Psema (Ψεμα)

Kanari 4, 25443361, LEMESOS (LIMASSOL)
Mon-Sun 18:00-2:00
Food: [rating:2.5] 2.5/5
Service: [rating:3] 3/5
Ambiance: [rating:3] 3/5
When I said to my proud Cypriot friends that it seems there are so many new openings in Nicosia but almost none in Limassol I didn’t realize how wrong I was. The difference is in Nicosia most of them are café/restaurants. Other than Milk Bar, in Limassol almost all of the new openings are bars. Psema is yet another bar/restaurant in the old city only seconds away from the very popular Saripolou square. I can’t say that there is something profoundly wrong with this place, nor that there is something extremely special about it. Go if you would like to have a pleasant night at a bar with the possibility to nibble on something simple.
The décor is simple, modern and pretty with some high and some low tables. The fact that glass windows surround it makes the space look and feel larger. The dim lighting creates an ambiance appropriate for the space. In my opinion the whole concept could be improved a notch by adding something to the space that would make it more distinct and differentiate it from its peers.
The food menu is simple with a couple of salads and pasta, it includes a few meat dishes such as burgers and pork chops and a fish option. Even though I thought it was complete it lacked an edge, which is something that I would also say about the food. I couldn’t complain on my burger as it tasted quite good and so did the fries and salad that came with it. My proud Cypriot cousin’s salad was also fairly tasty with a light fig dressing, parmesan cheese and fresh mixed leaves, whereas Mr Proud Cypriot’s pork chop, despite being tasty was extremely poor in terms of presentation. Firstly, the menu mentioned that it came with potatoes and vegetables of our choice but it came only with potatoes, and secondly both the pork chop and the side dish were pathetically small. What I don’t understand is, if you manage to achieve the most difficult part of all, i.e produce tasty and fresh food, how can you miss out on presentation and size?
Nevertheless, we didn’t leave having a negative impression but more of a “good but not memorable” evening. What I liked the most about it is the concept that the name represents, i.e. the fact that it is trying to embrace and demonstrate what is real and what is not.