Yiannaki Aeroporou 5, Fasoula square, 25452880, LEMESOS (LIMASSOL)
Tue-Sun 19:00-23:00
Food: [rating:3.5] 3.5/5
Service: [rating:3] 3/5
Ambiance: [rating:3.5] 3/5
From the day I stepped into Areti’s restaurant I keep wondering, how could I not have known about Areti’s Tavern for so long! I have always thought there weren’t enough good taverns in Limassol and I have asked around quite a few times but I had never heard of this one until now. What’s even more surprising is that it is only 5 minutes drive from where I live! All thanks to a proud Cypriot friend whose new job is to keep me updated on good but not-so-easy-to-find places.
Its location in the old centre of Fasoula village adds to the greatness of this place as the surrounding scenery makes it feel more traditional and so do the old Cyprus stone walls, the taverna’s small size and the fact that the place was kept warm by a fireplace (aka “tsiminia”). Having visited it on Valentine’s Day evening did not stop the place from being almost full (at least outside). I can’t say it was particularly romantic but at least we didn’t get ripped off by a set menu somewhere.
The food is the standard Cypriot “meze”. It’s tasty, and it’s rich. The highlight for me was the “cooked” food (i.e. “magirefta”) rather than the meat on the grill. Cripsy, hot, fried meatballs, a fantastic “mousaka” which we devoured, really tasty “koupepia” (stuffed vineleaves) and very good fried zucchini with eggs, together with –of course- a fresh salad and dips were most definitely my highlight. The Cypriot “sieftalia” and grilled “halloumi” were also good, and were better than the pork “souvlaki” and the pork in wine sauce that were a bit dry.
Finally, the apple cream at the end was excellent, and strongly reminds me of my childhood at Rodis in Platres (who apparently has something to do with this place).
It is an overall, good taverna that I will definitely add to my list of places-to-go. I find that it fils a gap in the “taverna” space in Limassol since most of them are either too “relaxed” (like 5 Efkaliptoi and AMEK Kapsalou) or too commercial (“Forsos”).
