The UK Restaurant, Hotel and Travel Review
The UK Restaurant, Hotel and Travel Review
I might as well begin this review by getting one thing off my chest right away.
Our stay at the Annabelle in Paphos was probably the most enjoyable at any
hotel in the past two or three years. It may not be the most lavish - but
it's luxurious enough by any standards, it may not be located in one of
the world's most exotic places - but it makes up for that with its
fabulous water gardens that create an ambience of its own - it may not even
have the most sophisticated
guests (thank heavens!)- but they come back year after year and I can well understand why.
More than anything, it has the most welcoming, easy going manner, with a continuity of staff that makes everyone feel immediately at home. As we were being shown up to our room by Theo, the guest relations manager, he greeted a family warmly as they came out of the lift. On the way up, he told me that he'd known the now grown up son since he was a boy of eight! At a very sociable lunch in the traditional Cypriot restaurant, the lady next to me confessed that this was her ninth visit. She emphasised, almost defensively, that she and her husband weren't as conservative as all that. "We go somewhere different every year for our main holiday: safaris, diving, skiing - but we come here every autumn to recharge our batteries."
October is a fabulous time to visit Cyprus. The weather is invariably
crystal clear, with no enervating muggy heat, more like a succession of
perfect English summer days. There are two pools, a large oblong one for
people who like to swim seriously for exercise, and a sort of river that
flows through the tropical gardens, past an amphitheatre, through caves
and genuine ruins that were uncovered when the landscaping was done. You can swim
in and out of grottoes, under waterfalls, and then sit at a bar which
feels as if you've swum all the way to Bora Bora!
For the dedicated foodie, swimming and exercise (there's also a health spa, tenis and squash courts) is most important, otherwise you'd come back from a week at The Annabelle looking decidedly rotund! There are four major restaurants in the hotel offering the widest possible variety of styles. At the cutting edge of fashion, overseen by Mark Patten, a most talented Australian Chef, there's Pacific Rim fusion style at the Deck, which we've reviewed already. The day to day work-horse restaurant of the hotel is The Pergola, where marvellous breakfasts are served and at lunch you can eat anything from a simple salad to a grill. In the evening the Pergola really comes into its own with a series of theme nights. Out come the various different ethnic trappings to create a French or an Italian ambience, and the staff dress up and get everyone into the mood. Mark Patten has made sure that these evenings have some serious culinary content to them, as well as contributing to the varied entertainment for the guests.
Once a week there's a so-called "Romantic Gala Evening" in the terraced open air amphitheatre, costing £25 for hotel guests. "Yuk" I thought, and booked in at the Deck instead. On our way to dinner, we thought we'd just take a peek at the amphitheatre to see what it looked like. I have to admit, that the setting was spellbinding. From your candle-twinkling table you look out towards the sea and the crusader fort of Paphos harbour, the soft lights dancing at the other tables on so many levels, partly hidden by great palms - it is romantic, even for an old cynic like me.
Not to be missed is the Mediterraneo Restaurant, where traditional Cypriot food is lovingly prepared by Polycarpus Demetriou, chef des cuisines of the entire operation. You only have to enjoy the company of this man for a brief while to know that he is both genial and generous, and he really cares about food. His enthusiasm and desire to share what he knows is tempered by a charming shyness and self deprecation that's a rare commodity in many of today's chefs.
As I clearly showed more than a
passing interest in his cooking, he took me under his wing and we went
out to visit the organic farm where all the fruit and vegetables are grown
for the Thanos Group's three hotels. We wandered about picking fresh figs, lemons and
cucumbers, the like of which I'd never tasted. There are citrus groves that produce the fruit needed for all that freshly squeezed orange juice, to say nothing of the lemon zest for the martinis. That so much trouble is taken in raising all these
crops strictly organically is a clear sign of how seriously the whole business of food is
viewed at Thanos Hotels.
We ate a wonderful Meze at Demetrious' restaurant, helping
ourselves from a buffet that was constantly being replenished.
We started with little cheese flavoured pastries spanakopita, and
vegetable fritters, where the farm freshness was not masked by the light
tempura, wonderful stuffed peppers, and little grilled fishes. Huge
barbecues were turning out delicious lamb souvla and shieftalia, as well
as yet more fishy things. I had to keep some room for Demetrious' kleftiko
lamb, which is a fine example of just how slow slow cooking should be.
The meat fell off the bone, but remained moist and had retained sufficient texture.
Never before had I seen such an array of interesting desserts at the end of a Cypriot. Not just the ubiquitous baklava, but a delicious light semolina and orange cake, lokmadas - honey balls - you'd never think that potato is used as the base! And katimeri, little sweetmeats that used to keep the olive harvesters strength up through the long hot days. There are recipes for these dishes in the book Food from the Village by Polycarpus Demetrious and Thane Prince.
George, the hotel's food and beverage manager and his enthusiastic
assistant are keen to find Cyprus wines to match this stunning array of
dishes. We enjoyed an interesting blend of Semillon and Xinisteri (an
indigenous white varietal) called Ayia Irini. The 1997 vintage drinks well
and requires no further aging. The local black grape Mavron is large and thin
skinned, so it makes an excellent rosé. We tried one called
Iocasti, also from the 1997 vintage. It's good to see that Cyprus
winemakers are releasing these lighter wines to be enjoyed young.
My favourite red remains the Ayios Onoufrius 1996, from a small family run
vineyard. George and his assistant do a wine tasting every week that's well worth going along ro.
If it's sheer hedonistic relaxation you're after, with great food and plenty of enjoyable friendly company, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Annabelle. Some people never even stray out of the hotel grounds, there's either so much to do, or nothing to do, as you please. But if you can stir your stumps, avoid the trippery town of Paphos, except for the Roman Villa of the mosaics, and go up to the Vineyards of the Troodos. The mountain scenery is wonderful and the little wine villages like Omodos are a joy.
Clifford Mould flew with Cyprus Airways
from London Heathrow.
The Annabelle, Poseidonos Avenue, Pafos, Cyprus. Tel (+357) (6) 238 333
email:
mailto:the-annabelle@thanos-hotels.com.cy
In the UK: Thanos Hotels UK, PO Box 3726, London N12 0PE
Tel: 020 8343 4244
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