Max Williams
Great for a roasting this winter
It’s not some kind of food snobbery, honestly, but I resolved to never again venture into one of those blackboard touting eateries plying their dubious culinary trade along Paphos’ tourist strip.
That said, at the request of one of our readers who eulogised about the place, I stole myself to try out the recommended Sunday lunch served at Max Williams.
Although this establishment caters to the fuelling (rather than fine dining) needs of tourists, it stands apart from others of its ilk as the owner has her heart, and the customers’ welfare, in the right place.
Laura Goodband stands for no nonsense in her kitchen and now has a clientele stoutly supportive of her good value and exceedingly safe Sunday lunches.
The problem many of these tourist restaurants suffer from is ever escalating rents, which is the high price they pay for being positioned right on the front, which also leads to them being open all hours and serving all meals.
That’s why a small taverna set on family land way up in the hills can easily offer a lunch at least two to three pounds cheaper than those plying their trade on the tourist strips. So, £5.95 for a Sunday lunch main course is just about right. For that you can select from roast lamb, pork, beef or chicken, all of which come with piping hot roast potatoes, decent mashed potatoes (just in case you need an extra carb hit), cabbage spotted with fresh black peppercorns, carrots and peas.
If you order the roast beef, as we did, out comes a waitress carrying aloft a Yorkshire pudding the size of Mount Olympus. This truly humungous thing of beauty when liberally doused in rich gravy turns into a mini meal in itself. If you manage to finish the generous slices of meat and all the trimmings you may well feel as if you have indeed climbed every mountain. For those who clear their plates, then look longingly at the pudding menu there’s a selection of comforting food to round off the meal: home-made bakewell tart with custard, apple crumble and a chocolate gooey confection.
Of course, traditional roasts are not the only choices available on a Sunday, there’s a full menu offering good stuff that is genuinely made every day.
We also tried the chicken wings, which were plump and juicy although the accompanying sauce was a bit overpowering. The home-made pate with cranberries was fine if a little too fine for my liking but that’s because I relish a more robust garlic sodden number. Snacks to Full Monty lunches are also on the menu as is a nice little nugget of tastiness buried away under a good layer of flaky pastry in the form of baked steak and Guinness pie. This gem alone is well worth the visit to Max Williams and, if you can also wangle a wall size serving of Yorkshire to accompany the pie, then afterwards you won’t need to eat for a fortnight.
Lorna herself doesn’t eat meat so vegetarians have the added bonus of a menu created by someone who appreciates the infinite variety of dishes available.
VITAL STATISTICS
Speciality Roast lunch served both on Thursdays and on Sundays
Where Tombs of the Kings Road (opposite Tea for Two)
Contact 26 221314
Price £5. 95 and upwards
