By Alexander McCowan
Does the return to Nicosia of one of our most successful caterers herald an early recovery from the crisis? Maybe it does. Those old enough to remember the glory days of Makarios Avenue and the society that centered around Le Café will recall with affection maestro Sean O’Neill. This was an era when Starbucks, Costa’s, and various Beaneries were embryos; it was Le Café where one flouted and flaunted.
The restaurant that Mr. O’Neill now oversees is located further along Makarios, closer to Debenhams and is situated on two floors. The ground floor is open from the pavement and the tables and chairs close around the bar; the décor and furniture is futuristic but comfortable. We elected to dine upstairs which gave marginal relief from the traffic noise, but being a Wednesday was not too disturbing. The staff were extremely friendly and active.
Our waitress, Avgi, settled us down with a pair of ouzos and let us peruse the menu. The starters are described as ‘Small Plates’ and range from Garlic Bread to Courgette Tempura. I selected a dish of Crispy Calamari in sweet chili sauce and the companion chose the Beetroot Carpaccio with goat’s cheese; both proved to be first-rate: the hot cheese on the bed of cooked beetroot made an unusual but excellent combination.
Avgi proved to be a knowledgeable guide to the unfamiliar group of Greek wines that dominated the list; a Kir-Yianni dry white seemed the best choice from a very reasonably priced wine menu. The main courses were limited, offering only two chicken, two pork, a salmon and a prawn dish. The restaurant offers burgers and salads and four platters such as ‘Big Meat’ consisting of chicken wings, mini-burgers, sausages, medalions of pork, fries, onions and dips, followed by Veggie, Mezze and Italian platters. A specialty of the establishment is the children’s menu containing such delights as homemade pizzas, burgers, kebabs, egg and chips, none costing more than €6.
Madam the companion was attracted to ‘Superfood Salad’, who wouldn’t be? This consists of a healthy gathering of quinoa, spinach, chickpeas, grated carrots, seeds, beetroot and pomegranate, halloumi in tempura and king prawns covered in an orange and balsamic dressing. Having eaten far too much chicken lately I am drawn to the pork dishes: a chop or ‘fillets al funghi’; it was the creamy sauce and the option of wild rice or mashed potatoes with the loin that did it for me.
The salad proves all it claimed to be; fresh, zesty, nourishing and plentiful. However, the fillet had me regretting the chop. I had been expecting medalions covered in rich sauce on beds of mushrooms and courgettes and the like, possibly an aubergine or two, and they were all there; the rice was perfect, the funghi and fellows first-rate but the fillet had been flattened, and not to my taste.
To the sweets: quite naturally strawberries feature a lot in the menu at this time but I chose a chocolate éclair that was excellent; the companion was less than joyful over her strawberry cheesecake, too American she said; and she didn’t mean New York cheesecake. All in, a pleasant night.
These are very early days for Mr. O’Neill and his team, and with his expertise and management skills I am sure everything will be hunkydory in less time than it takes to peel a grape.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALTY Bistro dishes
WHERE 48 Makarios Avenue, Nicosia
CONTACT 22 664848
PRICE Mid-range
