Souxou Mouxou Mantalakia

Mantalakia is by no means a new arrival to the gastronomic scene of Nicosia, but it's one of my favourite spots for dinner. We were there last week for a family celebration and it didn't disappoint, so I thought it only fair to share it with you.

The interior is white, crisp and elegant.

Concerning the food, I'd say it was Greek gone to art school; the base was Greek food but with a slightly different approach and fused with a lot of creative touches.

We started with a green salad with walnuts, green grapes and graviera cheese. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get a picture of the serving bowl - I wasn't quick enough - so here's a photo of my plate being an example of poor food styling.

Anyhow, I'm a firm believer that any chef worth their salt will pay attention to the salad they serve and take it from a bunch of greens to something extraordinary. This was the case. The vegetables were fresh and crisp, and the dressing suited perfectly the tanginess of the green grapes and the nuttiness of the walnuts.
Well done, sir. Well done.

We continued with nut encrusted chicken accompanied with a salad with mushrooms.

....succulent pork fillet on a bed of risotto...

...and a salmon fillet with pureed peas and carrot shavings.

...and it was all washed down with chilled rose - naturally.

The sister and the bottle

We couldn't do without desserts.
The following beauty was a cheesecake with a duo of sauces: orange and red fruit. Deliciously creamy, with the sauces stopping it from being too heavy.

We also couldn't do without chocolate. So here's a chocolate parfait with mint ice cream. I liked the contrast between the deep chocolate flavours and the minty flavour of the ice cream - kind of like an after eight chocolate only creamier and more intense. Although it was quite nice, still the cheesecake was my favourite.

If you're after something a bit special Souxou Mouxou Mantalakia will certainly fit the bill. Compared to other restaurants in the same area it is a tad above the average price level, but you get what you pay for: the food is delicious, the ambiance is elegant and the manager/owner has some serious people skills.

The only thing I would like to see improved is the English spelling/grammar in the menu. However, I'm a bit of a grammar Nazi myself, so I'm not sure how much such spelling/grammar mistakes are noticed by other (non-grammar Nazi) people.

You'll find them at 47, Onasagorou Street, Nicosia, or call them at 22666600.

Also, the menu changes periodically, so you don't get bored and you always have a reason to visit. ;-)
PS: If you're into big, meaty dishes (in the classic Greek/Cypriot manner), don't miss their kotsi dish - you'll be thanking me.