By Andrea Kouyiali

It was a long day and both of us were starving. Making the best of the sunny weather, after a walk along Limassol’s promenade our eyes wandered to the food options available. At the marina, we spotted a restaurant that had cute décor with a few nice plants around – Jamie Oliver Kitchen.

There was a lot of fanfare about the restaurant when it opened, and now it’s become a regular staple in the area we figured it would be time to check back in on the place to see what the famous casual cuisine Jamie Oliver is known for would have to offer.

The décor has a perfect summery ambiance, with large glass windows that face the marina, and lots of foliage and sea-themed colours, with plenty of seating options.

As we got settled, we started to pore over the menu – it’s simple and to the point. One large sheet of paper, with clear bold names and to-the-point descriptions. Appetizers are called ‘small plates’ and main dishes ‘large plates.’

From the small plates, we tried the tempura mushrooms, which were far more satisfying than we thought. Cooked in a light and crispy batter and served with lime and ginger soy dipping sauce, the mushrooms had a wonderfully tangy flavour while the texture had the crunchy crispiness of fried food, which hit with a lot more flavour than one would assume by simply looking at the dish.

rest2For our ‘big plates’ we chose pasta dishes; the Seafood Spaghetti Nero and the Cacio Carbonara Casarecce. I have to admit the seafood spaghetti far surpassed its carbonara competitor. The two dishes go for different palates but we both felt the seafood spaghetti was for the win. The dish is squid-ink pasta with octopus, squid and mussels in a tomato, caper and white-wine sauce. A bite into the pasta and the acidity from the tomato along with the fish flavour – mellowed out with the zangy white wine – were a well merged combination, hitting all the right notes. The texture of the pasta with the light chewiness of the squid and the savouriness that came with the mussels created a perfect warm dish that did not feel heavy and was completely satisfying.

Not to undermine the carbonara, which is a classic – though perhaps there was a difference in expectations. Perhaps the confusion stemmed from the waiter warning there may be some spice to the dish – even though the menu does not allude to it. In fact the menu refers to a Cacio cheese and black pepper sauce, a confit egg yolk, crispy pancetta, crushed pink pepper and parmesan.

Even though I was starving and thought I would finish the whole plate, I surprisingly found myself full somewhere along the halfway mark. The dish is comforting and the sauce rich, while the pancetta adds a certain depth. It is definitely a classic ‘go to’ option.

Overall, Jamie Oliver is a mid-range food that meets the quality benchmark and couples it with quantity to create a casual restaurant for a relaxed, no-fuss outing.

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY Classic diner food

WHERE Jamie Oliver Kitchen, Limassol Marina

WHEN Daily 12pm – 10:30pm (11pm on Saturday)

CONTACT 25 057575

HOW MUCH average €15-€20