An exciting and unique restaurant in Limassol cooking in a fusion of Cypriot, Asian and middle eastern styles using locally sourced ingredients. The atmosphere is very cosmopolitan set in a small back street and always very busy with both locals and international residents.
Meal
I ordered several dishes which arrived in a slow trickle of servings, this included a broccoli and spinach stir fry and a mashed aubergine and garlic dip. The aubergine dip was delicious with just the right amount of lumpiness so that it tasted full of flavour.
The main dishes I ordered included a salmon dish which was prepared in a Japanese style. It was very lightly broiled leaving much of the salmon raw in the middle almost like Sushi and it was topped with stir fried seaweed in a fish and oyster sauce.
I also had the duck breast which was also beautifully cooked leaving the middle red and was coated with local Cypriot walnuts preserved in syrup. The combination of the oily duck breast, woody texture and the sweetness of the walnuts danced like Zorba on my tongue.
Just to experience the full variety which the restaurant offered, I also had a small dish of baby chicken coated in a spicy chili coating.
As a dessert I had the signature dish which was hazelnut meringue with cream filling and covered in chocolate. After I had the melon liqueur at the end, I was ready for Adonis!
Cost of meal:
€65
Wine and beverages
A nice crisp white dry wine from the Kolios winery near the Troodos called Persefoni and a bottle of sparkling Perrier.
Atmosphere and decor
The dining area is quite small with a small mezzanine area and tall ceilings. The style has slight influences from a Chinese Shinto temple with a strong background of red walls. However, that is as far as it goes as the ceiling is festooned with stalactites of crystal icicle lamp shades and corded curtain veils hanging from the tall ceilings. The walls are partly decorated with colourful plates in gold, blues, silvers and yellows. On the other side the entire wall is decked out with framed articles from the many reviews from Timeout, and other restaurant magazines. The tables and trimmings are distinctly contemporary with a lot of dark wood coloured formica bringing you back to the fact this restaurant is in the modern world. This restaurant has been visited by the well to-do visitors and residents of Limassol.
The atmosphere is very cosmopolitan with young and professional locals meeting for dinner as well as small groups just out for the night. The larger than life owner Roddy Damalis is very present in spirit, if not as he usually is, in the flesh. He has a cookery book out called little plates which can be brought at the restaurant and he also has 2 other restaurants in South Africa.
Dress code
Smart casual but they won’t throw you out if you wear sandals. Many of the visitors make a special effort to dress well so if you want to fit in wear your designer gear.
Locality
Smart casual but they won’t throw you out if you wear sandals. Many of the visitors make a special effort to dress well so if you want to fit in wear your designer gear.
Service
The waiters are very polite and knowledgeable about the food. You will need help as the menu is a just a huge list of dishes which you are expected to chose from to create your own meze, however, the price and portions are based on four people so if you are just a party of two then they will make some adjustments to the portion sizes and price so that you get a full range of dishes. You won’t be hurried here and sometimes the time between dishes can be a little long but hey what's my rush?