Paliomouhtaros- Agios Theodoros

Agios Theodoros village, 24323323, LARNACA DISTRICT
Tue-Sat 19:00-23:00, Sun & public holidays 12:00-16:00
Food: [rating:4] 4/5
Service: [rating:4] 4/5
Ambiance: [rating:3] 3/5
Why it took almost 30 years for me to go to the village of Agios Theodoros is not something I can explain. It is definitely not because it is far away, given that it’s only a 30 minutes’ drive from Nicosia or a 20 minutes’ drive from Limassol. It is surely not because there is nothing there to eat as there are quite a few well-known tavernas. One thing is certain: now that I have found the way there I will not keep away for too long, and the people responsible are the owners of Paliomouhtaros restaurant.
One of the main reasons I was impressed by the particular taverna was that it involved the element of surprise. Whereas I expected a commercial restaurant full of long tables with plastic chairs and families with kids running around and a buffet of souvla, we found a small traditional, old house with a beautiful picturesque front porch, a lovely lawn on the side and a cute and cosy inside space. In fact, despite the fact that we had the pleasure of enjoying the fall weather on the front porch, when I saw the fireplace and the warm inside space it was the first time in the year I actually missed a cold winter. The warmth and cosiness make sense when one meets the people responsible for it. Not only is it family-run with Mr Melios-the husband in the kitchen and Ms Stavri- the wife and mother outside, but the Paliomouhtaros family are so passionate about what they do, with such need to keep people happy and satisfied that they couldn’t go wrong in any way.
Even before I was told that all the recipes are taken from Ms Stavri’s mother and grandmother, and most of the vegetables are taken from their garden, the home-made factor was obvious. Apart from the fresh salad and dips made in-house, a major highlight was the smoked lountza that the proud Cypriot family devoured, the dish of fried mushrooms, zucchini and eggs which was tasty without being too heavy, and an excellent dish of fried liver which tasted more like a delicacy. According to Mr Proud Cypriot it tasted even better when mixed with the macaroni and grated halloumi (“macaronia horiatika”) -my personal favourite dish, home-made made by Ms Stavri’s mother and cooked al dente…delicious! The freshly fried meatballs were equally good, whereas the grilled halloumi melted at every bite. As I was already quite full from the wide selection of starters, I didn’t get the chance to eat a lof of the main courses, which included crispy lamb chops, aromatic, tender chicken kebab and home made “sheftalia” (minced meat with spices in the shape of a sausage).
Yes, the food was indeed a lot, and I suspect that Paliomouhtaros is one of those places where if there are no leftovers it means the food is not enough! That didn’t stop us from cleaning up a plate of a sweet and moist “kalo prama”, aka “shamali”, which is a traditional Cypriot sweet made with semolina (“simigdali”), rose water and almonds, an appropriate sweet to finish off a rich meal.
We all left satisfied, especially for the fact that for two Sundays in a row we managed to enjoy special, home-made meals prepared at a family owned restaurant for less than 20€ each! This is what it’s all about.
referring to last weeks review: Mezedes tis Marias