Authentic Cyprus food?
Take a trip up the mountains for local cuisine in a stunning setting
IN this week’s review I play the part of an ignorant tourist. Not one of those organised types who come laden with guidebooks and Rough Guides, but a frost-bitten wretch fleeing cold Nordic climes. I’ve bought a Cyprus holiday at the last minute, and I’m now looking for a place to eat. I’m no philistine: I don’t want McDonald’s, I want to try something local – but I’m faced with tavernas as far as the eye can see, all of them (allegedly) serving ‘traditional’ Cyprus food. Where do I go?
Enter the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, in conjunction with ‘Eurotoques’ which is presumably some EU body in charge of food (nice work if you can get it). The ‘Vakhis’ scheme, launched last year, hands out certificates of authenticity, though only nine restaurants in the whole of Cyprus have (so far) been authenticated. One of those nine is Mesostrato, just beyond the well-known Linos – they share the same owner – in the ‘old’ part of picturesque Kakopetria.
Easily one of the prettiest mountain villages, Kakopetria is a tourist magnet, especially in summer; Mesostrato wasn’t packed when we went for Sunday lunch, but booking is advisable. The ‘Vakhis’ certificate is displayed outside and there’s also a kind of Bill of Rights – or in this case Responsibilities – hanging on the wall, obviously compiled by some earnest European bureaucrat.
Article 2 pledges to ‘develop my menu within the parameters of the Mediterranean Diet’. Article 4 promises to use olive oil while Article 5 begins ‘I strive to uphold Cypriot cuisine’, to which we can only say ‘Hallelujah!’. All of us, on the other hand (especially the ladies), laughed out loud over the abject political correctness of Article 11: ‘I fully acknowledge and respect the role of Cypriot women, who throughout time have upheld and ensured the viability of Cypriot cuisine’. Right on, sisters!
Does the place deliver? Quality-wise, most definitely: we had the ‘Maxi Meze’, offering 22 dishes at £7.50 a person, and all 22 ranged from solid to sensational. Authenticity-wise, it’s hard to say. The sausages were obviously authentic – not the stubby ‘Cyprus sausage’ but thin cigarillo-shaped sticks, dark and pungent – but, for instance, a plate of grilled chicken hardly counts as ‘Cyprus cuisine’. And I’ve always thought stifado was a Greek import – delicious though it was, with its tender beef cubes smothered in caramelised onions.
To be honest, I don’t think it matters. Truly ‘authentic’ Cyprus food would have to include pulses, for instance – they’re mentioned in one of the Articles, but don’t appear on the menu – but only a churlish diner would dismiss Mesostrato for its lack of beans and lentils, when the food is so clearly terrific.
An omelette of zucchini (courgettes) and eggs came in a heaped plate fresh from the pan. Deep-fried fritters bulged with sweet bright-orange squash (the famous kolodji). There was bulgar wheat, ‘village macaroni’ with grated halloumi, aubergines topped with slivers of tomato, thin potato slices cooked in the oven with mounds of oregano. You can often judge a place by its bread, and the bread at Mesostrato is excellent: large toasted chunks, drizzled with olive oil and oregano.
There are flaws. A few more dips in which to dip the fine bread might’ve been welcome, for instance: all you get are small dishes of tahini and tzatziki (the latter called by its Cypriot name talattouri for added authenticity). And the meat dishes are mediocre, apart from the aforementioned stifado – but then, as meze veterans know, meat dishes are invariably greeted with cries of ‘Too much!’, and usually left behind.
Two things tip the balance, as far as I’m concerned. Firstly, the service is brilliant, especially if you turn up with a toddler (as we did). A high-chair was instantly provided and the waitress cooed over the baby, letting her play with the pen as she took our order; we also, without asking, got dishes of mushrooms and octopus – which aren’t usually on the meze – because two of our party were fasting. Secondly, the wine list is impressive (at least by taverna standards), including such estimable Cypriot reds as Vlassides, Tihikos and Andesitis. We drank two bottles of the last-named, and could happily have drunk two more if not for the thought of those narrow mountain roads.
In the end, I guess ‘Vakhis’ isn’t really that helpful when it comes to authenticity: taverna food is taverna food, except in those (very) rare cases when a creative chef gets involved. But the scheme, if properly implemented, can at least be a Seal of Approval, separating the quality places from the greasy and uninspired. Ignorant tourists will be grateful.
By Theo Panayides
SPECIALITY Meze
SEATING 50-60
WHERE 47, Palea Kakopetria
CONTACT 22 924700
BOOKING Advisable, especially for Sunday lunch
PRICE Around £25 for two, with wine
