Stroumpi Tavern
Great food, reasonable prices
One couple who deserve a medal for their efforts to up the quality of food on offer in the Paphos area are Steve and Claire Ward, a British couple who, having moved here with a young family, decided to earn their livelihood by opening a restaurant in the rather sleepy village of Stroumpi.
They are now working hard at making a living, bringing to this culinary starved area a jolly good menu of decent, honest and exceedingly well cooked food. Getting to their place is easy – you turn left just before the square.
Don’t be put off by the restaurant’s uninspired image, just go in, sit down and allow yourself to be reminded of the old adage ‘never to judge a book by its cover, nor a restaurant by its tablecloths’.
All beef used in the restaurant originates from Butcher Boy, a master butcher local to Paphos whose professional appreciation of a good fillet and tasty rib eye, makes for a guaranteed quality product.
Here at the Stroumpi Tavern the cow is certainly king with servings of Sirlion (£6.50), T Bone (£7.95), Rib Eye (£8.50) all served to perfection by chef Steve.
The starters we decided to bypass altogether, preferring to roar into the meat fest and with a couple of devotees of rib eye and fine fillet in our company they were deeply happy from the minute they ordered and they voted the steaks among the best they had tasted in a long time.
The haddock and chips also went down well, as did the steak and mushroom pie although make sure you ask for the gravy on the side or else you get a totally mugged soggy pie. Steve also plated up a small mezze of some of his specials including a rather delicious chicken with balsamic; a good, balanced sweet chili chicken plus the less spicy Stroumpi chicken. Everything that came out from the kitchen reflected Steve’s art of balance when it comes to seasoning, coupled with a meticulous mentality towards hygiene, methodology, quality and his need for customers to be genuinely satisfied. This is why this little place – about 50 covers – is now en route to becoming one of the most popular places to come to either from Paphos or Polis.
The selection of homemade puddings sealed the recommendation to return to Stroumpi as few can knock up such great bread-and-butter pudding as Steve, ably backed up by Claire’s ginger sponge and creamy rice puddings.
Many may be blissfully unaware of the current ‘roast’ wars that erupt every Sunday in expat land, with nearly every establishment plying ‘Ye Olde English’ inclusive Sunday roast beef and Yorkshire pudding number. Many are pretty ghastly pretenders to the title but, word has it Steve and Claire are well on the way to being hailed as unofficial winners in the battle of the Yorkshires.
Don’t expect flowers, fancy cutlery, murals, quality linen or chic crockery, just great food and reasonable prices.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALITY Steaks
WHERE Stroumpi Tavern, Gregori Afxentiou Street, Kato Stroumpi, Paphos
CONTACT 26 633231
PRICE £6-10 per head
