I’m on a seafood diet…I see food then I eat it
So this isn’t my first rodeo at No. 9. I went back because it’s so wonderful and I love to introduce people to wonderful places and I had my beautiful dinner date with me. This time my lucky guest was my mother for dinner. Isn’t she a doll! Although this was last year, the restaurant is now open again for the season. I have added this year’s menu below my review for you to peruse…
No. 9 is situated in the most beautiful spot in the coastal village of Latchi. (I’ll put all the directions at the end). It is on the road going out of Latchi, with a kitchen and toilets one side of the road and the dining area beachside. There is inside seating but you want to be outside…that’s where the action is at! It’s a small, intimate area outside – maybe 7/8 tables – so be sure to book (details at the end). Inside is just as lovely…cool and airy. It is also used for parties too, from anniversaries to birthdays so get booking!
No. 9 is the labour of love of husband and wife team, Toni and Mariyana. Both have lived and worked in Cyprus for over 10 years; Mariyana as a waitress and Toni as a chef (he really has honed his skill!). Their dream for forever has been to own their own restaurant and when No. 9 came up for grabs, they jumped at the chance! I mean how could you not?! Mariyana loves being by the sea and she really is the perfect hostess for the perfect place. She is so friendly and welcoming, it makes you feel like a friend rather than a customer.
Onto the food, I know you are all salivating waiting to hear about it! It is truly delicious! Hand on my heart I think it is some of the best in the area. The menu isn’t extensive but it means that each dish has been created to perfection! The snacks menu is extremely reasonably priced! Mainly wraps, you get a lot for what you pay for! Salmon is on the menu as is a crispy chicken wrap and roasted veggie. I can definitely vouch for that one and I know my mother enjoyed her crispy chicken wrap! They are served with fries in a cute little basket too. The restaurant food is just delightful! There is a menu but don’t ignore the specials either! The best way I can describe the food is gastro pub in terms of style, setting and delivery but you actually get portion sizes not something for a mouse! The main food is on the more expensive side but again not at all out of budget and for what you get, I just think it is superb! This time I had (again) the sea food starter (seen with a bit of cheeky foccia).
Consisting of prawns, muscles, calamari and octopus, this really is special. The sauce is a secret and it’s magic! I love sea food and this just tops it off for me. The portion size is just right so you don’t fill up before the main and you just know everything is fresh! It does leave you wanting more but excites you because you know what’s coming next is going to be too notch.
It’s the main course…ta daaahhhh…
I present to you cuttlefish ink risotto with cuttlefish and scallops. Oh it was fantastic. The cuttlefish ink is optional but when offered it how could you not?! It doesn’t look like a big portion but trust me you would not want any more. It was light but filling. It was smooth and fresh. It was perfect for an summer’s evening overlooking the sunset. It came with a delicate parmesan wafer (I must admit I could have had a plateful) and a fun rainbow coloured crumb which looks like rainbow drops smashed up (I need this with ever meal)! There were parmesan flakes which just melt in the mouth. I am big fan of parmesan with risotto. I like how it melts and adds a tangy flavour.
My date opted for the red snapper with vegetables. I’ve seen lots of red snappers whilst diving and I do admit they look pretty damn tasty. For me the hero of this plate was the sauce…I truly believe that everything needs sauce. This is sauce of the gods…lemony and buttery. It honestly was the best sauce for this fish. My mother loved this dish (I promise I did actually let her eat some). She said it was light, flakey, delicate and perfectly cooked. Her favourite part was the vegetables: grilled and drizzled in everyone’s favourite mediterranean sauce…olive oil.
Even though we were both pleasantly full; everyone knows that there is separate stomach for dessert. I love that the desserts are few here – they are homemade and tuned to fabulousness. I opted for sticky toffee pudding (nom nom nom) and my mother had cheesecake (nom nom nom). I could eat this everyday. It’s not heavy and for me a heavy dessert is not great at the end of a meal. The sponge isn’t too sweet, the persimmon is a lovely addition as it cuts through the caramel (i’m always a sour girl!). I would eat this again in a heartbeat. The cheesecake is a fresh piece of delightfulness. It’s a simple cheesecake recipe with cherry coulis and cherries are the best. My mother did think they were radishes on the side but fear not they are cut up red grapes! It is a big slice but she had me there to help her so it ended with another clear plate (I think that tells you how terrible it was right!). Now don’t forget that along with the small menu, there are always specials too. The menu will be there for longer than the specials so make sure you go more than once to give them both a whirl.
I have added this year’s menu below so you can take a look already…
SO what are we missing from this meal…drinks!!! Specifically, gin and tonic salads for the win! There are three on the menu…elderflower and cucumber, mango, and watermelon and pomegranate.
I would highly recommend a table at the edge at sunset. You can get directly on to the beach from the deck so mummy and I split our time whilst photographing the sunset. It is the most amazing sunset view…one of the best restaurant views. I’d come here just for the views but lucky for me the food is just sublime. Let’s look at the views…
All those beautiful colours; I wish I could paint!
The only thing I will mention is there isn’t any disabled access to the decking outside. You can get into the inside dining area no problem but you have to walk down stairs to reach the decking and outside area. The downstairs toilet is also minuscule (I have always been curious about this).
So how do you get there (specifically Akamantos Avenue 9 8852 Lachi, Cyprus)…you have multiple options! First by car…head towards Latchi from wherever you are coming from (highway from Limassol, Larnaca, Nicosia and then the B7 from Pafos to Polis, then the road to Latchi.) Drive through Latchi past all the shops and follow the road as if you are driving out of the village. You will go round a bend by the Porto Latchi restaurant and then just after that, on your right is No. 9. There is no parking there so keep driving about 30 secs and there will be a free car park on your left. Alternatively, there is another free car park just before the bend on your right.
By bus…if coming from outside of Pafos you will have to get one of the Intercity buses to Pafos. From Pafos, you need to head to the municipal market to get the 645 to Polis. Please bear in mind that this is a temporary bus station in the car park. It is just below Cafe Nero. The 645 runs pretty regularly on the hour with a couple of breaks during the day. The journey is about 45/50 mins normally. The great thing is that get on the first stop and get off the last so sit back and enjoy the ride! When you get to Polis bus station get off and wait for the 622 to the baths of Aphrodite (another great place)! This bus passes through Latchi and you want to ask the bus driver to stop at Porto Latchi. If it’s during the week then you will get my lovely friend Pambos these buses aren’t so regular and the last one returns to polis at 6:30 from the baths. Both the 645 and 622 are €1.50 each…complete bargain!
Last option which I only recommend from Polis or Neo Chorio is to walk! From Polis you can walk along the coastal path or the main road. The main road path is from the bus station in Polis all the way down to Latchi. The much nicer coastal path goes from Polis Camp Site. In Polis, head down the road that goes past the hospital and continue straight down to the Camp Site. Walk through the camp site (which is not a mud bath in summer yay) and you will end up on the coastal path. Follow that all the way to Latchi and it eventually ends at the first free car park by Porto Latchi and joins the main road leading out of Latchi which is where No. 9 stands in all its glory. From Neo Chorio there is only one road in and out that leads to Latchi. The road name is Elia Tavrou or ελιά Ταυρου in Greek. It starts at the Caprice resort just outside of Latchi and runs into Neo Chorio. The sea will be on your left and it’s a downhill walk.
To get in touch: call 94 032047, email no9_restaurant@abv.bg or check them out on facebook and drop them a message!
