BEGE Limassol Review, Possibly the Best Fish in Cyprus

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Where is the best fish in Cyprus? In our view it is BEGE, on the St Raphael Marina in Limassol. The halibut and the sea bass were both exceptional, the wine list is one of the best on the island and the owner comes out to talk about both. We went looking for something to criticise and could not find it.

Our verdict: Recommended. Book well ahead and order the fish.

BEGE at a Glance

• Good for: fish, a serious wine list, special occasions, a quiet conversation, and anyone who cares about how a room is laid out.
• Less good for: anyone wanting something casual, or a quick meal. This is an evening rather than a dinner.
• Best dish: the halibut, with the sea bass close behind.
• What stood out: the table spacing and an owner who cares.

Fancy a bed after the wine? The hotel next door is St Raphael Resort, and we have reviewed it.

Address and How to Get There

Address: BEGE Restaurant, St. Raphael Marina, Amathountos Avenue 502, 4520 Pyrgos, Limassol, Cyprus. Reservations: +357 25 552210.

BEGE is on the St Raphael Marina, on the coast east of Limassol. It is open Tuesday to Sunday evenings from 6pm, and the last reservation is at 9:30pm, which is earlier than you might expect, so check when you call. Booking is essential. Our review of the St Raphael Resort covers the hotel next door, though you do not need to stay there to eat here.

From Larnaca Airport the official regulated taxi tariff is €54.52 by day and €63.86 at night to Limassol centre (70 km), or €48.17 and €56.47 to Germasogeia on the coast to the east. The marina is on that same coast, so treat those as the nearest official figures. If you plan to enjoy the wine list properly, a taxi home is the sensible choice. Limassol is about an hour from both Larnaca and Paphos airports. The map shows current prices for hotels along the same stretch of coast.

Is BEGE Worth Visiting?

Yes, without qualification. That is not a sentence we write often, and the reviews on this site are usually more measured, because most restaurants have at least one thing holding them back. BEGE does not.

Every dish landed. The salads were properly considered rather than an obligation, the wine list is one of the best in Cyprus and the room is beautifully designed. The service goes further than professional, because the owner appears at the table, talks about the food and the wine, and checks that what arrived was right.

What Is the Best Fish at BEGE?

The fish is the reason to come, and it is worth being specific. The halibut was outstanding. Halibut is unforgiving, because it is lean enough that thirty seconds too long turns it dry and dull. Here it arrived exactly right, firm and moist, seasoned to lift the fish rather than sit on top of it.

The sea bass was equally good. That matters more than it sounds, because sea bass is on every menu in Cyprus and is routinely mishandled, and most places overcook it. This kitchen does not. Across the whole table, every plate held the same standard, with no weak course and nothing that felt like it was there to complete a menu.

The salads are worth a mention because they are usually where fine dining restaurants stop paying attention. Here they were fresh, well dressed and constructed rather than assembled. When a kitchen takes a salad seriously it tells you something about how it treats everything else.

Why Is Good Fish So Hard to Find in Cyprus?

For an island, Cyprus can be a surprisingly difficult place to eat great fish. Plenty of restaurants serve it, but far fewer cook it with real precision. The common problems are the same everywhere: fish that has been on the grill too long, heavy seasoning that hides the flavour and sauces that cover a lack of freshness.

That is what makes BEGE stand out. The kitchen treats each fish as the main event and does as little as possible to it, which is exactly the right instinct. When the produce is this good, restraint is the skill. For a comparison with the traditional fish meze found in tavernas across the island, our review of Moustakallis in Polis is the best place to start.

What Is the Wine List Like?

It is one of the strongest in Cyprus, and clearly assembled by someone with a genuine interest rather than a supplier catalogue. The range spans well beyond the usual suspects, and the selections have been made with obvious care.

What makes it work is that somebody is there to talk you through it, so ask for a recommendation rather than defaulting to something familiar. If you want to drink local, our guide to Cyprus wine covers the indigenous grapes worth asking about, including the white Xynisteri that pairs so naturally with fish.

What Is the Room Like?

