Everyone knows that Pissouri is a prominent summer destination, but surprisingly, it comes into its own out-of-season. As we drive along the highway, it is very easy to forget it is there, but at this time of year, it is certainly worth a visit to enjoy the landscape without the hordes of tourists. For many years, some friends who regularly fly in and out of Paphos have recommended a restaurant here and a couple of weeks ago, we finally visited.

Kastro’s position close to the beach makes it rather special, together with the beautiful stone building in which it is housed. However, this stunning location also means you can easily miss it while driving through Pissouri Bay, as it has no roadside frontage. Sadly, some of the views are now obstructed by some questionable new builds, but their terrace offers the perfect location to enjoy a meal. For colder and wet days, they have an indoor cosy area.

Today, Kastro is a family-run operation with multiple members of the family working in this traditional Cypriot restaurant. The menu is extensive, with many fish options, and you would be hard-pressed not to find something to enjoy. Lovers of Cyprus food are spoilt for choice. I love Cypriot food and often try to recreate it at home.

Our friends had warned us that we would not need a starter as the restaurant always serves garlic bread, but we ignored their advice and decided to share a Prawn Saganaki. The combination of flavours in this dish was superb, and unusually, they were pretty generous with the prawns. Saganaki is a dish which deserves more worldwide recognition. It should be up there with the most famous of Greek dishes.

Having devoured the delicious, generous portion of garlic bread and feeling relatively full, we realised our friends might have been right. One of our party always has the Moussaka when he visits. According to him, they are limited in the kitchen, and when he makes his reservation, he always asks for one to be kept back. Indeed, the moussaka was huge, and he declared it to be the best of the best. Two of the other mains were Sea Bream and Chicken kebab. The sea bream was declared to be excellent if a little small, but in contrast, the chicken was a huge portion. I enjoyed a lovely Garlic Cream Chicken dish that was very strong on the garlic and supremely cooked. The main courses all came with various sides of salad, chips, and vegetables, filling the table.

The dessert selection offers some tempting options, and unusually, when eating with friends, we all went for a dessert – two portions of the Cheesecake and two of the Apple Pie. The pie was huge with a crumbly topping, and the lemon cheesecake was like a light and fluffy cloud – the ideal conclusion to a delightful meal.

Rather naively, I would have assumed the place would have been empty on a Sunday evening out of season, but it was packed. Thankfully, our friends had booked a table for our visit. The staff were amicable and professional. Kastro has a winning formula with all the right ingredients, including the food, the views, and the beautiful building. I would highly recommend an evening or lunch at this time of year – combined with a walk along the bay, it is the perfect winter day escape!

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY Cypriot and Fish

WHERE Kastro, Ampelonon 73, Pissouri

WHEN Open Friday-Wednesday. Lunch 12-4pm, Dinner 6-9pm Booking essential.

CONTACT 25 222 211

HOW MUCH Mains from €16.50