Restaurant review: Good prices, good food

I must tell you, self-professed winter lovers, these past few days did nothing to win me over to your side. Cyprus needs rain, badly, and I very much welcome a prolonged downpour, but it’s been so cold you could feel your body holding on for dear life if you were not properly bundled up. On one such day, we found ourselves strolling around Paphos’ old harbour, attempting to walk west along the coastal path. The wind was so strong, however, it was blowing the literal hat off our heads, then rain followed. Warmth and tea were promptly needed.

We sought refuge at Pingouino Cafe. The moment the door closed behind us, I knew that it wouldn’t take much to satisfy us. Shelter was enough! That said, the long-running establishment delivered on every front. I had walked past many times before but mistakenly thought it was a tourist trap, or something along those lines. I was very wrong. The first green flag was the crowd. The place was almost packed, with a healthy ratio of locals and international visitors. If it gets approval from two broad demographics, then it must be doing something right.

We sat down for a tea and coffee and that was all we had planned on. But a combination of feeling comfortable and a promising menu made us stay long enough for an early dinner, at least by Cypriot standards. It was hard to not start with dessert, considering the strong scent of fresh waffles and crepes wafting through the air.

We started with a traditional village salad, which they were happy to customise, as I will never warm up to black olives. The salad, more than adequate for two, and can be shared by four people who are happy with a smaller allocation, is served with toasted pitta bread. The vegetables were fresh, the feta was good and creamy, and you also get a bottle of high-quality olive oil on the side. As for mains, we had the chicken kebab and the crispy chicken burger. But first, the prices, which made the average Limassol pub seem all the more ridiculous by comparison.

The burger, at €9.90, is excellent value for Cyprus, especially when considering its size (two slices of fried breaded chicken) and that it comes with a generous helping of fries and coleslaw (slap some of that in between the two chicken slices and thank me later). It was well-cooked, tasted excellent, and makes for a perfect accompaniment to a pint of local lager (€3.90). In terms of the chicken kebab, we asked if the fries could be replaced with a jacket potato and they were again happy to accommodate us. The potato came warm, wrapped in foil, and served with two packs of butter. It also comes with some greens, half a lemon for squeezing over the chicken, and some tzatziki. Again, the kebab was well-made, not overly cooked and juicy. Again, excellent value at €13.50.

We finished the evening with a waffle, despite not having much room left. The waffle was topped with a white chocolate sauce, fresh-cut strawberries, and vanilla ice cream. If you have a sweet tooth, consider this a sure-fire way to satisfy it. Overall, an excellent experience. Good prices, good food, friendly and helpful staff. Long may it last.

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY: Waffles and crepes, grilled items, sandwiches, burgers

WHERE: Pingouino Café, Poseidonos Ave, Paphos

WHEN: Daily, 7am-12am

CONTACT: 26 944176

HOW MUCH: €9.90 for burgers and sandwiches, €13-18 for grilled items