you can get. He’s a master saucier as well and makes his own traditional brown sauce which adorns his meat dishes in one form or another. Short wine list. Pleasing views during daytime. €60 up.

PISSOURI Dionysos

at the Columbia Resort, Pissouri. Tel: 2583 3333. Open for din-

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ner Monday to Saturday, 7p.m. to 11p.m. Closed in winter from December, (only open on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve) until March. Innovative and imaginative food, but not outlandish . In a large vaulted room with electric ceiling fans redolent of an old Colonial mansion, good sized tables are set well apart, and set with high quality linen, tableware and beverage glasses. International menu with stylish cooking and presentation; good vegetarian options. Access for disabled. €150 up.

Limanaki,

opposite Columbia Beach Hotel, Pissouri Bay. Tel: 2522 1288.

Tuesday to Sunday mid-day to 11p.m. Sam Kazzaz presides over a successful “Mediterranean Fusion” cuisine, along with three countrymen in the kitchen and friendly helpers out front. Herbs and spice and many things nice in a pretty, near-the-sea place; new Lebanese Meze, eclectic à la Carte with a curry touch here and there. Parking. €80 up.

O’Vrakas Taverna,

Pissouri Square, open daily except Thursdays. Tel: 99312443 or 25221940. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner. Big menu and imaginative as well as “pop” and traditional dishes. Good cooking. Bookings advised. Cards. €60.00.

Yialos Tavern,

Pissouri Bay. Set back on the left, behind The Vine Leaf on the ‘Pissouri Jetty’ road. Tel: 2522 1747. Daily 10a.m. – midnight.

20 years’ service providing ultra fresh seafood, grills and original dishes served in lovely first-floor setting. Always pleasant and always good value. Open every day for lunch and dinner through the year. €50. Booking essential on weekends/public holidays. No wheelchair access; loos downstairs. Sea-view studio apartments available.

APHRODITE HILLS The Asia Corner.

Tel: 2682 8043. Open for dinner from 6 pm every night except Wednesday. Four chefs on show in spotless kitchen cooking up a marvellous array of Sushi, Sashimi, Thai and Chinese soups, starters and stir-fries. Great atmosphere. Disabled access. Must book. €90.

Golf “Clubhouse”.

Tel: 2682 8207. Daily 7a.m. – 8p.m. (cuisine until 5pm). Spectacular views of the Golf course and a menu that offers snacks, lights meals and main dishes. The cooking and presentation are good and the service friendly. Reasonable prices.

Zimi Pizza & Pasta.

Tel: 2682 8000. Tuesday – Sunday 1p.m. – 4p.m. and 6p.m. – 10p.m. – Closed on Mondays. Lots of Italian favourites from Bruschetta to Tiramisu with lots of salads, pastas, pizzas and mains.

Access for disabled. Must book.

Pithari Taverna.

Tel: 2682 8075. Daily from 6.30 p.m. – 10pm (cuisine) – closed on Thursdays. Excellent outdoor sea views, plus authentic Cyprus cuisine either as Mezze or à la carte.

“Anoi”.

Tel: 2682 8080. Lots of draft and bottled beers, and brand spirits.

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Good wine list. Fish and chips, snacks and other Pub delights on offer. Big screen TV for sporting events. Daily 3.p.m. to midnight.

Secret Garden

– A hot granite rock theme eatery where you do some of the cooking on your table. Some of us prefer the chef to do this, but many find stone grills great fun. Daily except Thursday 6.30 p.m. to 10p.m.

PAPHOS DISTRICT San Allote

Restaurant, Konia Village. Tel: 9981 9866 or 9944 5936. Busy, essentially Cypriot taverna with originality and neat touches in the meze and a la carte ‘platters’. Good cooking and service from the brothers Pambos and Vassili. Vegetarians happy here and excellent value. Lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays. All cards, ample off-street parking; easy to find, on the road to Konia from the roundabout on the Paphos-Limassol road. €40 up.

Vanezi’s

Taverna – on far side through Polemi village, on the right. Eclectic Cyprus (sometimes curry) and good with good fresh fish, Moussaka, Stifado. Book: 99443593 (George) or 99550719 (Soula).

