Living Cyprus

Tala Bistro

2008-01-19T11:45:26Z

After having seen Tala Bistro advertised in different local magazines I thought we would try it with some friends of ours. The whole restaurant was non-smoking which is a big plus for us, the views are nice, the service was pleasant enough and when we didn't finish our foodcame to check that everything was ok, it wasn't but what were we going to say?

My friend ordered Steak Diane which was ordered well done and served rare. She sent it back and it came back with even more sauce on it than before which was already the wrong colour and had way to much sauce on it than before. In addition to this, the steak was half fat. I ordered the chicken in garlic sauce with spices which was so bad I couldn't eat it. When we asked the first server that came to our table what he could recommend he stuttered and didn't have anything to say. He couldn't recommend anything. This should have been our warning of things to come! One person with us ordered a hanburger and chips and he was happy with that, but that is fairly difficult to mess up.

When we asked for bread the waitress looked confused. Someone else seemed confused when after asking us how we heard about the restaurant said "Oh, we don't get many Cypriots here!" We are in Cyprus if I'm not mistaken and only 2 out of 6 of us were CYpriot. We do all look Cypriot, not that it matters, it was just a strange and inappropriate comment.

Anyway, back to the food, the men gave up and decided they didn't want dessert after tasting the quality of the main course. But, the women who have a sweet tooth ordered a cheesecake and pineapple cake in the hopes that it would make up for the food they didn't eat - it didn't. They were both inedible.

The whole experience was laughable it was so bad. They seem to cater to expats who were very jolly, perhaps after drowning the taste of the food with lots of wine.

Food: 0
Service: 3 ***
Presentation: 2**
Child Friendly: 3***
Ambiance: 2**
Price: 2**

5=Awesome
4= Pretty Good
3=OK
2=Not so Good
1=Very Poor
0=Do we have to say it!???

Yiannis Taverna in Kathikas

2007-12-31T11:58:52Z

Yiannis Tavern is in the village center of Kathikas Village which is a busy and charming little village that makes several popular wines as it is is the middle of "wine country." My father-in-law sings in the church there and is currently renovating a small stone home for quiet weekend get-aways. Property is gaining in popularity in Kathikas due to the charm, renovatoins being done throughout the village and the many good restuarants and amenties close by and that is another reason why he bought the house and how we ended up being invited to try one of the local taverns!

As you can tell, I like the village and I am also impressed with the restaurant. The service was very good, our young son was catered to, high chairs were available and there was space to move. We got the fresh bread and colourful salad and starter dips quickly. I loved the warm, balck olives which you don't get everywhere. The extra effort of skewering and grilling them is worth it. It shows they take the extra effort to make the food enjoyable and different.

We have been to the taverna several times in the summer where we all sat outside and enjoyed the cooler breezes of the high altitude (the same altitude as Troodos). Now, in the winter there is a cozy fireplace in the upper, non-smoking level and a tall gas, umbrella-style heater in the lower smoking area. Everyone is catered to accordingly. My mother-in-law invited friends who are vegans and called in advance to let Yiannis (the owner) know and he did an excellent job of having vegan options available. For meat lovers, there is a great selection of pork, chicken, lamb and different local sausages and keftedes. Yesterday, we had some fabulous giant grilled shrimp. It is a little different every time we go but always good. All in all, there is something for everyone.

In addition to the good food, service and atmosphere there is also a convenient and spacious parking lot behind the restaurant.

If you would like to take a nice, scenic drive in Cyprus and a good Cypriot Meze with warm and hospitable hosts try Yiannis Tavern in Kathikas which is popular with locals as well as foreign visitors and residents of Cyprus! Enjoy!

Food: 4****
Service: 4 ****
Presentation: 4****
Child Friendly: 4****
Ambiance: 4****
Value for Money:3***

5=Awesome
4= Pretty Good
3=OK
2=Not so Good
1=Very Poor
0=Do we have to say it!???

Sienna Restaurant Review

2007-11-10T23:03:39Z

I was ready for a night out and we had heard a lot about Sienna so knew that it was definitely going to be our next place to eat out. We decided to go in the middle of the week because we were taking our 2 year old son with us. We left our 2 month old with granny and we headed for the restaurant early, something most parents incorporate in their dining out life.
The restaurant was recommended by a number of our friends. I also had the chance to finish my brother-in-laws leftovers that he brought back form there when he ate there. He live in Miami with his wife and enjoy going to good restaurants and they enjoyed Sienna's food so I knew if they liked it then the place is going to be good.

