Pyxida Fish Tavern, Limassol
Voted best Fish Tavern in 2007, 2009, 2013 & 2014 by Time Out Eating Awards Cyprus, no wonder! Pyxida serves delicious sea food of high quality, their friendly staff provide excellent service, the ambience is just amazing, the Limassol venue being on the waterfront with an amazing view of the Marina, the Nicosia venue amazing in its own right.
Karlina Restaurant Cafe Bar, Paphos
Times have changed as far as the fascia goes, but for the past 28 years, the service is still exemplary and the cuisine is as traditional as it gets. It's a family-run restaurant, from Luigi's warm welcome to the homemade Cypriot specialties using mum's secret recipes and the lovely touch of complimentary seasonal fruit, grown in dad's orchard, that they'll bring to your table for afters.
Gold Temple, Asian, Thai & Sushi Restaurant, Coral Bay, Paphos
I caught up with Nikos who also owns Blazing Saddles Pub next door, who told me "I opened the Indian Restaurant in 2013 because there wasn't an authentic one in the area. Then one year later my customers persuaded me that there wasn't a decent Chinese either", and chop-chop it happened! ... And then, quite recently Nikos again listened to his customers' wishes, and added Thai & Sushi, so as you're in Cyprus, now you might as well 'Meze' it up, Asian style!
Neptune Hotel Apartments, Coral Bay, Paphos
It's a family run hotel apartments, more like a mini resort ...
Fish
If you've never had the pleasure, you must try a Fish Meze win Cyprus. It's a selection of seasonal fish and seafood dishes brought to the table nice and slowly, a lovely way to try lots of different dishes and a great way to socialise …
Olives Seafood & Sushi Restaurant, Larnaca
Coming up to their first anniversary in Cyprus I asked Nicola to tell me about the Menu ... Nicola said; "We sort of split it into three cuisines, Fresh Fish, Fresh Sushi, and Vegan Platters & Snacks ... Our head chef has been with us since day one, his qualifications and previous experience in Cyprus, the very best Sushi eateries, including Sushi La and Wagamama" ... I was suitably impressed!
O’Neills Irish Bar & Grill, Kato Paphos
This is, without doubt, one of Paphos' finest eateries ... It's a traditional Irish Bar, so authentic all the furniture was crafted in Ireland an imported over, lots of dark warm wood, benches and stools, cottage cabinets and red brick. There's plenty of room inside, a nice covered smoking room and a lovely breezy sun terrace out front with comfortable seating, and the pub grub just a tad above the rest ... it's just like you've walked into a bar in Dublin, only a bit warmer!
Sonny’s Restaurant, Paphos
Coming outta Shepherds Bush in London, Chris with over 30 years experience and catering in his blood, followed his father's footsteps and in 2012 he finally sealed the deal to buy the old Banana Cabaret Bar in Kissonerga, better known for its sauciness than its sauces 😉 He named it 'Sonny's, after his son, so I suppose it was inevitable Sonny would join his dad sooner or later, together they make an unbeatable team! ... And tbh, you'll probably need to book to make sure you find a table!
Lambros Fish & Chips & Kebab Tavern, Dhekalia, Larnaca
... These days he's got a crew of 30, most working as part of the family for years, and 'well oiled' is an understatement ... serving the best Cod and Haddock, and a nice bit of Plaice, imported from UK, Norway, Germany and France, deep fried in Lambros' crispy batter or breadcrumbs and served, of course, with chips made with Cyprus potatoes, pure heaven! ... opps, don't forget the mushy peas or maybe gravy, or curry sauce to dip your chips into and a few pickled onions and maybe a wally ... omg, old habits die hard oh, and almost forgot a good cuppa and a slice ... perfect!
‘Chez Fāina – Fayrous’, Mediterranean Brasserie, Larnaca
Fāinā told me "We originally opened a French restaurant in Makarios Avenue, introducing Lebanese cuisine after 2 years, but when we moved our restaurant here we switched to a Lebanese Restaurant with just a few French dishes as our customers were mostly locals. These days its a more varied international mix as more and more tourists have discovered us. As the years past, we found more and more of our customers were asking us to cook French cuisine for them". She laughed and said "ha! but many restaurants cook Frogs Legs, but none can cook them like ours! And, then she added; just wait til you try our Duck!"