The summer has finally arrived and once the heat sets in, dining choices seem to become a more tedious process than what they were before. You find yourself wondering, ‘Do I want to take the risk to eat outside?’ because, let’s face it, the weather demands it, and end up getting assailed by the sometimes intolerable heat and humidity? ‘Or do I limit myself to the confines of a restaurant and not take full advantage of the summer before it’s winter all again and I’ll have to eat inside?’ Thankfully, Artima Bistro offers the solution to your summer demands.
Located within the heart of Old Limassol, it belongs to the Carob Mill family. The Carob Mill caters to all tastes, and the elegant Artima Bistro sits comfortably at the fine dining end of the spectrum. It offers the choice of eating outside, right next to the Medieval Castle, or within their charming premises.
Artima is pretty straightforward. It provides a supreme dining experience that is unmatched in the area. Amid all the cafés, Artima offers something that breaks the convention. The restaurant itself is a traditional Cypriot building yet the inside offers a delightful contrast.
Artima’s menu is based on Italian and Mediterranean cuisine and it offers a lot of exciting food choices. Artima does a lot of things well, and it has one of the most creative fish menus you can find in Cyprus. As a starter you could have the Calamari with Pesto, which is a deep fried calamari with pesto sauce, or the Fish Carpaccio, which contains thin slices of salmon and swordfish, served with rocket, capers, parsley, marinated in olive oil and lemon. These just by themselves look delightful, let alone as starters.
Artima’s most impressive salad choice – in the fish department – is the Lobster Salad. This is a half lobster on a tower of green garden salad with prawns flavoured with champagne vinaigrette sauce. However, some of their most impressive fish dishes lie within the pasta section. You have the choice between the Astakomakaronada, where you can enjoy tagliatelle pasta with lobster, garlic and tomato sauce, prawns and broccoli in lobster shell sauce and the Ink Risotto with Seafood, which has risotto and a combination of crab meat, calamari, mussels, oysters, prawns and cuttle fish ink. The astakomakaronada is a must. The lobster, garlic and tomato sauce along with the prawns and broccoli complement each other and the pasta perfectly. If you are keen for a new pasta experience the astakomakaronada should be your first choice.
However, the restaurant’s talents are not limited to the fish choices. There is a wide variety of sushi and sashimi, especially the Philadelphia Rollos, salmon sushi and philadelphia cream cheese. Intriguing. Fearing the worst, I was pleasantly surprised to find the rollos offered an ideal break from traditional sushi recipes. The salmon and the philadelphia cheese taste amazing together and are ideal during the hot summer.
If this still does not tickle your taste buds you also have a variety of meat and poultry. If you would like to bypass all the fish for the night and head straight to the meat your best choice is the Fillet of Beef Foie Gras, a succulent beef fillet on a bed of wild mushrooms, garnished with foie gras and wild cherries. In Cyprus I always find myself apprehensive when ordering beef from restaurants that aren’t steak houses. I took the risk here though with the Fillet and I was right. The beef was cooked evenly and catered to my preferences, not the chef’s. The mushrooms combined with the foie grass sauce really helped to bring out the taste of the beef.
To top off your meal, Artima offers a wide variety of international and local wines, that will accompany any meal choice and your surroundings perfectly and a range of tempting desserts, most notably the Panacotta and Anari Bavaroise, which both tasted amazing.
All in all, Artima has an ideal location and incredible surroundings and a delightful array of dinning choices. Even though it might not be your cheapest dining option, it is worth every penny.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALITY Mediterranean
WHERE Lanitis Carob Mill Complex, Vasilissis Street, Limassol
CONTACT 25 820466
PRICE Approximately €35-50 per person
