Viklari, The Last Castle Restaurant: Dining in the Ruins of the Last Castle in Cyprus by Sheri B Doyle
Viklari, The Last Castle in Cyprus is not just a meal, it is an experience.
Driving to Viklari, The Last Castle restaurant is like entering another world. The trip to the restaurant requires driving off road through an almost desert landscape, down into a gorge on a U-shaped road barely wide enough to hold two cars and then up a hill along a sand stone cliff, all of which is either incredibly terrifying or thrilling. All along the way the sea is visible; its bright turquoise waters shimmering in the afternoon sunlight.
The Last Castle ruins are perched on top of a hill, overlooking a deep gorge and the sea. Once atop the hill the large open space leading to the restaurant is divided into an organic garden supplying the restaurant with its fresh ingredients, and a parking lot. Until this point the restaurant seems a mystery. A walkway with relics from the castle, potted plants, partially ruined walls and funky cactus leads you to the restaurant.
As the walkway ends the beautiful restaurant opens up before you, drawing your eye to the amazing turquoise sea. Then, you look up to the beautiful grapevines, full of luscious green grapes, which serves as the only roof for the restaurant. The large open space has no walls, except for the one ruined one remaining from the castle. The tables are made from massive stone slabs with a mixture of chairs.
Every day there is the same menu: rotisserie chicken or pork with salad and fries. For veggies there is a different dish every day. The beauty of the family restaurant is they know what they cook well and that is all they cook, and people flock there.
Photo: Viklari, The Last Castle Facebook
As our table filled with the amazing food, local wine and cold beer we settled in for an afternoon of relaxation. People around us filled the space with contagious laughter and joy. We grazed for a long time, wanting the afternoon to stretch on as long as possible. Eventually the sun started to shift and the afternoons end demanded all of us must leave before it became too dark to make it home. With full stomachs and an experience we will never forget, we made our way back through the deserted peninsula as the sun set behind us.
Read more about Viklari, The Last Castle on my blog, So Off We Go.
Photos courtesy of Sheri B. Doyle
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