Cafe Americain

Themistokli Dervi 6, LEFKOSIA (NICOSIA), 22320390
Tue – Fri lunch & dinner, Sat-Sun 10:00-11:30
If you called to make brunch reservations on a Sunday and you got a “sorry we’re full” response, then join the club. Fortunately I had the chance to visit Cafe Americain for lunch on a separate occasion, merely a few days after the launch of their new menu. Lovers of French / American cuisine get ready.
What you may not know is that Cafe Americain is the baby of the Greek chef Konstantina Ioannou, also known from the gourmet restaurant “1900” a few years back, and I must say, the creativity, experience and attention to detail she had back then, is evident today.
Although I called it a “bistro” it’s actually a “brasserie” and everything about it represents just that. It’s quite small although the entrance looks more “grand” with the high ceiling and bar. I absolutely loved the retro marble and vintage elements like the ornaments on the bar, the brown leather sofas and the French-style “booths”, just like you would find in a typical brasserie. Even the music made one travel to another era.The lunch menu includes international dishes with a strong French influence and a couple of American style dishes. I liked how there was also a small section on “Plats du jour” with a few local influences like black eyed peas with vegetables julienne and truffle oil.
The blue and goat’s cheese tart with onion jam, was very well prepared with a strong yet not overwhelming cheese flavour. It was indeed as rich as it sounds but great for cheese lovers to share. The pastry was quite light, an appropriate addition to the strong cheese flavour.The “pougki” with chicken and spinach ragu was an interesting dish with a good combination of savoury and fresh. Unfortunately we thought it would have been too much to order the “artichoke souffle” being just two of us, but a dish I am definitely trying out in the near future.For main course we shared the saffron risotto with artichokes, peas and lemon. I am a huge fan of lemony flavours so it was good for me. The portion was more than enough for one person so perhaps better for sharing.The highlight of our main dishes was definitely the “kolokasi” seafood dish with mussels. A great balance of herbs and seafood combined by the light flavour of the “kolokasi”.We also shared the homemade burger Americain with crispy bacon, scamorza cheese, fried egg and caramelised onions, beautifully presented with fries and salad. I generally separate the burgers in 2 categories: The pure beef, less aromatic burger for the meat lovers, and the more aromatic one with spices and seasoning. This was definitely the first one, a great success when the beef is good (which it was).I still can’t believe I was full and couldn’t have dessert, which included anything from French style tarts to rich chocolate cakes, but will do hopefully soon.
Schnitzel, “kotsi”, veal tartare are only a sample of the creative and indulging menu by Konstantina.
I ‘m not going to spoil the brunch menu but just say GO! Prices range from 8€ to 15€ for starters and 8€ to 24€ for main dishes but expect large portions.