Not gnocchi!
UNTIL a few years ago, interior design was never really an issue within the restaurant trade in Cyprus. All one did was drape a few bleached fishing nets across the ceiling, chuck in a couple of fossilised star fish and, hey presto, you were a fish restaurant. Then, along came the craze for wrought iron work, with chairs that looked as if they had been beaten together out of huge nails.
There followed a soft furnishing craze, with ghastly, rouched curtains and lumpy sofas coupled with such subtle lighting you ended up doing an impression of blind Pugh when presented with the menu.
My favourite Italian restaurants in London mercifully never changed; they were always a glowing warm oasis that made no concession to interior design trends and 21st century food fashion. Not that I was expecting a delightful sixties time warp with candles stuck in Chianti bottles when I was invited to dine at La Piazza in Paphos.
It was crystal clear from the off that the ubiquitous interior designer had been at it again (making me wonder once more if there is indeed some upmarket version of Ikea hidden away in Nicosia where you can buy your modern restaurant in flat pack form; blonde wood floors, beige walls and white suited beribboned chairs included).
However, the formal dining area of La Piazza has managed to cleverly counter the coldness one normally finds in these ‘newly made over’ establishments with kind, well thought out lighting, well positioned and good sized tables, a welcoming Maitre D and an overall atmosphere of calm, quiet professionalism.
In other words, here was the perfect setting to taste drive the usual suspects, such as filletto Rossini, cocktail di gamberetti, bruschetta etc. We started with a plate of ‘the real thing’ prosciutto, followed by carpaccio filetto, the latter a delicious piece of quality raw rump steak, cut in excruciatingly thin slices, dressed with artichokes, wild rocket and virgin oil then sprinkled with slices of aged parmigiano.
The pilgrim scallops that followed were jolly good, as were the garlic prawns. Then we were presented with a plate of perfectly cooked gnocchi. Now this is one dish that has always failed to move me to any euphoric heights of appreciation (my young nephew once, rather aptly, describing them as akin to eating preserved belly buttons). Here at La Piazza they make four different types of gnocchi, and as I sat and pushed the damn things around my plate, by contrast (and the key reason one always goes with a friend to try out a restaurant) my dining partner couldn’t get enough of these Italian dumplings and proceeded to hoover up both his own and my portion.
What I really liked about La Piazza is its versatility; not only does it boast a semi formal dining area, there is also a cosy café bar where you can enjoy a simple lunch of a plate of pasta and a glass of wine.
The other selling point is it’s an excellent place for ladies who lunch. In Paphos there is a dearth of non-hotel venues that offer decent midday food and wine at non outrageous prices, a place where you don’t have to dress to the nines to enjoy a plate of pasta or a decent omelette and salad. It’s also ideal as a pre-dinner drink rendezvous.
It’s winter and the full effect of the restaurant’s outdoor facilities are not in evidence, but, despite a chill in the air the night I went, the overhead lamp heaters allowed customers to sit outside where they happily knocked back their after dinner brandy and coffee.
La Piazza doesn’t have a typical Italian mantra type menu, here we can see some very selective thinking behind the choice of dishes, and all credit for this goes to Professor Raffaele Santoro. He is a food consultant and a resident of Venice who flies over twice a year to check out his selected dishes, then, if required, he will make appropriate changes to the menu, and is on hand to advise and demonstrate to the Chef how to prepare the latest innovative dishes coming out of Italy.
There has to be a certain comfort factor knowing that the owners care enough about quality to go to these lengths, with not only a resident Italian wielding power in the kitchen, but also the strong presence of the professor, which should ensure everything that arrives at your table is as authentic as it possibly can be, sadly that even goes for the gnocchi.
Speciality good seafood, and pasta.
Seating 50 plus.
Where right next to MacDonald’s on the seafront in Paphos
Contact 26 819921, 26 819922
Booking Not in winter, but in the summer evening’s yes. Open for lunch and dinner and café bar open all day.
Prices. Starters from %2.50, main from %6.50
