In my opinion the most attractive part of the old walled city is the area around the eastern section embracing Chrysalionotissa and Ayios Kassianos, and while there were a few evening opening traditional tavernas adjoining the park, when it came to lunchtime eating, and you were not a vegetarian, where could you go? A few weeks ago the answer was somewhere else, but not anymore. Behold the Caraffa Bastione.
The restaurant is set in the walls next to Famagusta Gate and you can opt to dine inside or sit under the mulberry trees outside. The premises are screened from the passing traffic and curious eyes.
We arrived on a Tuesday lunchtime and after being advised by Edward the manager that the premises were about to decked with holly, elected to sit in the courtyard. The tables are well spaced and solid, no plastic in sight. The establishment has been open for a couple of months and has the air of the newly born, even though it operated under a different guise for years. Maya, our waitress, delivers the menu and a bottle of unrequested water, but no matter. The menu looks interesting, in fact more than interesting as it only contains 12 items: six starters and six main dishes, without a hint of fusion. This is the type of menu that indicates the management knows its business. Who wants to plough through a lunch card containing over 30 offers when you only have an hour, and what chance the dishes will be freshly prepared?
The starters err on the healthy side with lots of seasonal salad leaves, seeds, nuts, herbs, beets, beans, cheeses – goat’s and otherwise – one dish even offers pear chutney. As this is a luncheon venture, we decide to share a starter and then sort out the main dishes. We select the warm Cannellini bean salad with fresh herbed shrimp and oil and lemon dressing to start, with grilled pork shoulder chops and chicken fillet on a bed of mash potatoes to follow.
When dining midday one has to be a little careful where the fluid intake is concerned but the most abstemious palate will be tempted by Bastione’s wine menu – it is the most comprehensive I have encountered outside of the ‘five stars’; the top end will make your wallet weep. Fortunately wine can be purchased by the glass and the companion settled for the Penfold’s Retreat to accompany the first course, which was excellent: the salad, beans, herbs, prawns and dressing more than enough for two.
The management is constantly visiting the table to ensure we are not disturbed by the decorators; we are not. The main courses match the first for quality. The companion’s chicken is served on a bed of mashed oven-baked potatoes and drizzled with oil, lemon, and dressed with thyme, the result is perfect. My choice of the pork shoulder fillets was inspired; it arrived with half a dozen roasted new potatoes dressed with oregano and a creamy pepper feta sauce. Without doubt the best lunch on offer in Nicosia. Bravo.
The restaurant opens every day from 10am until late, seats about 100 inside and out and the dinner menu is another triumph of minimalism – I particularly liked the look of the braised neck of pork with chestnut and potato puree and don’t miss out on the sweets: we had the puff pastry with caramelised quince – outstanding.
This establishment will draw the business diner and the Wabenzi out of the centre of town, where they will be able enjoy first-class cuisine in very relaxed surroundings at a price that won’t require a mortgage.
On leaving I discovered that Bastione is owned by the proprietors of Maison du Vin, no wonder there are three Premier Cru Classe on the wine list.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALTY International
WHERE 6 Athenas Avenue, Nicosia
CONTACT 22 730025
PRICE Reasonable