The restaurant is located on the road from Paphos going to Coral Bay next to the Helios Bay Hotel and there is plenty of parking available.

The first surprise of the night was how busy it was at the time we arrived. We thought we would most likely be the first customers, but there was a few tables allready seated. We were greated by a nice lady as soon as we entered who later we found out was the owner, I felt that the entire staff treated us so good as if they all owned the restaurant.

We had our orders in with no delays and the food was very good. I ordered scalloped pork in a curry sauce that was tender and very tasty. My wife ordered chicken Sienna which is a house specialty in a creamy sause with spinach. We each had a salad with our choice of salad dressing. We didn't have to wait long for anything but we weren't rushed either.

There is a wide variety of desserts that were fresh and made to order but we had to skip this time because of our son and our waist line. We will definitely go back there.

Food: 5*****
Service: 5 *****
Presentation: 4****
Child Friendly: 3***
Ambiance: 4****
Price: 4****

5=Awesome
4= Pretty Good
3=OK
2=Not so Good
1=Very Poor
0=Do we have to say it!???

Review of Koh-i-Noor Indian Restaurant - Kato Paphos

2007-10-01T23:36:32Z

This review will be easy for me to write since this is one of our favorite restaurants in Paphos - don't know why I didn't review it before! I have been there several times to eat in and my previously pregnany wife had me get her take-away during some of her pregnancy cravings that would strike.

Dining-in is always pleasant and the decor is always up to date, clean, simple and elegant. Take-away food travels well and the order has always been correct and still hot and just as good when we get it home from Kato Paphos to Mandria (25 minutes away). To start with even before you get appetizers if you order any are the light, Indian flavored crispy bread (the name has slipped my mind) - similar to prawn crackers but thinner and bigger. With them you get an assortment of dips, chutney and a yogurt based dip.

Our all time favourites are:

Chicken Tikka Masala - in a tomato based sauce with ground almonds and cream that is a great consistency (not at all watery like other places I've been) - great for dipping the garlic naan in!

Chicken Tikka - boneless chicken cooked in tandoor oven with a yoghurt marinade. It tastes great, but we get it to off set the heaviness (calorie content) of the other dishes we love. I don't really know why we bother trying to be health consciounce since we always get dessert and eat way too much anyway.

Lamb Dupiaza - Lamb cooked with chunks of onions, herbs and spices in a thick curry sauce. Again, most sauces here are great for dipping the garlic or plain naan. Also, most of these dishes are also made with chicken, lamb, vegetarian, prawns, king prawns or even duck!

Saag Paneer - Fresh spinach cooked with cured cheese and spices that make it a little spicy.

We have tried many other dishes that are equally good such as Chicken Korma, Aloo Gobi and Prawns Madras.

Then, of course we always order rice to go with everything.

Afterwards we have the chocolate mousse that is perfectly, light and airy and just chocolate-y enough and we love "Death by Chocolate" - need we say more???

Food: 5*****
Service: 5 *****
Presentation: 4****
Child Friendly: 3***
Ambiance: 3***
Price: 3***

5=Awesome
4= Pretty Good
3=OK
2=Not so Good
1=Very Poor
0=Do we have to say it!???

The way it is!

2007-10-01T23:44:36Z

I am a little hesitant about writing this blog, I have wanted to for some time but I did not want to step on anyone toes. Now I just want to get it off my chest! The main reason I have hesitated for a long time is the toes I will be stepping on can influence my business possibly. I am talking about the builders in Cyprus.  Since I own a marketing company and property is a big portion of my business, I could end up jeopordizing opportunities in the future.

Here is the story, I will tell only of my own personal experience with our builder, but as you go around and meet other home owners and hear their stories I realize I am not alone. I knew that since there are 78 homes in my developement and many of the owners have long standing isses. DNP built our development and they are not the only builders that operates in this fashion. We were scheduled to move to Cyprus in June 2005, but in May we found out a member of my family was very ill and postponed our plans luckily. Our house was suppose to be finished that year but when we arrived one year later the home was still incomplete.  We were not able to move in until September 2006, over a year later and that was just the begining.

