Yugoslavian International Garden Restaurant
A sizeable treat for the tastebuds
I must have driven past this place at least 500 times before today. Intrigued by the name, and slightly wary – in an unadventurous way – of foreign food about which I knew nothing, I decided to satisfy my curiosity.
It must have been close to 2pm when we got there, however the sign on the door said 12pm-12am and a board with the day’s three-course lunchtime special for a fiver was still out, so in we went. It’s a small place: there is al fresco seating for about 20 and inside (blissfully air-conditioned to a cool but comfortable temperature) for about 30. All tables had ashtrays so the section for non-smokers not wanting to be bothered by smoke was clearly outside. Anxious to see the “garden”, I asked the waiter to show it to me. We walked out the front door (through which we had just come) and stepped three paces to the right. The waiter gestured in a sweeping movement (similarly to a host displaying prizes on a game show) and showed me a small patch of ground covered in white gravel.
We were not good customers, taking an excessive amount of time to choose what to order, torn between sampling the “traditional Yugoslavian” dishes or just going for the steak we really felt like. The waiter – despite being dressed casually – was extraordinarily helpful and patient: this level of attentiveness and assistance I have rarely seen in Cyprus. He recommended several items and in the end, we opted for a compromise: traditional homemade vegetable soup, and Ajvar (traditional Serbian mixture of grilled peeled vegetables) for starters, and one mixed grill of Yugoslavian specialities and one steak for main. Luckily we didn’t want dessert, as there were none. Pity.
Once settled, we ordered a bottle of Slovenian wine (£10) from a selection of about six from the region – a lovely Merlot, though there was a healthy array of Cypriot wines from which to choose as well, all priced very reasonably between about £7-£9.
The waiter returned to say that there were no steaks at all, which I found a little odd, but opted for the Chicken Kiev instead, which was actually for 2, but the waiter arranged for it (and the price) to be halved.
Upon reflection, the starters took a little while to arrive but when they did, we were quite surprised: the vegetable dish we had expected to be vegetables laid out was indeed a paste-type salsa very similar to a chunky pasta sauce but much more addictive; and the soup was almost a meal! Chock full of chunky vegetables, as well as I assume barley and other “fillers”, it was tasty and hugely filling. For £2.50 it’s an absolute bargain, as it also comes with a fresh roll (or two if you wish).
The mains arrived very soon after, nicely presented, with good portion-size. Thick-cut chips were crunchy (very important), and the Chicken Kiev was crisp, tender and noticeably used a much better quality ham than I have seen in the past, which really made a difference to the overall taste. The mixed grill looked appealing. Among its treasures were the highly-recommended Cevapcici: a Yugoslavian finger kebab – named because it’s shaped like a finger, which was delicious; Raznjici (Yugo pork kebab), which was very tender; Pileca Dzigerica (chicken livers rolled in bacon); as well as chicken fillet, sausage and Yugoslavian meatballs. It was – without overstatement – a treat for the taste buds.
Stuffed to the brim, we couldn’t manage tea or coffee, but knocked off the rest of the wine as the afternoon passed us by.
Only the toilets damaged our impression slightly as they are combined mens/womens. However, the bill came, and together with a tip, the whole lot totalled £30, which we felt to be very good value.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALITY Yugoslavian cuisine
WHERE Olympion 25, Limassol
CONTACT 25 351653
PRICE £30 for two including wine
BOOKING Not necessary
