A stiff, cold wind swept through Ayia Napa last week sending plumes of leaves and litter high into the air. The streets were deserted and it felt like I was one of the few living souls in the entire town.
It was not a night to be out – summer resorts can be bleak places during the dark winter months, with the majority of restaurants, shops and hotels closed for the duration – they can feel like a city abandoned by its population.
However, with the ever reliable Scandinavian long stayers still enjoying Ayia Napa’s brief bursts of sunshine, some life does exist, and the popular De Medici Italian restaurant is open daily from 5pm till 11pm.
So, as explained above, there was absolutely no need to make a reservation, as only a few dozen well-wrapped people braved the bitter cold.
We arrived at this unusually stylish and upscale looking restaurant at 7pm. It really is a world apart from the look and feel of so many traditional Italian restaurants, which have a propensity for over-decoration with a hodgepodge of unrelated trinkets from Rome, Dean Martin music on the speakers and fat old wine bottles acting as candle sticks.
Not here. The first thing you’ll notice is that it is a very clean and modern space set off by minimalist lights – making it feel cozy and warm. It has a contemporary and accessible menu, with pretty much something for everyone – ranging from home made Italian pizzas to steaks, pastas, fish and even dumplings on the menu.
I have to say that the menu really cheered me up as I have always thought Italian restaurants are profoundly unadventurous when it comes to what’s on offer – anything other than ‘American’ or red-sauce Italian fare tends to be forgotten.
Anyway, I started with some piping-hot mushroom soup made with chestnuts and bacon – the perfect way to kick off the evening, on what one of the waitresses told us was one of the coldest nights of the year.
I was glad of this order, not only because the soup was a new one on me, but had a real zesty, homemade taste, which hit the spot.
On the same daily set menus, other starters include melon cocktail, antipasto misto Italiano or even sautéed chicken livers with masala sauce. The set three-course menus are all priced at €12.50 – it’s a nice idea and well-timed for hard months ahead – where everybody is looking for a bargain.
That said, my wife waved off my sheepish bargain menu suggestions and ordered good old-fashioned salmon from the a la carte menu, which admittedly looked beautiful under a blanket of home made tomato sauce. It came with all sorts of beautiful local vegetables and boiled potatoes.
So, I stuck with the set menu and went for the Chicken Milanese with spaghetti pomodoro. For some, this rather exotic Latin named dish is a nice way of saying fried chicken cutlet –which it is.
In short, we received really good well-cooked food, with a polite and friendly service.
For pudding, we shared a fruit salad (with me remaining banned from touching the dollop of vanilla ice cream). Such a sensible choice is part of my ongoing weight reduction plan, which is starting to wear thin – but cutting the chocolate, cakes and puddings is the sacrifice for wanting to see my feet again from a standing position.
Unsurprisingly there is an extensive wine list, but the house wines are reasonably priced at €13 and are the Frontera label (the best selling Chilean wine in the world), which includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and rosé.
You’ll find De Medici on the main Nissi Avenue, and parking is no problem as the restaurant sits on a corner of an old road, where there are plenty of spaces. Note the restaurant is closed Mondays.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALITY Italian
WHERE De Medici, 31 Nissi Avenue, Ayia Napa
PRICE Three course set menus from €12.50
CONTACT 23 722378