We discovered that because the builder had not aquired the right permits, we are getting electricity from a temporary generator using a gasoline engine.  Not only does it overload all the time and turn off the circuit breakers, they also have been completely out of order making everyone live without any electricity until they can bring one from limassol to fix it. Power outages are still a weekly accurance if not daily or hourly at times. If that was it, I might not feel so bad.  I would still be angry though because of the inexcusable behaviour of the people responsible and their replies to any questions or should I say the lack of response. The thing that annoys me the most is that we are basically living on a construction site. There is always dirt flying in the air, where is supposed to be pavements are just rocks and mud that can't be used. The "green area" (what I live next to) is anything but green and every time a car drives by it picks up enough dust to coat everything in the area, so we constantly breath dust. To top it all off DNP is starting to build apartments right next to our project which makes me wonder why they would start a new project next to us without finishing this one. I was under the assumption that there must be a shortage in money or workers and that is why things are so slow, but all the sudden there are apartments going up with lots of workers and lots of money needed. They could have completed this project with the same resources and had better word of mouth spreading than what is being said now. I don't want to classify all builders in the same category and I am sure that there are some builders that pride themselves on quality work and trust but as I learn more and more, I realize that the problems I am having are a common thing.

To finish on a positive note if you want to buy a home in Cyprus there are lots of resale homes out there.  And the positives of resales are that the home is finished and you can see exactly what you are getting. You can talk with the current residents and neighbors whereas buying off plan you are all in the same boat not knowing what you will get and when! Owners of resales usually upgrade things such as doorknobs, faucets, do custom paint and add extras such as as air conditioners, pergolas, fences and you can get a mature garden with fruit trees - ready to pick and eat! How much better than that can it get???

Pizza Express

2007-09-05T14:40:01Z

My wife is due with our second baby in 2 weeks and has been hard to please in these last weeks of her pregnancy, very picky and not liking anything. So, I wanted to take her out to dinner for probably the last time before our new baby arrived. I figured Italian would be a good choice since it's always her favorite; I called a friend for advice since he has lived here for six years and loves Italian. His recommendation was "Pizza Express" as soon as I mentioned Italian. I was a little hesitant with a name like that, not the usual name for a good Italian restaurant, not even a good name for a sit down Pizza place. We discussed other places but he kept going back to Pizza Express, so after a little persuasion and some coordinating with my in-laws to watch our 21 month old we were on our way there.
My wife is due with our second baby in 2 weeks and has been hard to please in these last weeks of her pregnancy, very picky and not liking anything. So, I wanted to take her out to dinner for probably the last time before our new baby arrived. I figured Italian would be a good choice since it's always her favorite; I called a friend for advice since he has lived here for six years and loves Italian. His recommendation was "Pizza Express" as soon as I mentioned Italian. I was a little hesitant with a name like that, not the usual name for a good Italian restaurant, not even a good name for a sit down Pizza place. We discussed other places but he kept going back to Pizza Express, so after a little persuasion and some coordinating with my in-laws to watch our 21 month old we were on our way there.

The restaurant is tucked in the back of a courtyard on the main strip in Paphos directly across from the Sea and close to the harbor. After parking and enjoying a short stroll through the crowds of tourist we were second in line for a table and that was shortest the line was for the rest of our night. We were greeted by a smiling host and shown to a nice table just outside of the restaurant. The waitress was pleasant, competent and very busy so she got our drinks and the rest of the order in reasonable time. The atmosphere was very good, the place was nicely decorated, not fussy or overdone nor old fashioned. The staff were all bustling around and seemed to work well together, so then it was all in the Chef’s hands.

We got our drinks in good time and a few minutes later our appetizers – Bruschetta, a large Caprese Salad and small bread rolls with pesto dipping sauce, garlic and a tomato paste dip. The Bruschetta was smaller than expected and not loaded with tomatoes how we like it to be but flavorful enough. I will probably skip it next time though. The freshly baked bite size bread rolls were hot, just the right texture and the dips were perfect with them. Next the salad arrived – the large Caprese Salad with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, argula, goat cheese and red peppers. We have not found a salad like it in Cyprus which is nice change from the traditional Greek Salad. We loved this salad, fresh and with our own touch of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and the fresh crushed pepper that is always offered by the waitress it was delicious. My wife has been craving it ever since. Our main course was the American Pizza (we just had to try it being from the US) and Chicken Fettuccine with mushrooms and a touch of tomato sauce. The pizza although good was not an “American Pizza” – it was thin crust with pepperoni and sausage. In the US they tend to make the crust thicker and with more cheese and sauce but it was good – lighter than expected but that was a good thing. The pasta was very good, just creamy enough and the chicken was tender and fresh not pre-cooked hours or days before – having spent years in the restaurant business I can always tell.

