Nice and comfortable
Vettriano’s Restaurant
Jack Vettriano is Britain’s most popular artist, outselling Dali, Monet and Van Gogh. Scottish-born Vettriano’s images of beaches, butlers and lovers have come to adorn everything from posters and cards to mugs and umbrellas. The 52-year-old self-taught artist has sold more than three million poster reproductions around the world and earns an estimated £500,000 a year from royalties. Private collectors include Hollywood star Jack Nicholson. Sir Terence Conran commissioned Vettriano to paint a series of oils which now hang in his Bluebird restaurant complex in London.
Vettriano’s Restaurant in Larnaca has embraced the painter’s work, both by being named after him and by displaying his paintings. It was late Sunday afternoon and we approached the smart looking restaurant with hungry tummies, hoping it would be open. There were some diners already there and as we walked in we liked what we saw. Tables were smartly laid with white tablecloths, overlaid with pink ones, and pert napkins stood neatly beside gleaming crockery, glasses and cutlery. The pale peachy-pink and white tones of the room echoed a traditional yet classical feel, with much attention to detail. The prints of Vettriano’s art were clearly the inspiration for the prudent, mainstream, yet elegant decor. We sat in the no-smoking area on tall, sleek, leather chairs. An impeccable waitress, both in her tidy appearance and her manner throughout our visit, brought us our leather menus and took our order for drinks.
The menu was interesting, with the safe choices of home-made moussaka, stifado and kebabs on offer in addition to Italian-influenced selections of pasta, meat and other more internationally-inspired dishes. Prices seemed reasonable. The Sea Bass Fillet with Black Bean Sauce (€15) was my choice, with my partner going for the Beef Stifado (€8.45). We decided to have starters of Garlic Mushrooms with a Cream Sauce (€5) and Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls (€4.25).
Our drinks came quickly and the waitress, fully knowledgeable in the rules of restaurant etiquette, poured the still and sparkling water for us. I sipped a freshly squeezed orange juice, which was sweet, delicious and slightly zesty as our starters arrived on huge plates. My garlic mushrooms swam in a generous helping of white sauce next to a colourful salad garnish. The taste was good. As I tucked in I discovered a small piece of toasted bread was hiding underneath. My dining partner used his fingers to eat and enjoy his spring rolls.
My sea bass fillet presently arrived, with the chips I had ordered to go with it, looking like the real-home-made deal. They were crispy, crunchy and tasty with enough soft bits to keep me happy. My first nibble at the fish fillet was disappointing, not due to the taste, but because it had a bone in it. I hoped the next bite would be bone-free. I am a lazy fish eater. When ordering a fillet of fish I assume there will be no bones, and accept there may be one or two at most. But every mouthful of my sea bass had a bone in it and I ended up picking it to bits and trying to decipher bones from within the tasty sauce. It was a shame. My partner’s stifado with rice and vegetables was fat-free and appetising. I could see he was enjoying it and he finished it in no time, eventually telling me how good it was.
We ended our late luncheon by ordering a Pancake with Ice Cream and Strawberries (€3.95) and a home-made Cream Caramel (€3) with a Filter Coffee (€3.85). The vanilla ice cream was sorbet-like and heavenly and the strawberries turned out to be pureed though flavourful.
We decided we would be back to try out some of the other entrees on the wide-ranging menu, enjoy the great service, peruse the art on the walls, and dine in the relaxing environment.
Vettriano’s Restaurant can be summarised succinctly with the same comment Simon Matthews, chief executive of easyart.com makes regarding Jack Vettriano’s best-selling art: “…….isn’t cutting- edge, it’s nice and comfortable and slightly saucy, a reminder of times gone by and just what the English like.”
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALITY International cuisine
WHERE Dhekelia Road, Larnaca, almost opposite Palm Beach Hotel
CONTACT: 24 647880
PRICE 3-course meal from €50
