With the entire city of Limassol being severely restricted by the November lockdown measures, a proper outing for to a bar or restaurant was not possible this week. It’s been a struggle for those around the island to keep going with curfews and shutdowns in place; those that have managed to survive deserve a medal of valour.
So, I decided to opt for a take-out from Salut Bar & Grill on Saripolou Street. Though the full menu and the delivery menu are not identical, the latter contains a great deal of variety.
Salut is one of the most versatile places in the area, at least for my money. With its three distinct areas (outdoor tables at the front, indoor bar area, partially covered garden at the back), variation in music depending on the day, and wide-ranging menu, it does a lot of things quite well. The recent addition of Popaston, a coffee, tea and dessert specialty place under its umbrella only adds to its competencies. Note, however, the Popaston items must be ordered separately if you’re ordering from home.
My take-out order included their regular beef burger with the addition of cheese at an extra cost. The burger comes with a portion of freshly cut and fried fries and a hand-cut salad. At €7.20 before the addition of any extra toppings, this is one of the most value-for-money meals you can get delivered to your home. The burger is thick and made of homemade mince, closer to the Meditteranean version of a patty than the thin, all-beef American style burger you’d find at a Five Guys or Shake Shack. Cheese comes at an extra 50 cents and there’s no reason for you to forego that option unless you’re lactose intolerant.
The other item on our order was their Shish Taouk, a Lebanese-style marinated chicken kebab, of which you get three skewers. It comes with some Lebanese pita and tabouleh. The chicken is excellently cooked but be warned that this is a dish best eaten the moment it arrives as both the lemon wedge included as well as the tabouleh don’t like sitting in heat and moisture for prolonged periods of time.
Note that Salut has both an affinity and a knack for either full-blown Lebanese items or slight Lebanese twists to other recipes. In this spirit, I would recommend their Halloumi cheese-stuffed Borak for starters. Their falafel and aubergines over fried Lebanese bread are also excellent hors d’oeuvres.
Beyond the food, I miss the general feeling of the place, the outside high tables adjoining the establishments on either side of the restaurant. You remember that being part of a large crowd can be fun and communal. Yes, the noise can be a little too much on a busy night. Yes, you will feel surrounded by what seems like an army of young people scouring the crowd for familiar faces and people to catch up with. But if there’s one thing lockdown has ensured is that distance does breed fondness.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALTY Lebanese and Middle Eastern food
WHERE Saripolou 71-73, Limassol
WHEN 10am to 1am in normal circumstances, 12-9pm delivery hours
HOW MUCH €7-11 for a main dish, €4-6 for a starter
CONTACT 97 692091, 25 871614
