Tuesday 7 July 2009

Maistros Restaurant

We went to Maistos with high hopes as we had heard a lot about it, most importantly that it was run by the same guy who has the Arkoudas taverna on the front (which has always been excellent) and that it commanded lovely views down onto Parga. I had also heard from others who had already been, some saying it was excellent, others not.
Certainly, that place looks the part. Turn right down a small side alley on the way up to the castle just past the Sail Inn, and in a few meters you come to the bottom of this new multi terraced building that manages to offer that wonderful view to as many tables as possible. There are plenty of spacious tables, catering for couples or larger groups and it's all made with heavy dark wood. The impression is one that this is a more up-market place to dine.
We had the mix of hot starters which I enjoyed, especially the baked chick peas and the rochforte stuffed mushroom, although my wife felt the whole plate was a bit on the greasy side. I had a plate f scallops to follow which were tasty enough if nothing special (although to be fair I was warned it was the last few they had left so the best may have already gone), but the lamb my wife ordered was a disappointment - very fatty and the bits of meat you did get from the cut, very dry underneath the sauce. Add to this that the potatoes were a little under cooked, and I also would have expected something a little more imaginative than the shredded cabbage garnish on the side of the plate for a restaurant that is trying to stand out.
My impression is that they have bitten off more than they can chew. It was fairly full but many of the staff seemed to be panicking like it was there opening night. Perhaps with a few less tables they might have the time to improve the quality.
When asked if everything was OK, I did mention the lamb and they did apologise and also took some off the bill (although that was not my intention). We will go back and try the Maistos again, but that will now have to wait for another year. However, go yourselves, as I did see a couple of souvlaki zoom past to the next table that looked utterly delicious, and leave a comment on your opinion.
May 2011

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