Dinner at Nicolas Tavern

Nicolas Tavern

I thought last night was Greek night at hotel, therefore why not real thing, kleftico at Nicolas Tavern? Turns out I was wrong, tomorrow, not yesterday, but good excuse as any to dine at a traditional Greek-Cypriot taverna.

Chicken soup was excellent.

Kleftico served with Greek salad not quite up  usual high standard, but still good.

To drink half a Keo.

After meal a brandy sour served in a pint glass.

No small wonder I awoke this morning feeling rough.

Nicolas Tavern was almost empty.  Walking there the same for other restaurants and bars.

A sign of the  times. Collapse of the tourist industry and the devastating impact all-inclusive is having on the local economy. 

Dinner at Nicolas Tavern

As always, excellent dinner at Nicolas Tavern.

For starters, chicken soup and mushroom soup.

Main course,  kleftico, lamb cooked slowly, slowly, slowly in a wood-fired clay oven. Served  with potatoes and a side salad.

For sweet, walked to patisserie amelie and had their excellent ice cream and a cappuccino.

Nicolas Tavern was not busy. No reflection upon Nicolas or the food, a reflection on the dire state of the tourist industry.

Restaurants opposite Nicolas Tavern, one had a handful of people, the other had closed down. Walking to patisserie amelie, restaurants were not open, either had closed down or closed early for lack of business.  Those that were still open, all but empty (though by now late at night).

Dinner at Nicolas Tavern

Nicolas Tavern

Excellent dinner last night at Nicolas Tavern.

Choice of soups, mushroom or chicken, both were excellent.

For main course, kleftiko and slow cooked pork, both cooked in the wood-fired clay-oven.

The pork was glazed with what was like jam or marmalade, fresh orange and honey.

Instead of vegetables, a Greek salad. Nicely presented. Excellent tasting haloumi cheese and I have never had tomatoes as tasty or juicy.

Having had two beers earlier in the day at Sirena Bay, nothing alcoholic, water would suffice. After the meal, fresh orange juice.

Nicolas Tavern is a traditional Greek-Cypriot taverna in Protaras. Kleftiko is cooked in the traditional manner in a wood-fired clay oven.

Dinner at Nicolas Tavern

Nicolas Tavern

souvla

Excellent dinner at Nicolas Tavern.

Choice of soups. Chose mushroom and chicken. Both were excellent, served piping hot.

Sword fish, I have never seen a portion this size before.

Excellent souvla, peices of pork spit roasted.

The pork was far superior to the pork at No 1 a couple of days ago, though maybe not a fair comparison, one peices of pork, the other a pork chop.

Skipped dessert as portion sizes large.

To drink, water, beer, followed by a brandy sour.

Nicolas Tavern is a traditional Greek-Cypriot taverna in Protaras. Kleftiko is cooked in the traditional manner in a wood-fired clay oven.

Dinner at Nicolas Tavern

As always excellent dinner, but then expect no less at Nicolas Tavern.

Chicken soup and mushroom soup as starters.

Lamb chops and souvla (pieces of pork spit-roasted). These came with potatoes, instead of vegetables, Greek salad.

As always, generous portion sizes, several lamb chops.

Nicolas Tavern was busy, which was more than could be said for other restaurants.

The tourist industry appears to have collapsed, with rows and rows of empty sunbeds on the beach, boats sitting idle, thus to see a restaurant full, gives a measure of Nicolas Tavern.

Nicolas Tavern, is a traditional Greek-Cypriot taverna, more or less opposite Capo Bay Beach Hotel, at the Ayia Napa end of Protaras.

Harry Parkins Birthday at 90

Harry Parkins at 90

Harry Parkins at 90

Harry Parkins Birthday at 90

Harry Parkins marking 90th birthday with dinner at Nicolas Tavern.

Dinner and party at Nicolas Tavern

delicious food

Greek salad

tea and cake

Chicken soup, followed by kleftico, followed by baclava.

Many claim to do kleftico, but if it is not cooked in the traditional way, slow-cooked in a  clay oven, then it is not kleftico.

At Nicolas Tavern, kleftico is slow-cooked in a clay oven.

live music

Nicolas, staff and guests

A 40th anniversary wedding party, around 60 guests. Live music until half-past midnight, followed by DJ until the early hours of the morning.

• PHOTOS Dinner and party at Nicolas Tavern

Nicolas Tavern

chicken soup

Greek side salad

For starter, excellent chicken soup, far better than the chicken soup at Marcello’s a couple of days ago.

I had sea bass. I had sea bass last May, which I enjoyed. This time I did not though much enjoy it. There must be a nack to eating the fish, I made mess of it.

Others had grilled salmon and kleftico, which they said was good.

As the vegetables are never very good, a Greek side salad, which was excellent, far better than the side salad at Marcello’s a couple of days ago.

It was quiet, eight o’clock is probably early for a Greek-Cypriot taverna. It soon filled up, though not packed, it was very busy.

Although busy, Nicolas Tavern was not as busy as in the past or as busy as I would expect on a Sunday.

Hotels all-inclusive, is having a devastating impact on local businesses and damaging the local economy.

It is time the government got its act together and outlawed all-inclusive.

Nicolas Tavern is also being hit by fake reviews on TripAdvisor.

Nicolas Tavern, is a traditional Greek-Cypriot taverna, more or less opposite Capo Bay Beach Hotel, at the Ayia Napa end of Protaras.

Dinner at Nicolas Tavern

chicken soup

salad

Dinner at Nicolas Tavern.

Excellent chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, followed by sea bream and pork chops.

As a few night ago, I had hoped to enjoy kleftico, but as little left and it is a house speciality, decided not to deprive others who may have been there for the kleftico.

Nicolas Tavern is the restaurant in Protaras for kleftico, cooked in the traditional way, slowly, slowly for many hours in a wood-fired, clay oven.

Fake reviews are being posted on TripAdvisor. These stand out like a sore thumb. It does little for the credibility of TripAdvisor that they are failing to root out these fake reviews.

Top Story in The Cyprus Holiday News (29 September 2012).

Dinner at Nicolas Tavern

salad

stuffed tomatoes

Dinner with Russian friends at Nicolas Tavern a traditional Greek-Cypriot restaurant.

We ordered salad, cream of mushroom soup, chicken soup, stuffed tomatoes, sea bass (or was it bream), kleftico, sirloin steak.

Kleftico is a traditional Greek-Cypriot dish, lamb cooked slowly, slowly over many hours in a wood-fired clay oven.

For drink: water, house red wine, house white wine, Keo (a local lager).

Food as always at Nicolas Tavern was excellent. Portions are large, food was taken away for later.

To finish off, I had brandy sour (a local drink).

Nicolas Tavern is a traditional Greek-Cypriot restaurant in Protaras in Cyprus.

Fake reviews are being posted on TripAdvisor. These stand out like a sore thumb. It does little for the credibility of TripAdvisor that they are failing to root out these fake reviews.

Top Story in The Waverley Daily (Monday 8 October 2012).

Top Story in The Cyprus Holiday News (Tuesday 9 October 2012).