Restaurant review: Al Dente, Larnaca

As the temperatures climbed higher and higher, we found ourselves looking for somewhere to escape that wasn’t simply home with the air conditioning on or another afternoon at the beach. We ended up at Metropolis Mall in Larnaca for a wander and, by the time lunchtime came around, it was obvious we’d be eating there.

There are plenty of places to grab a bite, many of them sharing the mall’s communal outdoor seating area. But we were after something that felt a little more like a proper restaurant experience. One of the few places with its own indoor dining area is Al Dente Italian Cuisine, so that made the decision for us.

We were quickly shown to a comfortable booth and handed the menus. The décor immediately catches your attention. The ceiling resembles a hanging garden of flowers, exposed brickwork adds warmth, and through the open kitchen you can watch the chefs working; a well-organised team. It immediately felt like we’d chosen well.

The usual Italian favourites were all there: pizzas, pasta, risotto and plenty more, but almost everything sounded tempting.

Eventually I settled on the Penne Norcina, with a creamy white sauce, walnuts, pork mince, mushrooms and parsley. I’d gone in planning on ordering one of the tagliatelle dishes and even considered asking if they could swap the pasta, but decided to leave it exactly as the chef intended.

My dad chose the Linguine alla Pescatora with squid, prawns, mussels, cherry tomatoes, basil and garlic in a tomato sauce, served with focaccia bread. As the waiter walked away, that lingering pizza craving got the better of me, so I quickly called him back and added the Focaccia con Formaggio to share.

The focaccia arrived quickly and completely satisfied that pizza craving. It came generously covered with smoked mozzarella on a wonderfully soft, fluffy base. There was so much cheese that we actually had to stop ourselves finishing it before the mains arrived. It’s easily a starter that three people could happily share.

Before long the main courses arrived, accompanied by a small pot of Parmesan. The first mouthful of my pasta gave me exactly the reaction I’d been hoping for. I was torn between eating it as quickly as possible because it was so good or slowing down and making it last. Thankfully, I chose the second option.

Everything about the dish worked. The mushrooms were perfectly sautéed, the walnuts added a lovely crunch, and the creamy sauce struck exactly the right balance without becoming too rich. Even the pasta itself lived up to the restaurant’s name, cooked perfectly al dente. I couldn’t fault it.

My dad felt exactly the same about his seafood linguine. His only concern beforehand had been whether the prawns would be few and far between, but there was no need to worry. They were generous in both size and number, with plenty of seafood throughout the dish rather than just the odd token piece.

Despite the generous portions, we decided that if we were treating ourselves, we might as well finish properly with dessert. The menu listed seven. Alongside the Italian classics such as tiramisu, panna cotta and Crostata al Limone were favourites like brownie with ice cream and apple crumble.

I settled on the Crostata al Limone while dad chose the brownie. As soon as I saw his arrive, I fully intended on reaching across the table with my spoon for a taste. Then something rather unexpected happened. I took my first bite of the lemon tart and instantly decided I didn’t want anything distracting me from what I was eating. The sweetness was perfectly balanced by the sharpness of the lemon, while the ratio of crisp pastry to silky filling was spot on. My dad admitted he was thinking exactly the same about his brownie, so for once we left each other’s desserts alone.

The bill certainly wasn’t cheap, but equally, it wasn’t unreasonable either, especially when you’ve enjoyed a meal as much as we did at Al Dente. I walked in hoping we’d found another decent Italian restaurant in Larnaca. I left already looking forward to returning.

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY Italian

WHERE Al Dente, Metropolis Mall, European Union Avenue, Larnaca

WHEN Daily 09.30am to 10:30pm

CONTACT 24 040040

HOW MUCH Focaccia con Formaggio €8.90, Linguine alla Pescatora €17.90, Penne Norcina €15.70, desserts €7.50