Brunch a cut above the usual
The name Campo de Fiori certainly evokes the delights of Italian cuisine. However, if you visit the restaurant so named in the old town of Paphos before 4pm you can experience a menu called World Breakfast and Brunch. Even so, owners have certainly drawn inspiration from Italy. The menu caters to anyone who loves brunch, offering one of the most extensive selections in Paphos.
Campo de Fiori is located on Petraki Miltiadou, a charming and authentically redeveloped area of the old town, not far from the lifts that provide access to the main car park.
The main reason we chose Campo de Fiori for brunch was because it is consistently busy whenever we pass – it is almost always packed. I have visited Campo de Fiori a couple of times for coffee but had not experienced the food. It’s the perfect spot to meet friends or hold a work meeting, featuring an extensive selection of specialty coffees, teas, and smoothies.
The restaurant is delightful in good weather, as it offers ample outdoor seating with scattered tables under a canopy that protects from sun and rain. If you prefer an indoor experience, there’s also a comfortable area on the first floor, though it’s hard to imagine wanting to be inside when the weather is nice.
The location, with inspirational quotes and quirky decor, resembles an Italian café on its namesake piazza in Rome. The restaurant is an excellent example of Paphos revitalising the old town.
While it has a very relaxed vibe, the menu was beautifully presented as was all the imagery. Not including the side dishes, there are 22 brunch dishes on offer until 4pm. It is actually very hard to choose, but anyone would be hard-pressed not to find something they desire, from the decadent to the very healthy options. One that we did not try but was very tempting was the German Breakfast, which consisted of bread with fried potatoes, pepperoni and goat cheese topped with two fried eggs with salad.
We decided to go with American Smash Toast and the fishy version of Eggs Benedict. While the menu has various price variations, prices were slightly higher for a typical breakfast/brunch. Certainly more than we pay at other places, but when the plates arrived, it was immediately apparent why. They serve very generous portions.
The Eggs Benedict came with a considerable amount of smoked salmon, possibly equivalent to a small packet you might buy at the supermarket. The salmon sat on a brioche bun and a plate of greens with two poached eggs cooked to perfection and topped with caviar, smothered with a delightful hollandaise sauce. The avocado dish was beautiful: artisan toast with avocado, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce over greens.
The quality of the ingredients makes the Campo brunch stand out from the rest, and it is well worth the money. We enjoyed our brunch with some excellent coffees and a Blue Beauty smoothy. It contained blue spirulina, coconut, banana and yoghurt; one of the best smoothies I have ever had.
Additionally, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that the restaurant is a Zero Waste HoReCa Cyprus Network member. It has received an award for its energy savings and waste management efforts. Hats off to Campo, a relatively new restaurant in Paphos, for being at the forefront of this critical movement.
The service was relaxed and very friendly, which contributed to the restaurant’s welcoming atmosphere. Usually, there is something to criticise, but at Campo, they have indeed paid attention to the details, which explains why it is always so busy when you drive past. It also offers a lunch and dinner menu that we haven’t had the chance to try yet it being the perfect destination for brunch. However, next time we plan to stop for coffee and cake as those on the counter looked amazing.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALTY Brunch
WHERE Campo de Fiori, Petraki Miltiadou 12, Paphos
WHEN Daily 9am – 11pm
CONTACT 26 221 519
HOW MUCH Brunch from €7.50
