Restaurant review: Aldente, Larnaca

By Andreas Vou

As well as the wonderful weather this time of the year, the summer always brings out a vibrant atmosphere along Phinikoudes in particular as the whole promenade, with its countless bars and restaurants, are filled by families, couples and friends throughout the day.

Aldente is located midway through the strip and has been held in high regard since its inauguration in 2011 due to its passion for Italian cuisine. Upon receiving the menu, you get an instant understanding of what the restaurant’s philosophy is about – when it comes to choice of dish, it’s all about quality over quantity. Rather than a book-like food list, Aldente focuses on just pizzas and pastas as well as a handful of creative salads. That is not to say that there are limited options, but that they stick to what they seemingly know best.

For starters, we went for Bruschetta, which is grilled bread with olive oil, chopped fresh tomatoes, garlic, basil and onions. Additionally, we shared the Melanzane alla Greca; small rolls of aubergine containing feta along with tomatoes topped with olive oil. The freshness of the contents of both were evident, a great way to set up the main meal without getting full.

For the main course, it was tough to decide whether to go for pasta or pizza. I had tried the pizza on a previous occasion and it was fantastic. Instead I thought I would try a pasta dish and, due to all of our group’s craving for a slice of pizza, we ordered one to share between us.

Proclaimed as ‘spicy and adventurous’ on the menu, I ended up settling on the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio – which was a mixture of garlic, hot chili peppers, parsley, croutons and olive oil. Indeed, it was spicy but not exactly adventurous – I felt that it did not contain enough flavour as there should have been and the dish, towards the latter stages, was a bit too oily. The general feeling around the table, however, was one of contentedness.

On the other hand, the pizza was great. We opted for the Pizza de Spinaci, a simple but wholesome thin crust pizza with spinach, scamorza, mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and onions. It is cooked in a traditional wood-fired oven which cooks the pizza thoroughly in a matter of a few minutes.

Prices are generally quite reasonable, with pastas costing an average of €12.50 while pizzas are between €11 and €15, the latter being slightly better value for money in hindsight.

There is an indoor seating area in Aldente which works well in the winter but due to the humidity of the evening, we preferred to sit outside and take in some fresh air. The furniture consists of basic square tables and slightly uncomfortable steel chairs.

The service was great all round, with three or four different members of staff attending to the table over the course of the evening; to greet us, for each stage of the meal, to check up on whether everything was satisfactory and to offer suggestions.

There is an impressive variety of cognacs and whiskeys available but I was more impressed with the selection of liqueurs which tends to be a good sign of an authentic al Italian restaurant. Limoncello, Grappa and Sambuca Romana are the most common and traditional ones while there was also the Brazilian clear rum known as Cachaca made from sugar cane. For me, Limoncello is the only way to go after an

Italian meal, better than a dessert or a coffee.
While I may have stumbled upon a not-so-great main, the overall experience was positive and this is a place that I would definitely try again.
VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALITY Pizzas and pastas
WHERE Aldente, Phinikoudes, Larnaca
CONTACT 24 664540
PRICE €17-€20 – starter, main and drink