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Now approaching his 80th birthday, Antonis Anastasiou has been throwing open the doors of his pretty taverna in Larnaca, Cyprus, for longer than he cares to recall.

After unfastening the wooden shutters he pauses momentarily to deadhead his bright pink geraniums and breathe in the smell of sea spray mixed with tobacco smoke and fried halloumi cheese as he gazes out across the Mediterranean.

A kafenio, coffee house, bar and eatery, Anastasiou’s place is rarely empty. After their siestas, the menfolk hunch over thimble-sized cups of sweet Cypriot coffee known as “glyko”, served with two heaped teaspoons of sugar, and enjoy a game of backgammon. Music plays, usually the folkish strains of a laouto, a type of lute, over the constant clatter of plates and chatter. Anastasiou’s apron-clad sidekick cuts up chunks of chalky feta while slabs of honey-soaked pastries are traded for salacious titbits and tales of political strife.

The island has been split between a Turkish occupied and military controlled area in the north and a Greek area in the south since the Turkish invasion in 1974. United Nations peacekeeping troops line the border, with still no sign of a resolution.

Generous measures of pine resin-infused retsina wine help to drown the nation’s woes. Ouzo flavoured with anise and pale Keo Cyprus beer in frosted glasses are other specialities. The Grill House Taverna is renowned for its charcoal-grilled fish meze, plates of calamari, sea bass, octopus, swordfish, bream and red mullet served with fruit from the island’s lemon groves. Sit indoors amid a clutter of plastic flowers, old postcards and bric-a-brac or choose an outside table overlooking the shore. Complimentary grapes, plums, oranges and grapefruit are part of the deal, often with a dish of olives thrown in.

Nearby lie crumbling ruins from the Mycenaean age, dating back to the 13th century BC, when the port city was a centre for copper trading.

During June’s celebration of Kataklysmos, the Festival of the Flood, tables are scarce. Tourists and locals arrive early to celebrate the birth of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, enjoying long, exuberant lunches washed down with brandy sours. After downing a glass of syrupy Commandaria dessert wine, they sing tsiattista, improvised verses, before throwing water at one another, a symbol of bodily purification that Anastasiou insists takes place outside.

Grill House Taverna, Piale Pasia Street, Larnaca, Cyprus, Phone 24 655864.

One couple who deserve a medal for their efforts to up the quality of food on offer in the Paphos area are Steve and Claire Ward, a British couple who, having moved here with a young family, decided to earn their livelihood by opening a restaurant in the rather sleepy village of Stroumpi.

They are now working hard at making a living, bringing to this culinary starved area a jolly good menu of decent, honest and exceedingly well cooked food. Getting to their place is easy, you turn left just before the square.

Don’t be put off by the restaurant’s uninspired image, just go in, sit down and allow yourself to be reminded of the old adage ‘never to judge a book by its cover, nor a restaurant by its tablecloths’.

All beef used in the restaurant originates from Butcher Boy, a master butcher local to Paphos whose professional appreciation of a good fillet and tasty rib eye, makes for a guaranteed quality product. Here at the Stroumpi Tavern the cow is certainly king with servings of Sirlion, T Bone, Rib Eye all served to perfection by chef Steve.

The starters we decided to bypass altogether, preferring to roar into the meat fest and with a couple of devotees of rib eye and fine fillet in our company they were deeply happy from the minute they ordered and they voted the steaks among the best they had tasted in a long time.

The haddock and chips also went down well, as did the steak and mushroom pie although make sure you ask for the gravy on the side or else you get a totally mugged soggy pie. Steve also plated up a small mezze of some of his specials including a rather delicious chicken with balsamic; a good, balanced sweet chili chicken plus the less spicy Stroumpi chicken. Everything that came out from the kitchen reflected Steve’s art of balance when it comes to seasoning, coupled with a meticulous mentality towards hygiene, methodology, quality and his need for customers to be genuinely satisfied. This is why this little place, about 50 covers, is now en route to becoming one of the most popular places to come to either from Paphos or Polis.

The selection of homemade puddings sealed the recommendation to return to Stroumpi as few can knock up such great bread-and-butter pudding as Steve, ably backed up by Claire’s ginger sponge and creamy rice puddings.

