Kamares- Lofou

Lofou Village, 25470719, LIMASSOL DISTRICT
Tue-Sun
Food: [rating:3.5] 3.5/5
Service: [rating:3.5] 3.5/5
Ambiance: [rating:3.5] 3.5/5
I have a confession to make. I have had this restaurant on my list for the past year and a half but I only managed to visit it last week. The reason being is that, although Lofou village is indeed one of the most picturesque villages in Cyprus, it is also one of the most popular ones. Making it (in my head), also one of the most commercial ones. The fact of the matter is that the only thing commercial about “Kamares” is that, it is so good it automatically attracts a lot of people.
Situated in an old stone house in the village of Lofou, makes it by default cosy and warm. The décor fits perfectly with the whole village scenery as it is filled with old local ornaments and traditional wooden furniture. The attention to detail that has been given to this restaurant is indeed reflected in the overall ambiance. The fireplace that warms up the inside space also makes a big difference.
Even though we went on a week day that didn’t stop the owner from lighting up the fireplace just for us- not to mention cooking an entire meal for two people. Ordering the meze for two, which consisted of 14 dishes was a no brainer. The point when I realized Kamares was not in fact a commercial village tavern was when the starters arrived. They were different in a traditional way, meaning that they used local ingredients to make creative combinations. The Cypriot “ravioli” with melted cheese and spinach were flavoursome and the “halloumi” cheese with sesame and carob honey served in the frying pan was soft and rich without overdoing it. The pitta bread with feta cheese, tomato and grated local sausage was an excellent idea while the baked zucchini with eggs were equally tasty.
From the meat dishes the highlight was the spare ribs as they were tender and full of flavour, while the slow cooked lamb, the kebab and the pork in wine sauce were very good.
For dessert the kind owner suggested that we take it across the street at their “kafenio” (local coffee shop), that also sells herbs and local tea- run by a botanist. The “anarokrema” (local cheese “anari” cream) was quite good but not as memorable as the food served across the street.
To sum up, “Kamares” was one of those restaurants we look out for. It didn’t only have a nice atmosphere in a picturesque place, but the food was somewhat different with interesting combinations and touches but yet very tasty. The price of 19euro per person for the 14-dish “meze” I thought it was fair as the average “meze” price in the mountains is around 17euros for half the dishes. Verdict? Go!