January, and it’s an echoing tundra of culinary despair, time most favourite, family-run eateries close up shop, either to refurbish or quietly hibernate until spring. So, the question is where in Paphos can you go to enjoy a simple lunch or supper, a place that isn’t too fancy so one can wear an old jumper and jeans and still feel at ease in the surroundings, importantly, a place where the price of the food directly equates to the serving on the plate? This month’s eatery has been known to locals for many years and the Cypriot chap who first introduced me to it actually asked me not to write a review extolling its virtues – he was afraid the resultant influx of diners would ruin the ambience of the place, meaning he would have to seek out another as yet ‘unknown’ watering hole.
I just muttered something about it being a great shame other folk couldn’t also share the enjoyment from savouring the very best sheftalia and fried calamari in town, and left it at that, but, after reading this he may well be mightily hacked off. I feel the owners of this lovely little place, especially during these harsh economic times, deserve to increase their turnover and so I heartily and enthusiastically recommend you all to toddle down to the Minas Taverna.
There are several reasons to be grateful this little place still exists, first has to be the critical role the parents play. Father is in his sixties, Mum is a sprightly mid-seventy year old and both go out in their traditional fishing boat at night to lay their nets, returning with their catch in the early morning so diners can then enjoy what has to be the freshest fish in town. Meanwhile, back at the eatery their son and his wife are getting on with making a stack of fresh, plump and delicious tasting sheftalia. These are then cooked over the coals to order and by 1pm there is a veritable stream of men and women rushing home with their lunch of sheftalia and salad wrapped in pitta bread, and at €5 for each generously filled pitta, that’s superb value for money.
Come evening, fish is on the menu depending on weather conditions and what has been captured the previous night in the nets but I would heartily recommend calamari and chips with salad or those tiny, sweet, red mullet style fish called barbounia. There’s also kebabs and chicken, and good chips to accompany. To go with it there’s some decent local wines, which mercifully remain relatively untouched by the usual horrendous mark-up in price.
The frontage of the tavern belies a Tardis-type area at the rear which in winter acts as a warm cosy dining room. Come summer, the narrow alleyway next door doubles as an outdoor dining area, where you will sit in the company of hungry police and firemen, and also a few of those leather-skinned, gnarled-handed fishermen, all of whom can be heard extolling the virtues of eating good grilled fish.
It’s a place that both surprises and delights in equal measure and for two pensioners so in love with the sea that they set sail on a nightly basis to fill our plates with their catch, I believe it’s only right and proper that we heartily support them and also get to enjoy their hard earned harvest.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALITY Traditional grilled food
WHERE 1 Paphias Aphrodite Street, Paphos
CONTACT 26 953149
PRICE €5-15