Disabled access/toilet facilities. Every day. No credit cards. €40 up.

Mandria Fish & Chips,

centre of Mandria village, on the coast between Kouklia and Timi, Paphos (exit clearly marked on A6). Tel: 2642 2085. Costas Yiallouros and family run this super-value place, where the fish and chips are “fabulous”. Parking next door or on street. Open daily 11a.m. to 11p.m.. Wheelchair accessible. €30.

Farmyard Taverna,

Kathikas. Tel: 2663 2745. Meze and à la carte, every day 10am to 10pm. Buffet lunch Thursdays and Carvery Sunday lunch. Versatile kitchen. Local wines. €30 up.

Imogen’s Inn,

Kathikas. Tel: 2663 3269. Open every day for lunch and dinner 11am – 4pm and 6pm – 9.30pm. Book at weekends. Included in a meze with a difference are some Egyptian dishes including wonderful ‘Felafel’ (vegetable rissoles) €50.

AGROTOURISM Ambelikos

Traditional AgroHotel & Tavern - Potamitissa, Limassol district.

Tel: 2552 2211, 9987 7589. Stylish B&B opened in June 2009 by owner Tryfonas Kyriacou. Fifteen unique rooms in six restored village houses amid lovely mountain scenery; comfortable accommodation and fresh, imaginative village food. Wonderful place to get away from it all. Special disabled facilities. No cards. Best to book.

Stou KirYianni Guest House,

Restaurant, Ouzo-Wine Bar, 15 Linou, Omodos. Tel: 2542 2100.

Interesting Cyprus cuisine with some different touches. Comfort-

able accommodation upstairs, making this a good place for a weekend break. Open every day 9am to 11p.m. Disabled access.

Reservations recommended.

CAVAS NICOSIA Aupenac,

138 Strovolos Ave., next to Demos supermarket. Tel. 22511866.

Small cava with select items, mostly Italian wines and vine products.

some very good, very popular lines at good prices.

Fine Wine Boutique, Drakos Beach House, 20 Georgiou A St., Yermasoyia, 25 430 606/99 622 269. 10 am to 10 pm. Specializing in Italian wines and liqueurs with some French and Chilean. Wine bar with veranda, frequent tastings. Wine classes. Knowledgeable, very helpful proprietor.

French Depot, 41-43 Kitiou Kyprianou (near Carrefour) Tel: 232 7427. Interesting range of French wines personally selected and imported by proprietors. Lovely perfect-condition cheeses and other culinary delights. Knowledgeable customer care.

Cava Dionysiou,

Ghalanos,

Cava Nostra,

94 Ayias Filaxeos, Limassol. Tel. 2538 1305. Closed Saturdays.

Big list of wines, spirits and liqueurs. Most of Ghalanos’ business is wholesale, but they also welcome retail customers buying by the case who telephone first.

Korai 33, Nicosia. Tel: 2234 9395. Very long established importer, with some fine agencies of both wines and spirits.

6, Sophouli Street. Tel: 2237 4840. The knowledgeable and charming Cassandra runs this excellent wine store, next to Moufflon bookshop. Good international selection including some interesting Greeks.

Inon Pnevmata,

71 B & C Digheni Akrita Ave. Tel: 2246 0603. Monday to Saturday 10a.m. – 10p.m. Browse, chat about wine, taste and buy from a wide range. Some delectable gourmet foods, too.

Intercellars,

La Maison du Vin, Agios Athanasios Ave. Tel. 2573 6220. An early specialist wine shop of Limassol and stocks wines for all pockets from most of the wine producing countries of the world. Magnificent emporium with every facility for wine lovers opened in October 2008.

Oenoforos Wine Warehouse,

27 A, Stassicratous Street. Tel: 22445660, Fax: 22445664.

Wines and spirits imported by Ghalanos (so there are some big brand names here), plus others equally well known. Big selection for all pockets.

the first UK-Style Wine Warehouse in Cyprus, near Pentadromo (“Five Ways”) at 18 Nafpliou Street. Browse with basket or trolley among hundreds of wines from cheap and cheerful to very luxurious. Very good value.

