Militzis Restaurant was started in the 1930’s in Lysi Village and quickly became a local favourite among the island for local cuisine.
Reinstated in 1984 in Larnaca where it cemented its name as the best and one of the longest family running restaurant in the island for local cuisine.
Only serving fresh food made from the best seasonal locally sourced ingredients from local producers.
The road from Larnaca’s seafront Phinikoudes to Makenzie beach is now a modern walkway allowing a lengthy stroll beside the sea. Situated on it is the traditional restaurant Militzis, a long standing part of the town’s eating scene that has been serving traditional Cypriot cuisine for 40 years.
Militzis is easy to spot with its old fashioned windmill and stone arch at the entrance. Inside the décor sticks with being traditional; green and white chequered table cloths draped over tables and wooden chairs with straw seats.
On sitting down we were brought unusual menus – large and quite heavy wooden slabs held together with hinges, food on one side and drinks on the other. The menu is limited but at the same time has a wide variety of dishes available.
One of the things Militzis is well-known for is its Kleftiko cooked in an authentic clay oven so kleftiko it was. We also ordered Pourgouri and grilled halloumi to start with, pork and chicken souvla and a serving of Kalamari!
We were brought a Greek salad, fresh bread and dips to start us off. The bread was cut into thick slices, perfect for getting a healthy amount of the tasty dips or soaking up some olive oil from the salad.
It wasn’t long before thick cut, grilled slices of Halloumi and the Pourgouri were brought out. The Halloumi was just as I like it. The grill marks shown on a crisp exterior and soft and warm on the inside. The Pourgouri was accompanied by a brown, clay pot of yoghurt, the perfect accompaniment.
The food was presented with a no nonsense and basic approach on plain white serving dishes. But what it lacked in presentation was more than made up for by the quality of the food. Looking at the generous portions we started to think that our eyes had been a little larger than our bellies! The pork souvla was perfectly cooked with a satisfyingly crispy exterior. The Lamb Kleftiko was so succulent it literally fell off the bone. The chicken was also tasty but a little plain and some of the pieces were a little dry. Nothing a little of the tasty yoghurt wouldn’t solve! The Kalamari rings had a crunchy coating and a soft centre, and despite being frozen there was no compromise on taste.
The Kleftiko was served with potatoes that had also been cooked in the clay oven and the Kalamari was served with hand-cut chips. Unfortunately, the oven potatoes were a little disappointing and lacked flavour. The chips though were fantastic; tasty and crispy.
After we had finished the waiter came to the table and like a magician managed to clear every single item in one fell swoop! The meal was topped off with a Cyprus coffee, on the house of course!
If, like me, you enjoy a tasty, traditional meal served in a location with beautiful sea views, then I highly recommend a visit to Militzis to enjoy not only their traditional food but hospitality as well.
