Prastio Village Tavern- Prastio

Prastio village centre, 25222553, Limassol district
Mon-Sat 19:00-23:00, Sun 12:00-16:00 (closed Tuesdays)
Food: [rating:3] 3/5
Service: [rating:3.5] 3.5/5
Ambiance: [rating:2] 2/5
One of the advantages, and at the same time a disadvantage of Cyprus tavernas is that 80% of the them serve the same food. The quality clearly varies, but the “meze” dishes are quite similar. What I liked about Prastio tavern is that its “meze”, even though very traditional it changes according to the season, mostly because everything they serve apart from the meat is home-made and home-grown.
The village of Prastio is simple and cute, whereas the restaurant décor and ambiance are quite basic. What is truly worth it is the food and the fact that it is only 25 minutes drive from both Limassol and Paphos, (apologies to Nicosia residents as they have to drive longer). The restaurant is small with 15 tables inside and a cute little patio at the front with a handful of tables, which locals often fight for. Unfortunately it was too cold to sit outside but it certainly didn’t affect our meal.
The starters were of great quality as all of them were home-made, including the “tahini”, “taramosalata” and the local sausages. The very tasty meatballs (“keftedes”) and the tender lamb chops were a highlight, whereas the zucchini with eggs, the local sausage and halloumi were excellent. What I also think says a lot about the type of food and the quality of the restaurant (even though cliché) is their French fries. Surely there is a difference between a cook that serves local potatoes cut manually and fried in fresh oil vs. one that uses pre-cut frozen potatoes. Prastio fortunately belongs to the former category. Depending on the season the vegetables (fried, boiled or with eggs) change to include “anthous”, (courgette flowers), wild asparagus and many more. “Ospria” (pulses), are also served on weekdays if one feels like a more light and healthy meal. Feel free to call for information on the dish of the day (or of the week).
All in all it is very good for a dinner on the patio or a Sunday lunch with good food and pleasant local people, especially for 20€ each.