When I first heard that there was a restaurant named after the famed British soldier Lord Kitchener in the heart of the Cyprus countryside I assumed my leg was being firmly pulled.
A restaurant named after a British military officer in Cyprus – surely not? Well, Kitchener was the first cartographer to accurately map Cyprus after the island was colonised in 1878 and there still remains a certain affection for the work he did here.
So it came as a surprise to discover that the restaurant does indeed exist and by all accounts it is something of a sensation with an ever expanding clientele from all across the island – and as the summer sets in there’s no better way to while away a Sunday afternoon than by munching lazily through a thoroughly indulgent British lunch.
The restaurant, which sits in the very house that Kitchener once used as his office, has a nice ambience and was established by chef owner Dean Simmons, who spent nearly three decades working in some of London’s top hotels and restaurants.
Despite being a stone-built, dark village house (built in 1795), it’s a light-filled and beautifully designed space with well-spaced tables and chairs that are laid with perfectly positioned cutlery.
On Sunday afternoons Dean serves delicious set menu lunches which cost €20 for two courses or €25 for three.
My wife and I ordered the lamb and beef, which were slowly cooked to make the meat beautifully tender – the meat was served with Yorkshire pudding and green vegetables – add to that a good wine and it makes for the perfect traditional lunch.
You can also choose from roast pork with apple sauce or honey gammon roast. The menu changes frequently and there are often specials, and there are always roasts or fish dishes on offer.
Desserts include the ever-popular crème caramel, chocolate mousse or fruit platter.
The downside is you’ll probably have to book to secure a good table, because the restaurant is busy at weekends and you’ll find yourself hanging around to be seated or get shunted into a small ante-room next to the toilets.
The restaurant is located in the tiny hamlet of Psematismenos near Maroni (you’ll need Lord Kitchener’s original map to find it). It takes about 40 minutes to drive there from Larnaca, Nicosia or Limassol.
It’s best to check the website for exact directions. It can’t be long before word spreads about this place so go now, before everyone discovers it.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALITY Sunday lunch
WHERE Lord Kitchener Restaurant, Psmatismenos, Larnaca
CONTACT 96 569020, www.lordkitchener.eu
