Brasserie Au Bon Plaisir

Nicosia, Cyprus (Visit: 7th June 2020)

During the national lockdown I made a Post-Covid Local Eats Wish List of places I would like to go to once the measures were relaxed. On my list there are some new places I have not yet visited but there are also the classics – the long-standing restaurants that never fail to impress me. One of them is definitely Brasserie Au Bon Plaisir.

This is a family-run business and as a family from Northern France (just 30 km from Lille, which is famous for its decadent specialty ‘Moules frites‘ and Maroilles cheese), they offer the most flavourful French dishes in Cyprus. I really jádore French cuisine.

As the night unfolds…

We started the night with a refreshing cocktail containing Crème de cassis.

This restaurant and the hosts never fail to impress me. I am always so humbled by the fact that they always welcome me with gluten-free bread upon arrival to spread their homemade herb butter on or for dipping into the homemade sauce prepared for the fresh mussels, which we ordered a la mariniére that evening. This is one of the few restaurants in Cyprus which mark on their menu which dishes are gluten-free and vegetarian. It is very impressive to see that even their website has a dedicated section for allergies and food intolerance. This clearly indicates their professionalism as well as their attention to detail and acknowledgment regarding any food sensitivities a customer may have.

As starters we ordered the apple and cheese salad as well as the goat cheese salad which contained warm French goat cheese on toast (which can be substituted with potatoes for a gluten-free option), smoked bacon, shallots and vinaigrette. Fried Camembert was served also (from Normandy) and we ordered fresh mussels a la mariniére (white wine, onions, tomato, garlic and parsley). The fresh mussels are always a go-to dish for us for sharing.

The night followed with our main dishes. To pair nicely with our steak, we ordered the Morgon – Henry Fessy 2015 which is a true classic. Brace yourselves for what’s next..

Délicieux!

My fiance had the T-bone steak cooked medium rare with a mushroom steak sauce and served with al dente vegetables. His dish tasted fantastic and the cook on the meat was so excellent that you didn’t even need the sauce.

I ordered the French fillet steak which is very lean, soft and deliciously tender. I ordered this rare to preserve the juiciness of the meat and it was without a doubt one of the best steak I have had. Charolaise origin steaks from France – which are high quality matured meat.

Served with blue-cheese sauce

For dessert, everyone at the table opted for the famous creme brulee, which is a French classic with vanilla bean and caramelized sugar. This dessert is quite special as they prepare it in front of you and its always a crowd-pleaser. Nonetheless, as I have had this exquisite dish many times there I decided to try something different..!

Ice-cream with espresso and freshly whipped cream

I will definitely be visiting this restaurant again very soon for the warm hospitality and delicious flavours this special place offers, always keeps me smiling with content. See you soon and ..bon appétit!

Evyenia