If you are in the Famagusta area and are feeling a little peckish after walking around the city, having marvelled at its amazing and historical beauty, and are not sure where to stop to rest your feet and fill your tummies, then we have just the place for you!
The Palm House, located in what initially feels a rather odd place, in that it is on the ground floor of an apartment block, is an absolute firm favourite with everyone who visits! Once you have entered you realise you are actually in a rather secluded and extremely tranquil eatery, in an absolutely perfect spot. Just next to the Arkin Palm Beach Hotel Resort, it is relaxation heaven. And that’s without even having sat down to eat!
More like an enclosed tropical garden, with date palms, grapevines and filled up with other beautiful plants, flowers and herbs, this place really has been lovingly raised from its inception. It kind of wraps you up in its protective cosy cacoon. No joke! With lots of nooks and crannies you feel that you can hide away in privacy to enjoy a peaceful and restorative morning, afternoon or for that matter, day. All very romantic!
Sezal Aydınlı, the loving proprietor, quite rightly should be very proud of the place that she has created, much of it down to her creative nature and attention to detail together with thoughtfully reused and recycled materials and furniture. A modern venue with a very distinctive Cypriot flavour.
But, we digress, did we mention it’s an eatery too?! The Palm House menu, as you may imagine given the description of the place itself, features a healthy balance of snacks and wraps, salads and traditional Cypriot meat kebab and dishes, along with some interesting and delicious mezzes. Ingredients are freshly made, peppered with herbs gathered from around the gardens. There are daily dishes made on the day if you fancy something which is not on the general menu. Try the Kuru Fasulye (butter beans cooked in a yummy tomato sauce), or homemade stuffed dolma or meat köfte, delicious!
The range of drinks is superb, with healthy herbal and organic teas and cold drinks, as well as special fresh Palm House lemonade with mint and thirst-quenching fruit smoothies and milkshakes. Of course, beers, wines and spirits are all plentiful too. The menu is quite varied but not so huge that you can never decide what to have.
On top of that, you are also right by the sea, with plenty of tables under grapevines to keep you in the shade to soak up the peaceful and picturesque panorama. Literally hours and hours can be spent here, either alone or with others, it caters for everyones’ mood and wants.
The Palm House in Famagusta also offers Sunday breakfast and/or brunch, depending on when you want to eat, full of wonderful goodies including fruits, vegetables, cooked meats, traditional pastries, jams and breads. It can apparently get quite busy so booking is advisable as it seems to be a favourite Sunday pastime for many!
One last thing about the Palm House…. as well as being a restaurant, customers are more than welcome to bring a book, grab a coffee (and maybe a sneaky cake as well) and sit in a rocking chair and chill your boots for a while.
If you are in Famagusta then really, you need to stop off here to experience the vibe – there are not too many places that can feel this refreshingly pleasant, but this really does. You can find The Palm House on Facebook or call them to book on (+392) 366 98 89.
