Archontiko Papadopoulou - Papadopoulou Mansion - Kornos, Cyprus

When the weather says so, Alkis and I enjoy a Sunday outing and lunch in the nearby countryside. Last Sunday, we visited the village of Kornos and had a memorable lunch at Archontiko Papadopoulou. That lunch was for us the best gastronomic experience of the Greek-Cypriot cuisine we've ever had.  We had never visited the village of Kornos before and ...shame on us,we got lost on our way there! The village of Kornos is situated at about 27 km west of the city of Larnaca. In the centre of the village, at about 100 metres from the church, you can't miss the preservable, old mansion - Archontiko Papadopoulou.

The impressive mansion dates back to 1897.

 

That was the house of Michalis and Peristera Papadopoulou- the great grand-parents of Peri Vronti Papadopoulou- the owner of Archontiko Papadopoulou who created it with so much love and care for tradition. The mansion bears the architectural and morphological features of the neoclassical style of a 19th century construction. It is one of the few houses of its kind and age which have survived in the area, defying the passage of time and dating back to 1897.

The mansion bears the architectural and morphological features of the neoclassical style

The coffee shop

The pottery studio

The elegant dining-room

 

 

It is a three-storey mansion of an impressive neoclassical character, ornate with deep carvings on the stone columns - a construction where stone prevails. consisting of various areas divided by mudstone. It could be described as a cluster of various old, traditional elements with the characteristic back yard in the middle. That was where we had lunch.

Chtapodi Kathisto me Kritharaki - Octopus with local pasta

Asprovlachos Psimenos sto Keramidi - Seabass cooked in the brick

Pestrofa - Trout

Moscharisio Fileto me Sikoti Kotopoulou-Beef Fillet with Chicken Liver

 

 

The renovation and refurbishment of Archontiko Papadopoulou into a cultural centre took place from September 2009 to May 2011. Every possible effort was made so that the floors, the windows, the doors, the door-handles and the wooden beams supporting the roof, which were carved out of tree trunks, were preserved and restored in line with traditional architecture.The philosophy of Archontiko Papadopoulou is to promote, display and make known the art of Cypriot wine and gastronomy as well as that of the pottery art of Kornos which has been greatly developed in the area since antiquity.

Commandaria Bar

The Back Yard

Mrs Theognosia - a pottery artist

Mrs Anna - pottery artist

 

 

Alkis and I had the pleasure to taste in the back yard some of their great dishes,  such as traditional Cyprus ravioli for starters - they reminded me those of my grandmother. Alkis had ofton kleftikon for main course and I really loved their stuffed baby chick! Such a pity there was no room for dessert!

Balcony

 

The coffee shop

 

The Pottery Shop

 

The Archontiko Papadopoulou constitutes unquestionably an upgraded, different and unique option of unparalleled pleasure in Cyprus wine and gastronomy while promoting, at the same time, our culture and tradition.

All photos are the courtesy of Peri and Demetris Vronti.

Comments

[Laura]

It's so nice to hear that there are still people like Peri who endeavour to preserve tradition. The photos are gorgeous!

[Lakis Ioannou]

I have been there twice and really loved everything! I was very impressed by their wine list consisting only of our great Cyprus wines. I'd love to go more often, but it's a bit expensive.

[Agnes]

My goodness what a nice place!!! Great photos Anastasia :-)

[Sophia]

I've heard of the Archontiko Papadopoulou and the excellent job that has been done there. I'd really love to visit!

[Jean-Paul Bouvier]

J'adore les vieilles maisons et je vois là une architecture très differente de nôtre. A part ça, il semmble que les bons vins et la gastronomie n'est pas seulement le privilège des Français!! :-) Les photos sont vraiment sublimes!!!

[Olga P]

Πανέμορφο το αρχοντικό! Μου θυμίζει κάποια παλιά αρχοντικά που έχουμε στη Θράκη - δυστυχώς πολύ λίγα έχουν διατηρηθεί.

[Jeff]

The mansion is awesome!Thanks for sharing a part of your culture and traditions. Gastronomy, has been the joy of all peoples through the ages. It produces beauty and wit and goes hand in hand with goodness of heart and a consideration of others.

[Haruko N]

What a beautiful place! As for the food....hmmmm, sounds a bit strange to me!!!

[gary]

you know how I love pictures of food. esp gourmet food with wonderful presentation

[Lisa A]

This place is a real work of art! I love to visit old houses and learning about their history. Also, like any form of art, gastronomy or pottery is creation and communicate culture, traditions and civilizations. Thank you Anastasia for sharing these great pictures.

[Constantinos T]

I am very impressed with so much attention to detail when refurbishing the mansion. Now if I had to choose one of the dishes in the photos, I'd definitely have the octopus!

[Demetris Vrontis]

Thank you Anastasia and all of you for you lovely words and comments.

We aim for superb quality, fresh ingredients and everything (including bread, pasta, ravioli) are done in house. As far as the mansion was restored with great love and passion.

We look forward to seeing you all at Archontiko Papadopoulou.

Thanks again

Demetris and Peri

[Christina]

I always have tears in my eyes when I hear about people who put so much love into preserving the Greek tradition and culture. This mansion is gorgeous to say the least! Congratulation to the owners on their great project: restoring and refurbishing this beautiful mansion!

[Anastasia]

Dear Peri and Demetri, Thanks a million for sending me these great photos of Archontiko Papadopoulou, thus allowing me to share them with my TypePad friends. Both Alkis and I loved the food so much!! We'll certainly come back and next time we will visit the pottery studio as well. And I promise, next time I won't skip dessert!

[Katie White]

So beautiful!!!!

[Marilou Kyriacou]

Living away from home often makes me feel homesick. Reading your wonderful posts makes me feel like being back home virtually at the moment. I'll be back home in August for 3 weeks and I have already planned Sunday lunch at Archontiko Papadopoulou. Great post!!!

[Stefania]

The mansion is so impressive and has been beautifully restored. I'll certainly make a reservation one of these days.

[Alexia M]

This is one of those buildings that are meant to be forever. It's so beautiful!! Peri must be very proud of herself for such a grand project. On my next visit to Cyprus end of September, I will have lunch there! You know what a naughty gourmet I am!!! :-)

[Nicos N]

Anastasia, I may not comment often but I always read your great blogs. A couple of weeks ago my sister celebrated her wedding anniversary at Archontiko Papadopoulou and invited the close family- parents and siblings. The food is really excellent!! So different from what you get at the typical Cyprus taverna - 20 dishes of meze which you are unable to finish! I remember I had chicken cooked with beetroot - delicious!!! The following Sunday, I was back there for lunch with my wife and kids. We so much appreciated the fact that in a gourmet restaurant like this, they include children's menu! Piece of advice: next time you go don't skip dessert!!! The photos are super!!! Now that it's getting warmer, we will give that back yard a try.

[Andreas]

I love gourmet restaurants very much and this one semms to be the perfect place to enjoy a meal with your loved ones. Glad to hear you had a great day out with Alkis. Love the pictures!!

[Andy]

Congratulations to the owner on restoring such a fine building with so much love and care for tradition. I'd love to have a cup of tea on that balcony. Here in Australia where I've been living and working for the last3 years, there are hardly any old buildings. I love old things and tradition and this is why I often feel like going back home. I do miss London and its fine buildinggs!