Last but not least, the dessert which my wife could not refuse even though we were both full. There was a great selection and many desserts that went past our table looked fabulous, but we decided on the chocolate fudge cake with chocolate fudge syrup and vanilla ice cream. The cake was hot, super fresh and super moist. I would go back just for the salad and cake! Overall, this was a very nice experience and despite the name the restaurant exceeded our expectations. We would definitely go back. We were however charged for 2 beers when I only had one, but we believe that was an honest mistake since they were so busy.

We also hear there is live music there every so often which would be nice but I expect even busier. Despite how busy it was though, the service was efficient and pleasant so I would go back.

Food: 5*****
Service: 4 ****
Presentation: 4****
Child Friendly: 4****
Ambiance: 4****
Value for Money:4****

5=Awesome
4= Pretty Good
3=OK
2=Not so Good
1=Very Poor
0=Do we have to say it!???

7 St. George Taverna - Yeroskipou

2007-12-20T18:33:28Z

We had heard a lot about Seven St. George and how busy it always is so we decided to give it a try. We didn't make a reservation since it was a last minute decision on out part, actually someone offered to babysit last minute - an offer we couldn't refuse! So, that was how our Friday night outing began.

The restuarant was full except maybe one or two tables which we thought was a good sign.

Once we were seated, we received an introduction by whom I presumed was the owners son or a very charming host - even shook our hands. Rare even in the US where customer service is supreme! Good start...we were told about the menu, a meze, organic wines they offer and their tasty puddings for afterwards. The only off putting aspect was we were told not to waste food - it was done in a nice way but as we were paying and did not know what was to come next we felt like we had to eat all that came even though we didn't know what else was to come. I think an iomprovement would be to list the meze items for the night so if a customer does not like pork or another choice they can not bring it out hence, less waste which was a concern for the establishment since we overheard it repeated to other diners.

Once the meal began was when we realized we shouldn't have believed the hype. The salad had a strangely odd flavour, items were described as one thing but were something else, the small plates the items were served on with chipped and broken and the attempt at service slowly declined as the meal progressed. A pork dish had 2 pieces of pork on it of which maybe half was pure fat. The only really memorable part food wise was the lamb which I love anyway so if it is tender then I like it. Other than that, we weren't impressed. We told them to stop bringing out food - we were full but unsatisfied so we decided to give their "tasty puddings" a try. Usually, with meze's some fruit or traditional sweets are included at the end of the meal. We realized once we received the bill that these pre-made, microwaved and bland desserts were 2.50 CYP each extra so we were extrememly disappointed. I can usually eat any dessert happily - we did not even finish these. Did I mention that my wife is extrememly pregnant? She is ravenous all the time and even she just picked on most everything and wanted me to stop at a kiosk afterwards to pick up some ice cream! This being after we just spent 29 CYP on a meze for 2 without any wine and just one beer for me.

The positive aspects for us were being out alone without our 2 year old, seeing a high chair available if he was with us, numerous cats for entertaining the many children and a pleasant setting despite being a little humid (not a fault of the restuarant obviously.)

We would not go back and we would not recommend it to anyone wanting a romantic meal or who has an allergy to cats! Actually I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Who knows...maybe it was an "off night" but first impressions are lasting and this one was not impressive.

Food: 1*
Service: 2 **
Presentation: 2*
Child Friendly: 2**
Ambiance: 3***

5=Awesome
4= Pretty Good
3=OK
2=Not so Good
1=Very Poor
0=Do we have to say it!???

Paphos Restaurant Review - La Sardegna Italian

2007-08-29T09:02:53Z

I work in Marketing, but I must confess that my true love is food. So, I decided to start writing about restaurants in Paphos. The idea came to me last night when I was told by a family member who's visiting from Miami (owners of www.thecuisinelab.com) that she tried to search on-line for restaurant reviews, but was unable to find anything. Knowing what people are saying about a restaurant is important to ensure that you get what you are looking for. I don't eat out very often in Cyprus because of my twenty-month-old son and pregnant wife, but I will try to share my observations. In the US I was a restaurant owner for over 13 years and also worked for the largest food distributor as a marketing associate.

