61 Faneromenis, 99999626, NICOSIA, Tue – Fri – 4pm – 2am, Sat – Sun 10am – 2am, Mon Closed
I really don’t know how to begin this post as it’s full of mixed feelings, since everything about it had pros and cons. To save you from a lot of reading, it’s definitely worth trying out.
The building is quite beautiful, I can’t believe it’s been there unexploited for so long. The high ceilings right in the middle of the restaurant work as an internal veranda and were the best part of the ambiance, competing with the green wall behind the bar.
I generally like high tables (if they fit the purpose), especially when the stools are comfortable as it makes me feel I am at a bar. We sat on a high table on the far right, near the bar. I was a bit confused with the smoking / open air type deal as it wasn’t obvious it was open, yet you could smoke. I didn’t mind that much, but I am sure passionate non smokers like Mr Proud Cypriot should definitely opt for the non-smoking area. Overall the ambiance is lively and very pleasant, mostly coming from the architecture of the old building.
The menu was promising with a good list of creative salads including a “Charred salmon with yuzu dressing and edible flowers” salad, “Beluga lentils with radish and ginger dressing“, “Beetroot Carpaccio salad with sour apples and a quinoa salad with a citrus dressing”.
The list of starters with “Salmon tartar, lime zest and ponzu sauce“, “Sea bass ceviche with wasabi mayonnaise” and a Crispy duck was quite fair I thought, although due to pregnancy (yes again), I preferred not to have any raw meat and fish.
The list of mains was also decent with a combination of pasta (vegetarian risotto, seafood linguini), seafood and meat dishes. I liked how the menu was not huge, something I passionately hate.
My favourite dish of all mains and starters was by far the “Tallegio breaded with cranberries and chilli jam“. Besides being one of my favourite cheeses it was very well executed, served melting hot with a great flavour combination. The “Beetroot carpaccio salad” was quite different and fresh. It was also my favourite out of the two. The lentil salad, although a good idea and quite well cooked, I found it lacked flavour.
As a main course we went for the ribeye vs the fillet served with fresh chips. It’s worth noting that when I asked the waiter which steak they would recommend I was told the Black Angus. When I responded saying they were both Black Angus he said the steak (although I am pretty sure the ribeye and the fillet are both steaks). Both, the ravioli with truffle and the steak arrived cold which in my opinion affected the quality.
I loved how it was full on a Tuesday with a quite lively vibe. I do think it’s still the beginning and a few things need work, but other than that it’s a good addition to the old city.
Four people with four starters and one main, five cocktails and two glasses of wine we paid €30 each, which I thought was fair given the number of cocktails we had.
