Restaurant review: Pepperoni Pizza, Limassol

I can vividly spot the wry smiles forming on the face of both colleagues and patrons alike, even before I have finished the first paragraph of this review. “Why would you spend time reviewing a restaurant which the vast majority of Limassol denizens will have already tried, and, more importantly, have only engaged with through the cold, emotionless menu of a food delivery application?” Two reasons. That’s not the whole story, and people who have only recently moved to Cyprus may be particularly interested. And secondly, the food is good, and that’s why we’re all here, after all.

Pepperoni Pizza, the original store, in Linopetra, has been around since 1981. As a child of the 80s myself, I can attest to how enduringly solid it’s been since then. My personal experience was mostly but not exclusively limited to ordering in, a meal to be shared, a once-a-week treat. Fast forward a couple of decades, a chunk of which was spent away from our sunny isle. Having returned to Cyprus, I was interested in seeking out old family restaurants and seeing if they could still hold their own.

Visiting the restaurant in person was a pleasant surprise. While the exterior is largely unchanged, save for a new coat of paint, the interior has been fully renovated. It is modern but still cozy and geared toward families. Not only that, but the restaurant was soon buzzing with in-store customers (food app denigrators be aware). Both foreigners from all walks of life and younger locals with children of their own have clearly embraced the restaurant, giving it a new lease on life for another generation. I am perhaps belabouring the point, but the restaurant’s family-oriented approach is further cemented by the permanently-placed bouncy castle at the back, which is in full view of some of the tables in the exterior area.

As for the food, there is no real need for a complex, elongated block of text here. I have tried this place out on numerous occasions, including on the go, and the food has always been reliably good. On the night in question, we ordered a half-and-half pizza, one side pepperoni only, and the other with ham and cheese. The ingredients were fresh, the dough hearty, floury, and crispy, although more substantial than thin crust style pizzas. This actually allows the restaurant to repurpose the dough for their sandwiches and burgers, which can be ordered in what they call ‘pizza bread’. My advice is to always opt for this over the standard buns, where available. Trust me.

We also tried two pasta dishes, the lasagna, and the bolognese. The lasagna is very rich, so if you’re also ordering pizza they can easily be shared between two people. The bolognese, meanwhile, is not shy on the ragu. The sauce itself is fragrant, distinctive, and tastes like something an experienced Cypriot cook would fashion out of a traditional Italian recipe. It’s faithful, but also somewhat different, localised, but not excessively changed. Same goes for the tomato sauce used in their pizzas. For dessert, we shared a simple piece of apple pie with vanilla ice cream, which was expectedly solid. All in all, this is a no-frills restaurant, using fresh ingredients, perfectly suited for casual dining, that’s happy to accommodate all kinds of guests.

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY: Pizzas, pastas, salads, sandwiches

WHERE: Pepperoni Pizza, Theodorou Eleftheriou, Ayios Athanasios, Limassol

WHEN: Friday & Saturday: 12pm-11pm, Sunday-Thursday 12pm-11:30pm,

CONTACT: 25 322225 (delivery available)

HOW MUCH: €8-25 for pizza, €6-13.50 for pasta, €16-24 for grilled fish and meat