Here is my first review - please give us your opinions about the places I write about or experiences you have had at restuarants while Living in Cyprus.

Last night we decided on a pizza place that we had been to once last year and is very popular in Paphos. The restaurant is called La Sardegna and is owned by an Italian. It is located on the main road going down to Kato Paphos.

Our experience didn't start too well. We made reservations, but when we arrived the staff was particularly disorganized and harassed. I would be harassed though too if I had to work on such a humid night. Despite having our names wrong there was a table for 8 as requested.

The place was packed and our drinks arrived fairly quickly. We started with appetizers of Prawns in a delicious, light garlic, cheese and tomato sauce and Bruschetta that was absolutely delicious - even better than anything I had in the US. It took over 45 minutes to get our appetizers but it was well worth it.

Soon afterwards our main course arrived. We ordered a ham and cream pizza that doesn't look so appetizing but tastes wonderful. Also, the Spaghetti Bolognese looked bland and I almost didn't taste it because of the look of it, but again I was proved wrong.

All in all, the food is well worth it, though not cheap. I would say for Cyprus it is in the moderate price range with our food costing approximatly 11CYP per person including beers, wine, sodas and several of each item: 3 mushrooms, 3 prawns, 2 pizzas etc.

I have mentioned the more positive aspect which is the delicious food.

However, to touch briefly on the negative side it was very, very hot and humid and there are no fans or air conditioning, the staff is so busy you do not get any personalized attention or very good service for that matter, it is NOT child friendly at all - no high chairs, boosters, crayons or anything that would entertain a small child. It is also NOT handicap accessible, the tables are crowded together and the location is not the greatest.

Overall, presentation and service is not a high priority, but the taste of the food will bring you back to La Sardegna again and again. Just don't go if you can't take the heat of the summer, have a small child, want a romantic meal or like your personal space. If those things turn you off, but still want some delicious food, then definitely order take out!

Food: 5*****
Service: 2 **
Presentation: 2**
Child Friendly: 0
Ambiance: 1*
Value for Money: 3 ***

5=Awesome
4= Pretty Good
3=OK
2=Not so Good
1=Very Poor
0=Do we have to say it!???

Developers in Paphos, Cyprus - Our experience as a newcomer to the island

2007-09-05T15:44:09Z

When I first moved to Cyprus last July '06 I was amused and surprised at how many developers there were for such a small population. Every billboard, ad and newspaper has an abundance or property listings, developers ads and classifieds by the same for properties for sale and lease. I didn't think it was possible for all these resales, new homes and even old homes to sell and for the seemingly exboretant prices (compared to the US anyway)! But, sell they do! I found this out from a family friend who is in the business - they sell and sell fast for over asking price in many cases.

I also came to realize that new homes don't generally include any decent fixtures, appliances, light covers or anything that I had come to expect from a new home. Not to mention pavements, outside lights or the promised "green areas" in certain new devlopements. In many cases, a home that is a few years old is a better bet because the previous owner would have had the time to upgrade the cheap toilet seats and add pergolas where needed and add other uprades that should be but aren't included. Also, Cyprus seems very transitional so many people leaving Cyprus leave behind nearly new appliances and furniture making it easier for new residents to move in.

Buying off plan means that the home may be deemed "ready" for move-in, however compared to Western standards nothing is done from the roads to the electricty supply - I know from experience since we have been in our new home for over one year and we are still on a temporary generator. It is great that we get all the free airconditioning that we want when the generator is fully operational of course and/or dosen't run out of petrol leaving us in the dark and in sauna like conditions!

Despite all the numerous developers, all my concerns and complaints our family friend advised and is supporting me in my own marketing company - marketing of homes that is! And, in just a couple months we have acquired 18 properties to sell and sold 2 pieces of land! Not bad, for a newcomer and one who was seriously skeptical of the whole home sales and development business in Paphos!!!

Check out our new website and let us know what you think: www.cyprus101.com , www.propertyofcyprus.com and also check out our general Love Cyprus website: www.iheartcyprus.com where you can add photos and check out ours.

Keep checking out our blog to keep up with our progress in Cyprus and share with us your thoughts and if you have any related stories you would like to share we'd love to hear them!