Restaurant review: Lavita, Larnaca

Always up for a Saturday morning brunch, we spotted a new place on social media that looked rather good. Lavita is in Larnaca’s old town, tucked away down a backstreet, not somewhere you’re likely to stumble across. Parking in the area can be limited, but Lavita has its own car park.

The restaurant is relatively new, set inside a traditional house that dates back to the 1940s renovated into a modern dining space. It’s not just a brunch spot either. Lavita also offers all-day dining and turns into an evening dinner venue; there’s more to it than a morning coffee and eggs.

As soon as we walked in, everything felt fresh and well put together. The flooring was lovely, the bar looked great, and we were greeted by a very kind and polite member of staff. There had clearly been a lot of thought put into the decor, including one wall covered in an assortment of clocks, an interesting feature.

Brunch with plenty of choice

There was plenty to choose from, although the menu isn’t so extensive that you feel overwhelmed. There are two versions of shakshouka, a vegan breakfast, salmon and avocado dishes, and a good variety of other brunch options. Before you wonder, the answer is yes, there are also sweet options such as pancakes. The first thing that caught my eye, though, was a note about freshly baked pastries straight out of the oven. That was enough to put an almond croissant on our order.

For main, I chose the Eggs Bagelit, a bagel with poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and halloumi. I added bacon as well, because why not? My dad went for The Classic Breakfast, which came with mushrooms, eggs, bacon, halloumi, tomato, sourdough bread and jam. The only thing I felt was missing was a sausage, but it still looked like a generous plate.

The almond croissant arrived with the coffees we also ordered, and it was pretty much what you’d expect from an almond croissant. Nothing particularly unusual or memorable about it, but if you enjoy that classic combination, you’ll be happy with it. Also, it was more than enough for two to share as a little pre-breakfast appetizer.

The main dishes followed shortly afterwards, and looked very good. My eggs had a lovely layer of hollandaise over them, and when I cut into one, the yolk ran out just as I’d asked.

Lavita

With the halloumi, bacon, eggs and sauce all together, the flavours worked really well. As we were eating, my dad commented on how tasty the bacon was and that it seemed to be good quality. That prompted me to try a piece on its own, rather than just as part of the dish. He was right. It had a really good flavour, and I found myself saving a little bit to enjoy at the end. It’s not often that bacon gets that much attention at breakfast, but this one deserved it.

We had a thoroughly enjoyable meal, and even the music added to the experience. There was an eclectic mix playing in the background, loud enough to be heard but never so loud that it got in the way of conversation.

Worth finding in the old town

I do think the restaurant is in a slightly unfortunate location. Other brunch places in town are much more prominent and probably benefit from people simply passing by and popping in. Lavita is a little hidden gem in the old town backstreets, and you really do have to know it’s there. But that shouldn’t put anyone off making the effort to find it. The food was enjoyable, the staff were lovely, and the setting was comfortable and thoughtfully designed.

I’ll definitely be going back, perhaps in the evening to try one of the tempting dishes on the all-day dining menu and have a refreshing cocktail. It would be nice to see how Lavita feels later in the day, but based on our brunch visit, it’s already a place I’m glad we discovered.

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALTY International

WHERE Lavita, Nikiforou Foka 5, 6021 Larnaca

WHEN Daily 09-midnight

CONTACT 24 400121

HOW MUCH Classic breakfast €10.50. Eggs Bagelit (with added bacon) €13.20. Almond croissant €2.90