7B-C Kennedy Avenue, Nicosia Tel: 2244 2235. The capital city shop of the La Maison du Vin with many great names from the wine world to choose from. Lively management, tastings and promotions.

near Marks & Spencer, Arch. Makarios Ave. Tel: 2537 0027. Offers an imposing, well presented range of fine and popular wines from major producing countries, plus spirits, chocolates and wine related gifts.

La Maison du Vin,

Spectus,

2 Kypseli street, Strovolos, Tel: 22511521. Long established with very big choice, leading off with Bordeaux. Gifts and other goodies, too. Owner George Hadjikyriacos runs very good wine workshops to taste, learn and discuss.

Vinocultura Wine Boutique,

20 Kyriacou Matsi, Ayioi Omologites, Nicosia. Tel. 2267 6707.

Now also a tapas eatery to enjoy a glass of wine with.

LIMASSOL Cava Protasis,

7G Ioanni Polemi. Tel: 2573 2180. More than 15 years in the business offering good Greeks, Italian Frescobaldi and Alois Lageder, Noval Port (wonderful!), the fine Riedel Wine glasses, other wellknown wines and spirits and very good gifts. All these characterize this well-established and helpful wine business

Desras Trading.,

70 Ayias Filaxeos. Tel: 2534 3400. An importer/ wholesaler who is happy to sell wines by the case to personal customers. They have

Spectus,

LARNACA Oak Tree Wine Cellar, 9G Drousioti Street (near St Lazarus Sq.) Tel: 2481 5044. Director Sergios Katodritis has assembled a huge list from all over the world, with some outstanding names There’s a great tasting room for Sergio’s regular tastings and other functions, too.

PAPHOS Remuage Wine Store, on left hand side of Danais Ave., Kato Paphos (from the roundabout below Debenhams to the sea-front/tourist area). Monday – Friday 9.30 a.m. – 10p.m., Saturday 10a.m. – 1.30. p.m. and 6.30 p.m. – 10p.m. Parking at front and a welcome from director musician and wine lover Neophytos Spyrides. Tel: 7777 7525 and 9965 5812. cyprusgourmet.com 73

Last Word

Wine Awards … and more in 2012 Our Wine of the Year Awards are always cause of excitement and more so this year for a number of reasons. Cyprus wines have been improving over the years and more of them are now considered ‘export grade’ meaning they can compete with leading producers from New World and even some Old World wine regions. If only the competent authorities in Cyprus realized they were sitting on a gold mine and gave our wineries proper assistance to promote the ‘Made in Cyprus’ brand overseas. But with the paltry handouts, no wonder our wines hardly ever make it to some far away shores, and when they do reach markets such as the U.S., they make us all feel proud.

At least the restaurants and hotels in Cyprus have been stocking more and more of the new Cypriot wines and as the Cyprus Gourmet organization grows bigger and better, we will try and reward some of the best wine lists in local establishments as well.

But coming back to the Cyprus Gourmet Wine Awards, our 3rd edition to be announced in May 2012 will be a challenge in itself, as we had a couple of surprises in the 2011 collections and we expect more next year. The 50 best wines will be difficult to judge, but, they are, after all, based on the suggestions of you, our readers, following which our panel of sommelier judges will grade them in categories of Gold, Silver and Bronze.

Another novelty you can expect from us is the ‘Best of Cyprus’ brand that we hope to promote among all establishments and industries.

Finally, VFM or value-for-money will feature prominently in our 2012 editions as the economic crisis makes us all think twice about smart spending and searching for honest deals, be they food, wine, service or simply a smile which has become a rare commodity nowadays. We hope to identify all these places and individuals who deserve our continued support, at least with the occasional ‘thank you’ that costs us nothing.

One such worthy example is Ardo, a young man we met at the Pralina café in Nicosia. A hospitality student, he has gone beyond his text books to seek ways to satisfy his customers, adding a personal touch to everything he serves, such as some pretty designs on the cappuccino, something you won’t find in any manual.

Write in to info@cyprusgourmet.com and tell us of any more deserving people or establishments you may know of.

Enjoy the holidays and have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

Masis der Parthogh Publisher

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