Many may be blissfully unaware of the current ‘roast’ wars that erupt every Sunday in expat land, with nearly every establishment plying ‘Ye Olde English’ inclusive Sunday roast beef and Yorkshire pudding number. Many are pretty ghastly pretenders to the title but, word has it Steve and Claire are well on the way to being hailed as unofficial winners in the battle of the Yorkshires.

Don’t expect flowers, fancy cutlery, murals, quality linen or chic crockery, just great food and reasonable prices.

Stroumpi Tavern, Gregori Afxentiou Street, Kato Stroumpi, Paphos, tel 26 633231.

Holidaymakers in Greece can eat delicious and healthy food as was demonstrated at the Heraklion festival of food from around the country, including Chania in Crete.

Over the last fortnight, the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board (HEPO) hosted a gastronomic exhibition of the regions delicious food, wine and spirits. HEPO President Panagiotis I. Papastavrou said the show was put on “to display to the rest of the world the Greek way of living, which is indelibly linked with Greek food and wine, with the friendly atmosphere of a typical Greek table, with good company and the sharing of exquisite food”.

He highlighted the healthy ingredients on show were particularly relevant at a time when an obesity epidemic is spreading. Holidaymakers to Greece will be welcomed by cooking with olive oil, fresh fruits, herbs and plenty of salads.

One exhibitor even attributed medicinal properties to her foods. Litsa Anagnostaki, a taverna owner in Chania and maker of traditional cheese pies, said that “tea made from rigani (oregano) is good for coughs”.

Related Links >
http://www.kerasma.gr

http://www.hepo.gr/pages.fds?pagecode=01.03.06&langid=2

One of the first parts of the old town to be successfully renovated was Chrysaliniotissa. The area has its own crafts centre which now boasts a very European coffee shop.

A lot has been written about the historical centre of Nicosia, the old inhabitants, its multicultural image, not as new as one might think, and the efforts for its revival. Part of that effort is the Nicosia Master Plan and the rehabilitation of the inner city, which includes Chrysaliniotissa and the area’s craft centre. The area takes its name from the oldest Byzantine church in Nicosia, dedicated to “Our Lady of the Golden Flax” that was built in 1463 by the Lusignan Queen Eleni Paleologina, whose origins were Greek. The Chrysaliniotissa revitalisation project was selected as the first to be implemented because of the outstanding architectural character the area displayed, and taking a look around proves just that.

An Icelander has now been added to the long list of foreigners that have fallen in love with the old part of Nicosia. Inga Hadjipanayi came to the island as a tourist in 1983, a young teenager not knowing what the future held. More than two decades later, Inga is still here, trying her hand at an exciting new challenge. The mother of four has never worked in her life and venturing into business on her own was daunting to say the least. “When the first customer came through the door of the Coffee Nest, I was petrified,” she said. The small, quaint coffee shop come diner started operation under Inga’s management back in November 2006 at the Chrysaliniotissa Craft Centre. “A few years before, I came with a friend to tour the area and the nearby sights and fell in love with the whole concept of the centre as well as the area. At the time, an old lady was running the coffee shop and just the basics were on offer.” Nothing came of it until recently when the shop was vacated. The establishment is found at one end of the complex, neighbouring the craft shops.

The Coffee Nest’s main door, flanked by a tall window on each side, opens to the road and the slow daily grind of the ageing residents. The east-facing door opens on to a little square and wooden pergola with a canvas ceiling, offers solace from the summer heat. A small number of tables and chairs scattered on the stoned surface beckon the weary traveller to quench his thirst. The shop also offers wholesome food at reasonable prices, friendly faces and good service. It provides an alternative menu to the stale and unimaginative dishes that major outlets offer and also has the advantage of being a venue steeped in history.

Inga plans on holding knitting club meetings at the shop as she is an accomplished knitter too. The idea is to attract likeminded people that crave some companionship or knitting guidance. An art exhibition of prints by English-born Alexandra Storer is currently displayed on the coffee shop’s walls.

Outside the coffee shop, an easel with a green slate board states the day’s special dish and once indoors, the sparkling clean, open, stainless steel kitchen is in full view. On the working surface an array of homemade cakes and pies look delectable. Inga is promoting a healthy, all natural ingredients menu. Some of the pies and cakes on offer are local favourites such as the olive cake and the tahini pie while others are more European, such as the quiches and fish cakes or the vegetarian lasagne. “When I first started, it was going to be mainly sandwiches but it is anything but that now. I much prefer cooking vegetarian or the odd chicken fillet or fish cake for light lunches,” said Inga. The shop is open from 9am to 6pm but now the summer is upon us will stay open until 9pm. “Once the sun disappears behind the rooftops, there is nowhere I’d rather be, there’s such a lovely breeze.”

