Cyprus Restaurant

Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: 2016/07 - July | Photograph By: Marjorie Christiansen Photography

Say what you will about Cyprus, there’s nothing subtle about your dining experience.   

This venerable Highlands institution, celebrating 15 years, is a full-on sensory seduction.

First off, there’s its wonderful setting – nestled in the heart of Highlands’ Main Street. If the weather’s right, you can enjoy your meal on its bistro-like rooftop patio, and the experience is sublime. With a little imagination, you’re in Europe and the world is continuing apace without you.

If the patio is filled or the weather has turned sketchy, you’ll find yourself seated indoors, which may sound like a step down, but really isn’t. That’s because owner/chef Nick Figel has devoted just as much imagination to the design of his main Dining Room. Done up in a bold paint scheme, the walls are adorned with an eclectic assortment of African and Asian artifacts that reflect the international flavor of the menu. 

But no matter where you end up in the Dining Room, you need to give more than just a glance into the Open Kitchen, where Figel and his culinary artists are turning out those surprising menu features. It’s an endlessly entertaining show, somehow effortless yet drenched with import – like one of those plate spinners on “ Ed Sullivan Show.” Do not miss these performances!

And that leads us to the heart of The Cyprus Experience and this review. Cyprus offers a kaleidoscopically varied menu of regional dishes, which means that the dishes we enjoyed may not be available when you visit. 

Not to worry, though.

Figel is faithful to his peasant-inflected cuisine and there’s an unshakable authenticity that infuses every part of Cyprus’ menu. 

“It takes a little more effort, but I regularly shop the ethnic markets in Atlanta to ensure that we maintain uncompromised quality in each dish that we serve,” Figel says. “In the kitchen, we go the extra mile to express ideas in food which are sincere, and we remain mindful that our food is a vessel for communication with you.”

That’s a heady commitment, but one his kitchen made good on for every dish my party enjoyed – Dim Sum Har Gau, Sacred Basil Calimari, Arrachero Borracho, Pescado Dynamite,  and Mole Poblano Vegetariano.

Notice the broad range of those selections. That’d normally tax a busy kitchen, but Cyprus delivered with aplomb. Each dish was carefully crafted and each delicately spiced. I’ve noticed that on all of our visits to Cyprus over the years, a vital ritual is the sharing of dishes around the table. Each forkful is prudently measured because, let’s face it, you want to make sure the majority of your dish stays on your plate.

No matter what you order, please, please, save room for dessert. This might mean that you’ll have to take some of your entrée home in a Doggy Bag, but it’s worth it.

(Sadly, reheating your dish the next night will not recreate the Cyprus Experience. Maybe it has something to do with the décor.)

Anyway, the dessert offered to us this evening was Rio de la Plata Flan, a smooth, marvelous creation subtly infused with citrus. I used the word “sublime” at the start of this piece, so let’s go with “transcendent.” The flan was transcendent.

Give Cyprus a try and renew your culinary passport. It’s a lovely getaway.

Cyprus is located at 332 Main Street Highlands. Reservations are a must.