The lights at the Laterna Restaurant are still shining despite the fact that owner Christos Mavromatis plies his trade in what can now be described as a culinary desert. The days when Bar Street in down town Paphos was a thriving, bustling thoroughfare have gone, replaced by shabby frontages populated by the occasional tourist in search of fun among the detritus of closed eateries and lonely pubs. It’s a wonder then that Christos still manages to keep going, more importantly he maintains the same high standard of food.
Christos is a long term resident having been on the same spot for 21 years and the manner in which he runs his establishment should be used as a teaching module for wannabe taverna owners.
There’s many reasons to be cheerful: from the minute you walk into Laterna Christos is always there to greet you, it’s a welcoming atmosphere and with tables outside one can always view the odd passing tourist on the hunt for a Taste of Cyprus. All those passing by would be advised to stop, come in and try the mezze, good, wholesome food distinguished by the quality of ingredients, clear flavours, and more often than not superior cooking. Here they boast not only a range of organically sourced potatoes and vegetables, but also good quality meat, chicken, along with the usual dips, warm bread, halloumi, lounza and village salad, not forgetting truly excellent chips.
The type of people who should stay away from Laterna are those Brits who seem to always feel the need to judge a mezze by counting the number of dishes and then equating that to ‘value for money’. Christos couldn’t tell you the exact number of dishes he serves on the seven evenings a week he is open, that’s just not his bag, but he will always serve up more than sufficient quantities, always in season so sometimes you will have wild asparagus, fresh cherry tomatoes drizzled with oregano and home made olive oil, other times when the weather gets cooler he displays the finely tuned art of baking potatoes on the open wood fire.
The cost of a mezze is €15 per person but the key here has to be the consistency; Christos hasn’t changed his basic menu since the day he opened, and loyal foreign customers return year after year knowing they can rely on relishing a well loved and hearty mezze. Maria, who has worked for Christos for over 10 years, can also always be relied upon to come up with a dish to suit the needs of those with special dietary needs.
She personally delivers all dishes to your table so be warned, when it comes time to clear away she will return to ensure her food has indeed hit the mark, if all plates have been cleared then she is a genuinely happy lady, if not, then you are proffered a plastic box so you can take the odd remaining sliver home with you. So why do I rate this place? Simply because it’s doing something that seems simple, but in essence isn’t, it’s a non stuffy place that encourages laughter, families, locals and tourists and has an owner who can spin tales, discuss football, will tell you the best places to swim and generally act in the old fashioned way; he is a tavern owner who genuinely loves his job, relishes meeting different people and contributes to the now somewhat faded reputation of honest folk who promote Cyprus in the very best way, sharing food, good local wine, and a lovely atmosphere.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALITY Mezze
WHERE Ayiou Antoniou & Apollonos Street, Kato Paphos
CONTACT 26 932393 or 99 647483
PRICE mezze €15
WHEN Open seven nights a week from 5pm till midnight
