Restaurant review: The Forest, Larnaca

A few friends were in town and with one being vegan, I thought it would be a treat to take her somewhere where her options would be more than just chips and salad! After doing a little research, I came across The Forest on the Larnaca-Dhekelia road. It has a heavy emphasis on vegan food, but there are still plenty of non-vegan options available.

The sun was shining so we sat outside. The view is of the main road but at least the restaurant is set back far enough that you aren’t affected by the smell of car fumes. To be fair, there wasn’t a constant flow of traffic so it didn’t disturb us at all. If there was a moment’s silence, you could also hear the waves from the beach opposite.

The tables and chairs were nothing fancy but the focus is on the food!

We were brought the menus by a young lady with a very friendly and welcoming personality. The menu was all on one sheet and due to this, at a glance, you would think that it is minimalist. However, on further inspection, there are actually many options. Light bites, tacos, pizzas, a whole host of breakfast and brunch options, main dishes and burgers. There were also influences from Asian cuisine; Korean spice, katsu and teriyaki dishes were on offer alongside British and Greek influences.

Despite being a meat lover, I thought I’d make a change and try something different. Being a sucker for a good steak sandwich, I thought I would try the steakless sandwich, served with fries. Two vegan ‘dirty cheese’ burgers with a side of sweet potato fries were also ordered by others alongside a ‘Big Stack’ which is basically a full English.

While waiting, we saw the food arrive at another table. They were pancakes but not any old pancake; the biggest, fluffiest pancakes you’ve ever seen. It’s rude to stare but I couldn’t help it!

It didn’t take too long for our food to come and I was looking forward to trying my sandwich! We were asked if we wanted any sauce and so requested the house made sauce and mayonnaise (vegan of course!). The steakless strips had the same colouring and shape as beef gyros so visually it didn’t remind me of a steak sandwich. The bread was lovely and soft and the meatless filling very tasty! It had a hearty texture and was packed full of flavour. However, it was a little on the greasy side. I had it on good authority from my partner that the burger was very good and while fries are fries, her sweet potato fries were delicious! I’ve noticed at other establishments that sweet potato fries tend to hold a little more oil but these were nice and crisp while being soft and well cooked in the centre. I had food envy but was still happy with mine. The vegan mayonnaise was not the same as regular and I wasn’t too keen on it but that wasn’t a problem because the Forest sauce was really good. It was a shame though that my friend who ordered the full English was not as happy with hers as we were. She wasn’t keen on the sausage and there was a sauce on some of the food which she wasn’t a fan of.

The Forest is a family-run business and everything is made from scratch by the owner. If you have vegan friends, The Forest is the perfect choice. If you aren’t vegan and fancy trying something different, give it a go. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY Vegan

WHERE The Forest, Ithakis 23, Pyla, Larnaca

WHEN 08:30am-3pm

CONTACT 99 574681

HOW MUCH Mains and burgers range between €6.90 and €11.90