Christos Grill & Seafood, Paphos, Cyprus - Review

I've been visiting Cyprus for over 20 years now and cannot believe it has taken me this long to discover Christos Grill and seafood which was established in 1984! With fabulous bird's eye sea views, friendly service and an exciting menu, this should definitely be on your Paphos bucket list.

Perched high above Kato Paphos in Paphos Old Town near the vegetable market, newly refurbished indoor market and surrounding shopping area, Christos offers freshly prepared local food, fresh fish and seafood Monday to Saturday even through the quieter winter season.

We popped in for drinks after a meander on a sunny March day (I had a very lovely Pimms No 1garnished with locally grown oranges) and after perusing the menu decided we would eat there that very evening.

Returning a few hours later we were greeted warmly by the staff and were seated at a nice table where you could watch the sunset if you weren't too obsessed with the food. I'm afraid I missed the sunset.

I love traditional Cypriot Taverna food and was spoiled for choice with the usual favourites like the jumbo pork chop, traditional mousaka and beef Stifado on offer along with more modern offerings including salmon ravioli in a creamy tomato basil sauce, chicken parmesan and braised lamb shank.

Vegan and vegetarian guests have options including a vegetarian mousaka, vegan traditional stewed beans with carrots and celery and a vegan falafel platter.

But my eye was drawn to the seafood menu and I opted for the Sea Bass (19 Euros) which can served with a choice of vegetables, chips or jacket potato (although actually the restaurant gave me vegetables AND one and a half jacket potatoes.

The (huge) fish was perfectly cooked and served whole while my friend's cod and chips turned out to be generous enough to feed a family with two large chunks of cod served with chips, a salad and tartare sauce.

So what did my son and husband order? Well, here's a story. Many years ago when my son was about 7 or 8 we visited a beach bar near Limassol. My older boys ordered burgers but my third child carefully studied the menu which was almost as large as him and declared to the waiter: "I think I'll have the octopus." 

Grilled octopus tentacles duly appeared, a huge pile of them, and my son methodically worked his way through the dish almost to the end where he declared the final pieces were too lemony. Bear in mind at the time he was under medical supervision because he was underweight due to a serious bone infection so this was a huge meal, never mind the fact that not too many British children of that age would choose grilled octopus over nuggets and burgers.

So really when he spotted grilled octopus on the menu at Christos Grill (21 Euros) he looked no further at the menu, along with my husband who couldn't resist the dish either.

The octopus was tender and tasty with not a hint of rubber in the texture. Not an easy ingredient to cook so credit to the kitchen who could not be faulted.

We'd foolishly had a late lunch so weren't as hungry as we could have been, but I plan to go back and order one of their many platters next time I go to Cyprus. There are vegetarian, meat and fish/seafood options and for a little extra you can turn a platter into a meze with dips, pitta, village salad, rice, vegetables and french fries.

I enjoyed a carafe of house wine (18 Euros) shared with my friend which was very drinkable. The restaurant offers a comprehensive range of drinks including local wines and beers, cocktails, imported beers and spirits and at least one alcohol free beer.

When I first started travelling to Cyprus it was customary to be given "free" items along with your meal and althoguh the practice has died out in many places, at Christos we were given complementary peanuts and pecans in their shells with the afternoon drinks and herb encrusted pitta triangles and olives then a square of moist orange cake flavoured with rosewater after our meal. It was a struggle after my generously portioned main meal but reader, you'll be proud to learn I managed to squeeze in the free dessert.

The vibe in Christos was very relaxed with background music that didn't intrude. Obviously in March we ate inside as it can be chilly when the sun goes down and we were very comfortable and despite being fairly quiet, customer wise it was a nice atmopshere. 

Staff were friendly, knowledgeable and helpful and I spotted the actual owner Christos Paraskeva keeping a watch over service. It blows my mind that when I was a young teenager back in 1984, he was setting up this foodie's paradise in Cyprus.

This is not the place to go for a Full English but I think when you are overseas you should eat like the locals so why not go and try one of their delicious sounding Cyprus or Mediterranean breakfasts?

They also do lunches with certain dishes only on offer until 12, 2pm or 4pm. It's the perfect stop off if you are exploring the Old Town area. Fancy a peek at the menu and details of the locations? Click HERE.

Disclaimer: I paid for my own meal and was not rewarded in any way for sharing this honest review.