Fanous
Genuine Lebanese food in the heart of Nicosia
Laiki Yitonia, in the heart of Nicosia’s old town, seems to have a restaurant or caf? everywhere you look. In the summer, diners spill out onto the pavements with waiters on every street corner trying to entice passers-by to come and sample their culinary delights.
So, having eaten nothing but Cypriot food for the good part of a year, I didn’t need a second invitation when the owner of a Lebanese restaurant accosted me. It was a Friday lunchtime when I set off from the office with my companion for Fanous. The place was very easy to find and is situated just a couple of minutes walk from Ledra Street, among the area’s souvenir shops and is the official restaurant of the Sky Hotel, which is located above.
You can choose to eat inside or al fresco and despite the fact that there were around ten tourists enjoying their food in the fresh air, it was too cold for us locals so we decided to go inside, where it was quiet, save for a few regulars watching a TV, tuned into an Arabic station. It was a good choice as upon entering, we were met by a beautiful smell, which owner Rami Suleiman explained came from a nargileh.
The inside featured lots of warm colours and wood, adding to the cozy atmosphere. There were a lot of multi-coloured throws on the walls, as well as pictures from Lebanon. The name Fanous comes from both Greek and Arabic, in which it has the same meaning: Light. In homage to the name, there were a few lanterns hanging from the ceiling.
Twenty-eight-year-old Suleiman, who was born in Lebanon and is of Palestinian origin, came to Cyprus in 1984 and said that he’s “been to nearly all Arabic restaurants here, but none offer an authentic taste and are too commercial. Good Lebanese food has been lacking in Cyprus for years, so here at Fanous, we provide an authentic taste, using only the freshest ingredients. There is also a belly dancer on Saturdays to add to the atmosphere. When people ask me why I chose to open in an area full of competition, I tell them that good food and excellent service will bring the customer. I love this area because everything is natural and traditional here and it is the real Cyprus.”
Suleiman ordered us the Fanous meze (also available as a vegetarian option) and left us to enjoy the soft music in the background. A few minutes later, seven appetizers were brought to the table. These included Lebanese dips, such as crushed nuts cooked in tomato sauce and hot peppers, houmous, grilled aubergines with onion, garlic, olive oil, tomato and parsley, a spinach dip and something called maghmour, which is the Lebanese version of our mousakka. The dips were eaten with hot Lebanese pitta bread, which was very thin and extremely tasty. Traditional tabouleh and fatouch salads were also on offer.
After a short break, falafel (fried balls of chickpeas) and deep-fried halloumi were tried out. My companion had gone a bit mad with the appetizers and was already feeling full as the main platter arrived. Great news for me as it meant I had the meat to myself, which is what I was saving myself for. There were tender pieces of charcoal-grilled chicken and lamb on skewers, marinated in a delicious sauce and I also liked the Lebanese version of our loukaniko, full of herbs and spices. My favourite though was the Lebanese pizza, which was very thin and was packed with tomatoes, herbs and onions and had a wonderfully sweet taste.
After demolishing most of the main platter, I couldn’t eat any more, leaving my companion to try out the mahalebi sweet, which she found to be most agreeable.
Most dishes contained garlic, onions or spices so if you fancy something light, then this isn’t the place for you. But if you want mouth-watering flavours, you won’t be disappointed.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALITY Lebanese Meze
SEATING 90
WHERE Solonos 7C, Nicosia
CONTACT 22 666663
BOOKING Advisable on weekends
PRICE £8 per head without drinks
