Restaurant review: Pasta Strada, Nicosia
The very idea we have of restaurants has changed profoundly and perhaps irreversibly in recent years. We used to go out to eat, now we mostly stay in and order.
I don’t necessarily like the new way, much like I don’t find myself exactly at ease with the digital age or trap music, but the world is going in new directions in every aspect of our lives… and it’s often sink or swim!
Ordering food at home, at least in my books, needs to abide by three imperative pillars, namely variety, consistency and speed.
That said, I cannot think of a better place in Nicosia than Pasta Strada!
As you can probably guess, the place focuses on one thing and one thing only, the ultimate comfort food, one that is simple, familiar and ultimately satisfying: pasta. There are also salads though, and soup in the winter months.
The first Pasta Strada opened around two years ago in Aglandjia. A little unassuming place on a busy road quickly became one of the capital’s food staples, as far as takeaway and delivery are concerned, so much that two more places, one in Ayios Dhometios and one in Latsia, opened in the past year and a half.
Let’s go pillar by pillar, the first one being variety. Check! The menu is huge and the selection is virtually infinite, considering that every pasta available can be customised to one’s preferences.
That said, my recommendation is to stick to what’s available.
The One with The Steak features beef sirloin strips, mushrooms, red onion, dried cranberries, Worcestershire sauce and chilli flakes and is a must, with the cranberries adding a touch of unexpected sweetness to a rather hearty dish.
Speaking of hearty, I also have a soft spot for the Pastitsio Mafia, with beef and pork minced meat, breadcrumbs, parsley and creamy, almost foamy, béchamel. Somewhere between the very Italian pasta pasticciata popular in the south of the country and the quintessentially Greek and Cypriot pastitsio, a revelation!
Are you more of a purist? Fear not, because the Italian Carbonara, faithful to the original, if not for the use of bacon instead of the elusive guanciale, and the Drunk Bolognese, featuring beef and pork minced meat, onion, vodka and parmesan cheese, would not be out of place in Italy, and this is coming from an actual Italian.
Second pillar, consistency. Every order I have placed at Pasta Strada, and there have been many in the past year, has been spot on. Never a mistake, never a bad day in the kitchen. The pasta itself has always been al dente, firm to the bite, which is not an easy accomplishment for a place whose dishes have a waiting time before they can be enjoyed.
And speaking of waiting time, we got to the last pillar, speed. Admittedly, living in close proximity to the Aglandjia branch allows me to fetch my orders promptly, contingent only upon my driving skills and appetite level.
However, word on the street is that Pasta Strada has some of the quickest and efficient delivery services in Nicosia.
The streets have memory and reputation, especially when it comes to takeaways and deliveries. I can attest that Pasta Strada’s hard-earned reputation for a consistent, comforting and ultimately affordable place.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALTY Italian, pasta
WHERE Larnakos Avenue 109, 2102 Aglandjia, Nicosia, or Aristeidou Street 34, 2370 Ayios Dometios, Nicosia, or Ayiou Georgiou 5, 2231 Latsia, Nicosia
WHEN Monday to Saturday from 11.15am to 11pm, Sunday closed
CONTACT 77773031
HOW MUCH All pasta dishes from 6.50 to 8.50