The room is beautifully designed, and the detail we want to single out is the table spacing. It sounds like a small thing and it changes an entire evening. You cannot hear the next table’s conversation, you are not sitting in somebody’s elbow, and you can talk normally without leaning in.

A great many expensive restaurants in Limassol pack tables tightly because covers pay the rent, and the experience suffers for it. BEGE has chosen otherwise, and it is one of the reasons the evening feels as good as it does. The architecture is attractive and the marina setting is used properly rather than just claimed. There is a separate lounge bar outside on the water, which is the perfect place for a drink before or after dinner.

Why Does the Owner Make the Difference?

This is what lifts BEGE above other fine dining rooms in the city. The owner comes out, talks about the food and the wine, and checks that the plates were right. That is not a performance and it is not the manager doing a lap for appearances. It reads as somebody who cares whether the kitchen delivered, and it changes the tone of the evening entirely. Very few restaurants in Limassol do this, and it is noticeable.

What Is the St Raphael Marina Setting Like?

BEGE sits on the marina at the St Raphael Resort, on the coast east of Limassol. The marina is one of the few in Cyprus attached to a resort, and on a warm evening the boats, the water and the lights make for a beautiful setting.

It is worth separating the restaurant from the hotel. Our review of the resort was far less positive, but BEGE operates on an entirely different level, and you do not need to stay at the resort to eat here.

Where to Eat in Limassol: How BEGE Compares

Against the other high end rooms in the city, BEGE comes out ahead on the thing that matters most, which is the food. Matsuhisa has a more beautiful room and a considerably less reliable kitchen. ORIS has better cocktails and a kitchen that buries its ingredients in sauce. Beefbar is the closest comparison on quality, and it is a steakhouse rather than a fish restaurant. If you want fish over the water at Limassol Marina, Pyxida Limassol is the other name to know.

For fish specifically, nothing in the fine dining bracket in Cyprus currently comes close. Our guide to the best restaurants in Cyprus ranks the rest.

Who Does BEGE Suit?

• Fish lovers: this is the best fish we have eaten in Cyprus.
• Special occasions: anniversaries, birthdays and celebrations are where the room, the service and the wine list come together best.
• Business dinners: the table spacing makes it one of the few high end rooms in Limassol where you can talk.
• Wine lovers: the list rewards curiosity, and the advice is good.

Tips for Your Visit

• Book well ahead: it is not a large room and it fills.
• Check the last reservation time: it is earlier than at many Limassol restaurants.
• Order the fish and start with a salad: both are better than they have any need to be.
• Have a drink at the lounge bar: the marina setting is at its best in the early evening.

Staying nearby? Check Limassol hotel prices on Booking.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Address of BEGE?

St. Raphael Marina, Amathountos Avenue 502, 4520 Pyrgos, Limassol, Cyprus.

What Should I Order at BEGE?

The fish. The halibut and the sea bass were both exceptional, and a salad to start is better than it has any need to be.

Is BEGE Expensive?

It sits in the fine dining bracket. Unlike several of its competitors in Limassol, the bill is justified by what arrives.

Do You Need to Book BEGE?

Yes. It is not a large room and the last reservation is at 9:30pm.

Is BEGE Good for a Quiet Conversation?

Unusually so. The table spacing is the best of any restaurant we have reviewed in Limassol.

Do You Need to Stay at St Raphael to Eat at BEGE?

No. BEGE takes outside bookings and is worth the trip in its own right.

Is BEGE the Best Fish Restaurant in Cyprus?

In our experience, yes. For fine dining fish, nothing else on the island currently comes close.

Where Is the Best Place to Eat in Limassol?

For fish, BEGE. For cocktails, ORIS. For traditional meze, Meze Taverna.

How Much Is a Taxi from Larnaca Airport to Limassol?

The official regulated fare to Limassol centre is €54.52 by day and €63.86 at night for the 70 km trip. To Germasogeia it is €48.17 by day and €56.47 at night.

Final Verdict

We have written a lot of restaurant reviews on this site and most of them end with a qualification. This one does not. The fish is the best we have eaten in Cyprus, the wine list is serious, the room is beautifully designed and properly laid out, and somebody who owns the place cares enough to come and ask. That combination is rare anywhere and very rare here.