There’s no misnamed international cuisine at Palia Poli Greek meze house, just excellent traditional food
Jill Campbell Mackay.
Hallelujah! At last I’ve uncovered the ‘almost’ perfect family-run meze house.
Palia Poli is a place where cooking isn’t just a matter of ramming chunks of meat on a grill, or popping pasticcio under the grill so the top half is cremated and the nether regions remain icy cold. Neither, is it a venue designed for tourists, so there are no micro-waved chips nor any smidgen of ‘International Cuisine.’ Paphos restaurants normally produce IC that is about as international as a tinkling bell-laden Morris dancer
Palia Poli to sticks to what they know best and that is Greek food, more specifically Cretan/Greek cuisine and it’s all very good.
The venue is one of those traditional style houses in the old part of town, over-flowing with character which, for once, makes you feel as if you are eating in an atmosphere complimentary to the cuisine. There’s no ghastly ‘tiddly pom musak’ or TV to distract your attention, and the staff are all incredibly pleasant and helpful. Key to the success of this little gem of a place is the owner. He is also the chef, which ensures a complete customer care package is in operation from the minute you arrive.
As for the food, well, the salad is probably the best I have tasted, and that’s because Chef Nicos has flair and good taste buds. I also liked the piping hot, homemade olive bread, the great fat herbed chips, the well-marinated succulent kebabs and lovely tomato patties.
Try the yellow puree, a speciality of Santorini, or garlic cheese as a starter. The main courses offer a veritable feast of flavours from the tasty chick pea fritters to prawns with fetta, from mussels saginaki to veal burgers and grilled chicken. There is always a surprise homemade dish of the day.
Prices are very reasonable, but not if you are a Brit who is always prone to justifying the quality of one’s meal by volume, or the size of the wholesale price of raw ingredients. So please, don’t complain that the house meze doesn’t serve up 237 different dishes for £4.50 like your local taverna. Here, you get considerably less, but what you do receive is quality fresh ingredients cooked by a chef who knows how to tickle the sometimes addled taste buds of diners used to volume over substance and bargain basement food over value for money and quality cooking.
The other big plus is the wine served comes from one of my favourite wineries Tassangarides, based in the village of Lemona and the Cabernet Sauvignon is the perfect accompanying beverage for this parade of positive, honest, tasty fare.
I did say right at the beginning, this was an ‘almost’ perfect place, the only teeny drawback is the fact that as this is a listed building, restrictions on interior d?cor have held back an all-out revamp to transform it into a trendy eatery. Thank God for that I say, but, because of this, the lighting is a bit spooky. I recommend you bring along at least three tea lights to add that essential touch of clarity to the meal. I’m quite serious, and they wouldn’t mind in the slightest.
They may well have now gone down the candle route by the time you go to dine, especially after the second time I ate there. I had brought along a four-stand candelabra, and their reaction? Hoots of laughter.
Palia Poli is not easy to find, but if you pass the main police station on the left then take the next right, you will then pass the town hall on your left. Go to the end of the road where there’s a small roundabout with a fountain, and just ahead you will see the old wrought iron door of the restaurant.
Speciality: Good Greek meze dishes
Where: 4 25th March Street, Pano Paphos (old town area)
Contact: 26 937007
Price: £10-12 per head
