Seafood at the Almyra Hotel in Cyprus

Infinity pool at AlmyraSpa

In pursuit of some winter sun at the end of our UK winter we ended up in Cyprus at the Almyra Hotel in Paphos.  This was our first visit to Cyprus but it ticked all the boxes having temperatures around 20C and less than 5 hours flying with Easyjet and a small time difference (+2 hours).  The Almyra Hotel offered good facilities including a well appointed spa, gymnasium, pools and sporting facilities all situated next to the Mediterranean Sea.  The cuisine on offer was promising with several restaurants available at this hotel and the neighbouring sister Hotel Annabelle.

Fishing Boats in Pafos

Cyprus is situated in the eastern end of the Mediterranean where the water is not particularly rich in nutrients and so the fish stocks are not highly abundant.  However local fishing boats, like those based in Paphos, do bring a regular supply of local produce including Picarel (a type of whitebait), Dorado, Mullet, Cuttlefish, Squid, Tuna and Swordfish.  Farmed fish in Cyprus include Gilthead Bream and Seabass. The inshore fishing is carried out from small wooden boats using long lines or nets.

Char-grilled Fresh
Calamari

Local fresh squid (Calamari) is abundant and makes for a tasty dish.  This whole squid was scored and grilled over barbecue coals at the poolside restaurant, Notios. Beautifully prepared with local olive oil and lemon juice it was tender and juicy.  It is important to 'score' the flesh of a squid before cooking as it helps to tenderise the squid-meat during cooking.  Other notable dishes at Notios included Seared Salmon and Seafood and SeaweedSalad.

Sushi by the Sea

Seafood & Seaweed Salad

The Almyra also specialises in Japanese cuisine and offer a range of dishes to order from the menu or even especially prepared after discussions with the chef.  These plates of Sushi and Sashimi were expertly crafted from the freshest ingredients.  The dishes included Salmon and Tuna Maki rolls, Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi, Seabass and Squid Nigiri.  Accompanied by a highly palatable Sauvignon Blanc from the Tsiakkas Winery, this made for an very pleasant lunch.

Jumbo Prawn with Rice

A lunchtime alternative was the Ouzeri restaurant which has a rustic appeal and is situated at the edge of the sea. Fresh fish was always available. One of the most popular dishes was the charcoal grilled Jumbo Prawns with rice - absolutely delicious ! Again a good choice of cocktails and wines (local and international) were on offer but we opted for the Tsiakkas Merlot which again was extremely good.

Paella

Mosaics, Almyra’s main restaurant, caters for all tastes with modern Mediterranean and International buffets.  Much to our (pleasant) surprise the evening meal in this restaurant was complimentary and the quality of the food and wine was very good indeed. From a simple salad to swordfish kebabs, a wide range of wines and good service made this a regular favourite.  The Almyra'a adjacent 'sister' hotel, The Annabelle, offered the same deal also with themed nights which included 'Mediterranean', Italian and Oriental cuisine. The image shows Chef Gary, at the Annabelle, preparing a Paella to order, overseen by Executive Chef, Alexandre Geffroy.

Flame seared Sashimi Salmon

Miso glazed Black Cod

 There were fine dining options at the Almyra which more than met the mark.  'Flavours' is an elegant restaurant situated around the fireplace at the far end of the foyer bar.  Offering a combination of Japanese and Mediterranean cuisine the menu was varied and interesting.  The Flame-seared Sashimi Salmon with Italian white truffle oil and Gremolata was delicate and the Miso Glazed Black Cod with pickled vegetables and Yuzu Miso dressing (made with a Japanese citrus fruit) was flavoursome. Flavours also offered an impressive selection of international fine wines to complement the excellent food.

Pan fried Sea Bream

Sauteed Prawn

More formal fine dining was provided at Amorosa in the Annabelle Hotel next door. It is a sophisticated restaurant which specialises in contemporary French cuisine. I opted for the four course set menu which at €28 was a bargain but was even more amazed when I learned that our meal plan reduced this to a ridiculous €15.  For food of this quality I would expect to pay four or five times that amount.  My choices included Sauteed Prawn with Green Beans, Potatoes, Black Olives and Lemon Butter Sauce followed by Cauliflower Soup with Olive Tapenade Crostini. For main course it was Pan Fried Sea Bream with Spinach Mash, Ratatouille and Champagne Sauce. Then to finish, Dark Chocolate and Orange Crepes with Orange Zest Confit and Pear Sorbet.  All prepared to perfection with fresh ingredients and served expertly with fine wines on offer.

In summary, I would highly recommend the quality of the seafood at these 2 Thanos hotels. I am told that a third hotel in the group, Anassa, is also good so here's to my next visit ! 

Galleria Restaurant in Rome

On a recent 5-day visit to Rome we sampled the cuisine of a range of restaurants. The best by far was Galleria which is situated in a small but stylish shopping gallery on Via dei Sabini.

Galleria Restaurant in Rome

Its elegant interior with clean lines has a contemporary feel even though the restaurant has been in operation for over 6 years.  When we had lunch here, the restaurant was fairly busy with well dressed business people and savvy tourists.  At dinner the restaurant was quieter, not least because the shopping gallery was closed and the only access was from a side-street.  I am sure that outside the holiday period the restaurant is full of local people who are 'in-the-know' and return time and time again for the high quality food and service.

Great service from the pleasant staff and extra attention from the owner, Guido Anastasio Pugliese, enhanced the dining experience.  Guido took the time to come over and explain in detail some of the excellent wine choices and to offer samples of a delicious olive oil from L'Aquila in Abruzzo.

On arrival we were greeted with a complimentary glass of Prosecco before proceeding to the Chef's Amuse Bouche of Roman Sweet Pepper.

Raw fresh fish and Shellfish

For starters we shared the Grande Crudo di Pesce e Crostacei which comprised a range of raw fish and shellfish including Amberjack Carpaccio (from Sicily), Scampi (Adriatic), Red Prawns (Sicily), Salmon (Scotland) and a large Rock Oyster (France).  All beautifully fresh and garnished with redcurrants, blackberry and a homemade Tomato Sorbet, it was a delight on the eye and 100% pleasure on the palate !  

Farfalle with Prawns

Red Prawns on a stick

To follow we had Farfalle pasta with grilled red prawns, pea puree and Tuna Borttaga (salted roe).  Also, grilled Red Prawns on a skewer with sliced radish and a balsamic and orange reduction.  Both dishes were superb.

The cuisine is elegant and refined but not in any way pretentious. All the food is prepared with care using the finest fresh ingredients.  



Eating at the Gallery has a sense of style and occasion, which is reflected in the tremendous quality of the food and service.  All of this comes at a very affordable price and it will definitely be on the top of our restaurant list next time we are in Rome.

Fishing with Carlos

Spent a nice day at Zavial fishing with Carlos Ramos. We caught 4 fish, all too small to keep but it was lovely sunny weather. Carlos is the owner of O Cantinho Algarvio, a restaurant in Lagos which offers a range of fresh fish dishes. Thankfully Carlos doesn't rely on his catches but buys fresh fish from the local market every morning.