On the corner of Tomb of the Kings Avenue is The Raffles restaurant, which looks the most exclusive and expensive on the avenue of restaurants. But you should not be put off, because although they have an a la carte menu (not overly priced), they also have a very competitive good quality set menu for a mere 7.95 Cypriot pounds. Raffles boasts international cuisine and claims to be "one of the best for the best…"
The tables were decked with peach-coloured tablecloths, with a bottle of wine placed provocatively on the table (we stuck with Keo!) and an extremely elaborate lit candle display flickering evocatively. Chairs were guided into position for us by the waiter and napkins placed onto our naps, and, whilst we considered the menu, we noticed the smartly dressed waiter in their white shirts and black dickie-bows. Impressive white statues depicting Greek wine carriers adorned the garden entrance, whilst decorative butterflies clung to the rear wall and large pot plants were strategically but seemingly randomly placed throughout the restaurant. The atmosphere was created and we were ready to order.
My Greek salad was presented virtually as a work of art, with a sculptured spring onion on top, but the dressing was a wee bit disappointing. However, my wife was well chuffed with her Greek hors d’oeuvre with hot pita bread. Again, the presentation was excellent, but the overall effect was lost a little with chips on the white dishes. Perhaps if we’d paid full price they may have been a little more careful in the selection of the crockery!
The main courses were served on plain white plates in a nouvelle cuisine style, with vegetables (the standard green beans and carrots) served in a separate dish. My beef steak was a little more medium than rare, but still very succulent and tasty, but my wife’s kleftiko was spot on with the meat dropping off the bone. The staff, which had initially seemed reserved and aloof, seemed to mellow as the evening progressed. The scented candle teased our olfactory organs, the additional Keos impacted our sensibility, and the food tantalised our taste buds whilst the gentle piped music played with our auditory senses. In short, all our senses were being bombarded!
The baklava was my chosen pudding – not the best I’ve ever tasted, but still a decent blend of nuts and honey, if a little bit insensitive to the teeth and gums. My wife’s "chocolate bomb" was synthetic and uninspiring.
This was a pleasant place to dine in and the food presented well. The beer was expensive (£2.15 a large bottle) and you can get better overall quality food down the road. However, if you fancy splashing out, it did have an extensive wine cellar and the ambience was spot on. Overall, it’s worth a visit, as it’s probably the classiest restaurant on the avenue!