By Sarah Coyne
It is that time of year again when the tourist numbers start to decrease and we local residents venture back to the harbour area in Paphos. Availability of parking spaces and tables at restaurants suddenly makes it an option and for a couple of hours it is nice to feel that one is ‘on holiday’ as we mingle with the autumnal tourists. Walking along the sea front we happened on a restaurant called Grill Garage positioned among the many eating places.
Originally opened eight years ago, the restaurant is run by the charming mother and son duo of Georgia Binos and Jesse Van Rijn. Georgia’s parents were both originally from Cyprus and she returned to the island from South Africa bringing with her a South African influence on the food, and a family history in restaurants. She grew up with a love of cooking and people. Her main objective when she came to Cyprus “was to get into the market of a foreign country by offering something which was really different as a restaurant”.
This she has done at Grill Garage by offering a variety of grilled meats and dishes. The restaurant itself has a feeling of an American diner with the decor showing menus on the walls and a brightly coloured interior. There are tables inside and out. Outside they are arranged around a fountain, making the most of the view of the sea. Grill Garage is best known for the sharing platters of grilled meats which can be combined with prawns to offer a classic surf and turf. The South African effect can be seen in one of their most popular starters, the Boerewors Sausage. Another favourite starter is the fried chicken livers, which are served with onions.
On the night we dined there, the restaurant was full and we could see that by far the most popular main course dish was the sharing platter of surf and turf. So we decided to follow suit. The platter arrived with a very generous kilo of spare ribs smothered in Georgia’s special BBQ sauce (a secret family recipe) placed on a pile of freshly cooked French fries, four king prawns, chicken wings and a bowl of side salad. Napkins and finger bowls at the ready, we dived in.
My partner headed straight for the ribs and he was soon covered in delicious sauce. They were succulent and smoky, having come straight off the BBQ, and for once, had a good amount of meat on them. I headed for the prawns which were very tasty. The French fries were plentiful and hot and the salad made a good counterpoint to all the meat on offer.
All main courses are served with complimentary pitta bread and tzatziki. The meat eater at the table declared he was in food heaven! Our friend who joined us for the evening is a vegetarian and she was delighted with her dish of grilled vegetables. Vegetarians are actually well catered for in among this meat fest as there are many dishes on the menu.
All desserts are homemade and I was amazed when my partner, having demolished the best part of a kilo of ribs, found room for more. He selected the sticky toffee pudding which came with copious amounts of ice cream and toffee sauce which he quickly polished off. The Grill Garage offers a large menu and even the fussiest eater would find it hard not to find something they enjoyed. As the tourist numbers dwindle over the winter months it is worth remembering this area of Kato Paphos with its extensive selection of restaurants from all over the world.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALTY Grills
WHERE Grill Garage, Poseidonos Avenue (opposite Pizza Hut), Kato Paphos
PRICES mains from €9.90
WHEN 7 days a week from 11am to 11pm
CONTACT 26 960179
