Mammalena

Chrysanthou Mylona 5, LEMESOS (LIMASSOL)
Tel: 25 368837
Mon-Sat 11:00-22:00
They say the most important thing in life is to be grateful. Taking that into consideration I then have to firstly thank the ENTERTAINER. Not for the more than 150€ savings I had in 2 days, but for introducing this place (keep reading for more info). How did I not know about 2 Italian women cooking authentic Italian food in the heart of Limassol? Especially having in mind that Italian food is probably my biggest love after my kids. The last thing Monica said is one that I will never forget: “We are not chefs, we cook like we cook at home”. And try reading that with a heavy Italian accent.
It’s not a restaurant but rather a long room. They prepare the food, they cook, they serve and they wash the dishes in that very room. It sounds messy but it’s actually cosy. There is not one isolated element, which made the place stand out but rather a series of events which kept reassuring my first impression. Firstly they use only homemade fresh pasta. Secondly the menu changes weekly and apart from 3 dishes of the week it also includes a long list of tagliatelle, the Italian way! Thirdly there is a long list of “piadine”, one of my favourite things when I was living in Italy, my daily lunch for one year in fact.
I tried really hard not to go overboard but it’s almost impossible. The “piadina” (which something like Italian pita or flatbread) with speck, brie and olive paste was delicious, very salty as expected, and was a true “assaggio” of classic Italian flavours. The one with prosciutto, cream cheese and zucchini was equally yummy, very cheesy and extremely easy to eat. The tagliatelle ragù (or “Bolognese”), prepared there and then (obviously not the ragù as such as that takes hours but the pasta) made me really happy. It was truly authentic Italian pasta: al dente, without the pasta swimming in sauces and a rich-but-not-too-much flavour.The Boscaiola with pancetta, mushrooms and capers had a similar flavour although the kick from the capers gave it that extra twist.
An Italian lunch is not complete without the Tiramisu. Made only with mascarpone cheese represents how real this meal was. And that’s to all the chefs, cooks who use fresh cream to make it.
The most shocking part was that with my ENTERTAINER app the whole meal cost 13€; for 4 dishes, that’s less than 3.50€ each! including my water. How? So let me take a step back. A month ago on my smartphone I downloaded the ENTERTAINER, the ultimate lifestyle application. Essentially it’s an app with more than a thousand 1+1 offers in food, drink, spas, kids activities, you name it. The challenge was how much I could save in a couple of days. During my first lunch at Buffalo Wings and Rings I had saved 27€, and today 14€, that’s a total of 41€, and that was before I got a 1+1 massage at Londa. The app costs 19.95€ with the Early Bird discount and you can redeem offers for a whole year. If that’s not a “no brainer” I don’t know what is.
What’s sure about this hidden gem is that I can go every single day and never be bored. Because it’s easy, homemade comfort food. Although there are 2-3 small tables it’s not a proper restaurant so don’t start calling for reservations. Go with your mate/bestie for lunch or order take-away / delivery. If you don’t try it you don’t know what you are missing.