The centre as a whole has something of a 50s neighbourhood feel to it as one of the artisans at the centre explained: “it reminds me of my hometown, Kyrenia. I can hear the Christian church bells tolling and after a while I can hear the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer from the nearby mosque.” Inga says she feels “at home” and “right to be here” and if it wasn’t for some minor problems with the hot weather everything would be perfect. “The first five years were the worst. I couldn’t bear the heat but now it’s a lot better,” she said.

The complex does not really allow for expansion plans but Inga is happy with the way things are: “I really like; it’s more intimate and cosy this way. But I’d like to expand to more tables and chairs in the square. I would love to organise poetry evenings or other affiliate subjects. The evenings in the walled city are magical and especially here at the Craft Centre.”

Chrysaliniotissa Craft Centre, 2 Dimonaktos Street, Nicosia. For info call 22 344674.

We all need a bit off a cool off in the evening as the summer days just keep on getting hotter.

One beach bar after another has recently sprung up along the Limassol sea front and last week saw the official summer opening party of the classy Drops beach bar. In a nutshell, the bar just screams ‘glam’ and the word on the street has it that it’s set to be the hottest spot of the summer. Truth be told, it’s often the case in Cyprus that as soon as a new place has its opening party, the crowds rush to be seen there.

But if you don’t want to become part of that ‘crowd’, it’s definitely worth going along to Drops when things are a little quieter during the week. It’s a great place to relax after an afternoon swim and you can enjoy a natter with friends in the comfy wicker chairs. As the night falls, you can sit on the trendy bar stools and even have a nibble as snacks and grilled items are served until 10pm. As for the music, it’s a mix of mainstream English and Greek hits.

Drops Cafe-Beach Bar > Open for snacks and drinks during the day, with music and dancing at night. Drops Beach Bar, 17 Amathunda Avenue, Limassol, Cyprus. 9am-3am. Telephone 25 310310.

Greece, the land of the kebab was yesterday named the best place for holidaymakers watching their waistline.

Britons looking for a low-fat holiday destination should head for Greece, according to new research that says a typical meal there contains the least calories out of those at our favourite jet-setting destinations. The survey claims that one in four Britons will choose a holiday destination this year based on the healthiness of the local cuisine.

People aged over 45 are leading the calorie-counting trend, with six in 10 saying that healthy food is a necessity when on a foreign break. According to the research from Somerfield, the supermarket group, nearly seven in 10 Britons put on weight during their annual summer fortnight in the sun. Five per cent return home up to a stone heavier.

Almost half of holidaying Britons head for the European hotspots of Spain, Greece, Italy and France in the summer. A new holiday food index aims to help them by providing the calorific damage of a typical meal at each destination.

  Greece comes out on top with its popular selection of national dishes that include fresh salads, grilled lamb kebabs and stuffed vine leaves. A typical Greek meal without alcohol contains about 1,130 calories. Spain and France are ranked second and third respectively.

Popular Spanish meals contain up 1,170 calories each and French favourites add up to 1,355. Italy is in fourth place with its choice of fattening pizza and pasta dishes as well as creamy desserts. A typical meal there adds about 1,430 calories to a holidaymaker’s intake.

More than half of British holidaymakers say that healthy food is high on their list of holiday essentials, along with a nearby beach and sunny weather. A spokesman for Somerfield, which interviewed 1,600 adults, said: “It’s good to see so many British holidaymakers taking their health seriously and trying to eat well on holiday. However, it’s important to remember that holidays are for kicking back, relaxing and enjoying yourself. So long as you don’t overdo it and eat a well-balanced diet, a few holiday treats will not hurt.”

This summer, nearly half of women and a quarter of men will try to lose weight before their holiday.

Source >The Telegraph

This splendid inn away from the bustle of the beach is an excellent springboard for excursions in Corfu.

Enjoy homemade moussaka on its terrace. Rooms with kitchenettes overlook the Mediterranean.

75 Steps Taverna and Accommodation, Messonghi Village (Spileo), Corfu, Greece, tel 26610 75028, fax 26610 75071.

Related Links > www.75steps.com