Restaurant review: The Woodman, Limassol

Revisiting a restaurant is always tricky. If your previous experience was positive, it raises expectations and thus widens the scope for disappointment. On the other hand, if things weren’t quite up to scratch, you may have some sort of lingering bias. In the case of The Woodman, a sports pub and restaurant in Limassol, I have enjoyed the place before and proceeded to this time too.

The Woodman has been a prominent fixture in Limassol for a long time. After delivering positive experiences in the past, it continues to do so today, albeit after some evolution. What has changed? The restaurant has grown in capacity. It always had a particularly inviting front exterior area, opposite the relatively verdant Dasoudi beach, but it now also boasts a beer garden to the rear, complete with wooden tables and televisions. This will prove to be particularly handy when the World Cup rolls around in November. Staying on the topic of watching football, as the restaurant’s name suggests, sports are very much a priority, meaning that there are televisions everywhere.

This also informs the restaurant’s decor, although it minces no words when it comes to its allegiance. In short, the Woodman is awash with Arsenal memorabilia, posters, pictures and other related items. Behind our table, for instance, was a framed picture of Thierry Henry, Sol Campbell and Robert Pires lifting the Premier League trophy, while in front of us was a metal, embossed Arsenal badge, commemorating the memory of an Arsenal fan who had passed away.

Onto the food. We skipped the starters and went straight for the mains. Though we were tempted by both the beef burgers and pork chop, which I remember being quite good, we opted for the tuna sandwich and Greek-style grilled chicken. The tuna is mixed with mayonnaise and comes with a generous amount of red onions, so the flavour is definitely there, especially if you squeeze on a few drops of lemon juice (they are happy to give you a freshly cut slice), although you may want to chew a couple of mint gums before you give your significant half a kiss after your meal. While it comes with a perfectly fine side salad, we added a serve of sweet potato chips, which proved a great accompaniment. The grilled chicken was well-cooked, and served over a bed of hand-cut home fries, which are always a treat. It also came with a different side salad to the one served with the sandwich, with tomatoes, red onions, parsley, onions, capers, and olive oil, as well as a slice of grilled pitta bread. All in, a fine meal.

We concluded by trying the carrot cake, served with vanilla ice cream. The cake itself is soft and moist, topped with cream cheese icing, and infused with bits of carrot, walnuts and raisins, while giving off the flavour of a Christmas-style spice blend of cinnamon, cloves and honey. Not the worst way in the world to cap off a meal.

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY Pub food

WHERE The Woodman, Georgiou A 73, Germasogeia, Dasoudi beach, Limassol

WHEN Daily 10am-12pm every day

HOW MUCH €12-16 for burger or main, €8 for a sandwich, €6 for dessert

CONTACT 25 109040