Restaurant review: Aperitivo jetset, Nicosia

 

Have you noticed how the Nicosia glitterati flit like moths from one newly opened moth-trap to the next; a few months here and there, and then they fly on. These establishments are distinguished by being centrally located, noisy, bright and shiny, an indication that the modern caterer has not neglected his entomology.

Unable to get into the latest of these, I settled for a little more up-market venue, where one would not encounter the ‘what else did daddy buy you for Christmas’ crowd, but that exclusive brand of diners: the Be-eMzi; these are slightly different from their African equivalent, the Wa-Benzi, that coterie of crooked politicians and lawyers, because they drive better cars.

The restaurant is situated at the beginning of Kennedy Avenue, but you have to enter from the back, and therefore cannot be observed by the passing masses, which is a good thing, because they might be slightly disturbed by the sight of the professional classes at play.

On entering, one passes through the commodious car-park where the vehicles of the diners are on display; there are so many Beamers, one might think it belonged to the Church, but these are not your mangy 3 and 5 series, it is solid 7s and Xs interlaced with a few Porches. But once inside, there is an absence of formal dress, every man has dressed down, it is all torn jeans, casual jackets and gelled hair; the women, however, are sparkling. The average age is probably 35, but there isn’t a grey hair in sight, apart from mine. The place is throbbing to techno-trash music, large screens reflect the best of the ‘cat-walk’ and Euro football; a huge bar dominates the room and the diners are spread around it. I have never seen so many unaccompanied women in one place outside of a convent and they all are intent on enjoying themselves.

My companion and I have never been in a place like this before, but apart from the difficulty in communicating, we are most impressed. The tables are neatly spread and the staff, young, attractive and highly attentive. Drinks secured, we check the menu and notice that the surrounding tables are packed with groups sharing from large dishes. The first section of the menu is headed Share and Enjoy, this consists of nine different platters offering cold cuts, seafood, steak, cheeses, nachos, smoked meats and a number of others. This is followed by salads and sandwiches, with a pasta section, seafood and grills. Every dish that passes seems more attractive than the last, so choice is difficult.

We settle on a seafood platter and a Nicoise salad; we had contemplated the steamed mussels as well, but on observing the size of the dishes, declined. Our platter contained marinated fresh tuna, sautéed scallops, shelled king prawns, a ginger sauce-bowl, roasted tomatoes dressed with pesto, and surrounded by twirls of smoked salmon on freshly baked mini-slices of bread. The salad was overwhelming: a great bowl of mixed lettuce, rocket, green beans, tiny boiled potatoes, quails eggs and seared tuna pieces. The waiter supplied plates, cruet, a basket of small rolls and a pot of spreadable butter, something not commonly encountered. The chef of this joint really knows his business: the food is superb.

The wine list is an eclectic choice from the main continental wineries and not outrageously priced. For the non-alcoholics they offer a wide range of juices and fresh leaf teas. The menu doesn’t mention sweets, but I’m sure there are some, however, it would take an heroic stomach to cope with one, because the platters are enormous.

This proved to be one of the cheapest and most entertaining evenings we have spent in a restaurant in Nicosia; the people watching was certainly more fun than the football.

This place offers so much value for your money, particularly if you want to see how the professional classes behave after dark. The place is open from 9am until 2am and there are approximately 150 covers, but you must book to secure a table; we left at 10:30pm and it was packed.

The manager informed me that they are changing the menu next week, so we might have to go again. Ho-Ho.

 

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY Platters and grills

WHERE 1 Kennedy Avenue, car park at rear

CONTACT 357 22 100 990

PRICE very reasonable, platters from €12