The arrival of secret dinners in Cyprus: Paladar

“Secret, illegal tavernas created by different households in Cuba” was what I got when I googled “Paladar”, the name of the dinner I would attend in a location I didn’t know, with people I had never met to eat a meal I had zero information on. Yes, the pop-up and secret dinner concept has finally arrived in our little island. The whole event is quite small and an infant compared to their likes abroad but for Cyprus it’s the beginning of the new era!
It all started with a couple of pop-up shops such as Art Craftair (Aischilou street), a true pop-up in the old city, Α Kχcoffee Project. I have also heard about a pop-up bar but I am not exactly sure how it works yet (I will do my best to find out of course!). Paladar is the first pop-up dinner event of which I have heard. Having said that, I am certaing that if no other such events are currently taking place, there soon will be because as you all know, although there are some leaders in this country most of us tend to be followers.
Don’t expect to see pictures or details on the 4-course meal which we had, or any information on the 8 people that I had never met before but with whom I shared this secret dinner with. I will not even share the location of the dinner, of which I was only informed the night before the event. However, what I will say is the following: it was in Nicosia, we paid 20€ per person and a little bit extra for wine or beer. The food is on the innovative international cuisine side, but it changes every time. Everything that they prepared was interestingly tasty and definitely worth the 20€ that we paid. Don’t be too fussy with serving time and taste balance perfection and remember that both of the cooks and owners of Paladar are not running a restaurant but are creating a whole experience of going to a new place, dining with different people and eating creative dishes.
If you are picky and choosy with what you eat and you hate experiencing something different then forget it (although if you reading this blog it means you actually are looking to go somewhere different). You can go with a couple of friends so that you have the opportunity to mingle with the rest of the group. We went in a group of three to meet another group of three, and a group of two. The good thing is that it’s fun and exciting with good food, the bad thing is that each session is only attended by 8 people so you have to be quick. The two people that are organising have in mind fantastic locations for the dinners to follow so I am sure it will be interesting. You can contact them on paladar.cyprus@gmail.com or keep your eyes open for a “Paladar” event on Facebook.