Zaffron Restaurant, Paphos, Cyprus

...reception, and this is where Zaffron comes in. Our Thomas Cook Wedding co-ordinator asked us a few questions about what we were after, how many people etc., and recommended Zaffron from a number of restaurants she had in her file. She gave us the contact details and it was up to us to go and arrange it.

The prospect of arranging it ourselves directly with the owners was pretty daunting at first, after all the whole reason we'd gone ...
...have worried.

Zaffron is a family run restaurant and this means that you get an excellent standard of service and a personal touch. I understand that Ciao does not permit mentioning people's names without their consent, which is a pity really as they deserve a mention. So instead I'll just say that Zaffron is run by husband and wife team B and S, and their daughter. It is located on the main road out to Coral Bay from Paphos, which ... more

My husband and I got married in May 2005 in Paphos, Cyprus. It was all arranged for us by Thomas Cook Wedding services, who were excellent but we're not here to talk about them! The only thing we had to arrange for ourselves was the wedding reception, and this is where Zaffron comes in. Our Thomas Cook Wedding co-ordinator asked us a few questions about what we were after, how many people etc., and recommended Zaffron from a number of restaurants she had in her file. She gave us the contact details and it was up to us to go and arrange it.

The prospect of arranging it ourselves directly with the owners was pretty daunting at first, after all the whole reason we'd gone for the package in the first place was so everything would be taken care of. I suppose it's not practical to arrange receptions for people because their needs and requirements vary so much. Anyway, having been pointed in the right direction, we set out to make the arrangements and discovered that we really needn't have worried.

Zaffron is a family run restaurant and this means that you get an excellent standard of service and a personal touch. I understand that Ciao does not permit mentioning people's names without their consent, which is a pity really as they deserve a mention. So instead I'll just say that Zaffron is run by husband and wife team B and S, and their daughter. It is located on the main road out to Coral Bay from Paphos, which was very convenient for us as we were staying in Coral Bay and got married at St. George's Chapel, which is also on that side of Paphos. B and S also have an Indian restaurant, called Koh-I-Noor, which is also excellent - we went there and liked it so much we went back for more!

To make the initial arrangements we first met with S, who immediately put us at ease, couldn't do enough for us and made lots of helpful suggestions as we didn't really know what we wanted, having never had a wedding reception before! We were given complimentary drinks while we were there talking to her, and she didn't even need a deposit for the reception - she was happy to wait until my Dad arrived in Cyprus (with his wallet!) the day before the wedding. One downside of Cyprus in general is that smoking is allowed pretty much everywhere, but for our reception S allocated us a whole section of the restaurant (the front dining area) and it was designated as no smoking for the occasion. They even took care of decorations and a table with the cake (provided by Thomas Cook) on it so we could pose for those mandatory pictures!

B, S and all at Zaffron did everything they could to reassure us, put us at ease and make everything run smoothly (very important when you're organising a wedding!) - B made a point of coming out of the kitchen to meet us, and their daughter went through our decoration requirements with us, again making helpful suggestions. The whole thing was handled in a friendly, highly professional manner and really helped to make our wedding memorable for all the right reasons.

The décor is modern and fresh, with lots of nice touches. On a couple of the walls they have flat screen TVs which they use to play DVDs of relaxing music with accompanying images, which combined with the nice lighting effects all added to the pleasant atmosphere. It is all very well designed and stylish, and not in the slightest bit tacky. The seating is comfortable, with a good mix of different types from bar stools to sofas (in the bar obviously, not the dining areas!) There is a large outside terrace area at the front, with a water feature, and a pool area at the back. We were told that the pool belongs to the apartments at the back so I'm not sure if Zaffron guests can use it or not.

The food was excellent: of a very high standard and well presented. Everything is cooked properly from scratch, using fresh ingredients; no packet or pre-prepared rubbish. Their Death by Chocolate is absolutely heavenly, and you can't go to Zaffron or Koh-I-Noor without trying it. It is not a chocolate cake style dessert like most desserts bearing this name, but their own creation served with a scoop of ice-cream and beautifully presented. At first glance you think "is that it?" as it's not very big, but once you eat it you realise why: you really don't want a big portion as it is heavenly but oh so rich! If rich desserts aren't your thing, there are plenty of alternatives: we ordered Death by Chocolate for most of our party but I knew that a couple of our guests didn't like that sort of thing, and B and S were more than happy to provide fresh fruit salads instead for those guests.

The menu is extensive and varied, so one visit is never enough. The two of us had a quiet meal there before the wedding to see what the food was like (and were given more complimentary drinks), and we all ended up back there again as a group on at least one occasion after the reception because everyone liked it so much. Not only is it a great place to eat but it is also a great place to go for a pleasant evening out. There is a cocktail menu to work your way through, including non-alcoholic varieties, as well as all the usual drinks.

So if you're getting married in Paphos I would definitely recommend that you have your reception at Zaffron. Our party was 16 people but they can easily cater for larger parties. Even if you're not getting married Zaffron is well worth a visit, or several, if you're in the Paphos area, as is Koh-I-Noor. Although the prices are not cheap they are very reasonable for what you get and if you are in Paphos, even if you are on a tight budget, I would recommend splashing out and going there for at least one meal, as it is definitely worth it. 

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