For a traditional feast and some of the best meat in town, head to one of Polis’ oldest restaurants
Here, in Polis there resides a trio of gentlemen who still proudly carry on the ancient and much revered tradition of pogonotrophy and all three of them have moustaches to be proud of. Simon Moustakallis senior still proudly sports a great drooping grey moustache that makes him look like the White Knight in Alice Through the Looking Glass, and it was he who first started the Moustakallis Tavern. His son, Andreas, is now manager with support from his brother Peter; both these men proudly keep the tradition alive with a pair of rakish sombrero-style Mexican bristles.
It’s doubtful that folk are so lacking in excitement that they would go to a tavern to view a trio of highly cultivated hirsute upper lips. No, the key reason you go to Moustakallis is because it’s a grand place to eat mezze.
There are two eating areas, one outdoor and the other indoor for winter dining - the latter is within what used to be the old mill and there’s a grand stone fireplace which on a sweltering hot July day conjured up comforting images of cool nights, log fires and spit-roast piglets.
Outside you are completely sheltered from the harsh sun and each table enjoys a coolish waft of air courtesy of the many hanging fans. So, what makes this place different from other family tavernas? The basic fact that the father, Simon, is also the local butcher helps; there’s no stringy fat-laden lamb chops, just juicy meat and a plump breast of chicken cooked on the grill to perfection.
I was impressed with the fulsome salad. So often we are offered greenery that is so finely chopped it’s like eating sieved grass cuttings. Here, we were given a huge bowl of succulent leaves and tomatoes topped with home made feta and big bunches of home pickled caper leaves. Baskets of richly textured hot pita bread and village bread topped with oregano and olive oil kept on coming as we dug enthusiastically into the excellent home made dips.
Here the tarama does not remind you of Barbie’s favourite colour and it also has a lovely smooth flavour. We decided if the Belgians can come up with chips and mayonnaise as a trendsetting taste experience, then Cyprus should now be promoting the combination of chips and tara.
Barrie, our photographer, voted the Kalamari “the best he had ever tasted in Cyprus - sweet crisp and rich”. The bowls of whole cut lemons on the table also impressed me as we usually have to beg to get a measly slice. We then liberally squeezed away, covering our stuffed vine leaves, chicken and lamb. A dish of mushrooms marinated in wine with cooked onions and coriander worked well as an accompaniment to the stuffed vine leaves as well as the kleftiko and all was washed down nicely with a bottle of Ayios Onofrios wine from neighbouring Kathikas.
Of course those not in a meze mood can opt for solo dishes but I have always considered a good Cypriot meze at £7 per head to be one of life’s real value meals.
OK. Moustakallis is not subtle or refined but, like Polis itself, it does have genuine character, a rarity in itself these days so give yourself a treat and make your way to Polis and seek out these very nice and extraordinarily happy moustachioed men.
From Cyprus Mail.
