iBelli İtalian restaurant

padisha


Joined: 09/07/2011
Posts: 131

Message Posted:
28/10/2011 20:37

Used to be Sele in the old Turkish Quarter. Has anyone been? Had a quick look at menu - looked good.



Any reports?

Deniz1


Joined: 28/07/2009
Posts: 3829

Message Posted:
28/10/2011 21:05

There was a comment on here a week or so ago they were not impressed.

marvin


Joined: 23/06/2009
Posts: 68

Message Posted:
28/10/2011 21:26

Have not seen any ads on this place realy like Italian food someone told us that they are italian people who are the owners of this restaurant so maybe we should all give them time to sort teething problems out and then say what we think.

We will try it next week and let you know what we think .

Marvin.

Rupert


Joined: 29/01/2009
Posts: 21

Message Posted:
29/10/2011 00:16

Marvin, as you lile Italian food, I hope you like Italian prices. A bottle of Efes 11TL.

Donaldson


Joined: 13/05/2011
Posts: 86

Message Posted:
29/10/2011 00:30

A 3/4 size bottle of water 6TL, a gin & tonic (measured) 13TL.

These are the people who had the Italian restaurant at Port Cratos, and I'm afraid they're still charging Cratos prices. I can't see it lasting out the winter, however good the food may be.

Deniz1


Joined: 28/07/2009
Posts: 3829

Message Posted:
29/10/2011 13:54

Bring back Guido and Liz.

fatboy



Joined: 05/11/2008
Posts: 244

Message Posted:
29/10/2011 14:44

bring back Ali.

LooseBoots



Joined: 08/02/2009
Posts: 1258

Message Posted:
29/10/2011 15:53

It seems that some places that serve good food think they can charge silly prices for drinks.



They forget people have a choice.



It is a shame if the food is good.



Was thinking of trying it.............oh well keep looking.

aruzhan


Joined: 11/03/2011
Posts: 146

Message Posted:
29/10/2011 17:54

WE are going for Sunday lunch tomorrow.

Deniz1


Joined: 28/07/2009
Posts: 3829

Message Posted:
29/10/2011 21:08

Answer dont drink with your meal.

padisha


Joined: 09/07/2011
Posts: 131

Message Posted:
29/10/2011 21:24

To be honest, İ was really wondering about the quality of the food.

Donaldson


Joined: 13/05/2011
Posts: 86

Message Posted:
29/10/2011 22:16

Aruzhan, please let us know your verdict tomorrow.

LooseBoots



Joined: 08/02/2009
Posts: 1258

Message Posted:
30/10/2011 16:36

What was Sunday lunch like?

andrew4232



Joined: 04/07/2009
Posts: 1543

Message Posted:
30/10/2011 23:27

we went there last week 3 people 3 starters 3 mains i pud 2 bottles of wine 267tl ouch!! went home and had a sandwich

LooseBoots



Joined: 08/02/2009
Posts: 1258

Message Posted:
31/10/2011 10:14

How much was the wine? Plus what cost were the mains?

andrew4232



Joined: 04/07/2009
Posts: 1543

Message Posted:
31/10/2011 12:55

we had lal it was 30 a bottle

LooseBoots



Joined: 08/02/2009
Posts: 1258

Message Posted:
31/10/2011 13:45

That doesn`t seem excessive for a bottle of wine.



Sounds about the usual mark up from the supermarket. it`s when you get charged TL 8.00 for a large bottle of water whenit`s about 1.40 in the shops.

aruzhan


Joined: 11/03/2011
Posts: 146

Message Posted:
31/10/2011 14:07

that was a dusappoitment. We had one starter ( we were told it would be enough for two, it was not!), one pizza ( we were told it would be enough for two, it was not !) , after that we felt still hungry and ordered a cheese plate ( miserable portion!), plus tiramisu , a cup of coffee and three glasses of house wine . In total 155 Lira!



I do not think we will go there any more. Though everything was presented and tasted very nice but I do not want to come home from a restaurant and start searching for anything to eat.



To my mind the best restaurant in N.Cyprus - was , is and I am sure will be - El Sabor in old city of Lefkosa.



Never get disappointed - nice menu and service, good quality and quantity of food, beautiful location and interior design.





Prices are always pleasant.

StGeorgeI


Joined: 27/08/2009
Posts: 973

Message Posted:
31/10/2011 15:43

Agree about Sabor (msg 18) - whenever we are in Lefkosa we always go there for lunch!



G

LooseBoots



Joined: 08/02/2009
Posts: 1258

Message Posted:
31/10/2011 19:50

Do you have directions for El Sabor......say from the brains roundabout?

marvin


Joined: 23/06/2009
Posts: 68

Message Posted:
31/10/2011 21:27

El Sabor is in the old town not far from the border if you find the mosque it is opposite it if not ask any local they will tell you. We have the mixed starter for two realy filling dont need anything else enjoy,

Marvin,

StGeorgeI


Joined: 27/08/2009
Posts: 973

Message Posted:
01/11/2011 10:47

Go over the mountains to the main Lefkosa roundabout. Go straight over towards the hospital and just keep going straight for the next few miles. Eventually you will come to a roundabout with a big monument on it - when you go over that roundabout you will be on a one-way system with about 4 lanes. Go in the right hand 2 lanes and bare right at the end - you will now have the old walled city to you left. You take the 2nd (I think) left into the walled city through the Kyrenia gate.



Go straight up that road and about 500m up you'll come to a bit where there is a big tower type monument - don't take that immediate left, but take the second left. do straight for about 200m and there's a car park on your left and the stunning Buyuk Han on your right (worth a walk around).



Park in the car park and then turn left when you come out, left at the end of the road and then you will see the mosque in front of you. Sabor is in the square to the left of the mosque.



Enjoy



G

StGeorgeI


Joined: 27/08/2009
Posts: 973

Message Posted:
01/11/2011 10:49

If you turn right past the Buyuk Han it takes you into the back streets with some great shops that eventually lead down to the Ledra street crossing.



The whole area is great and if you haven't been you don't know what your missing!!



G

LooseBoots



Joined: 08/02/2009
Posts: 1258

Message Posted:
01/11/2011 17:10

Will def put on our list, which is long already , of places to try.

Suffolk



Joined: 31/08/2008
Posts: 222

Message Posted:
01/11/2011 18:43

Have to agree about Sabour, friends recommended it when we went to Lefkosa last year. The food was nice, service was good and it was very clean.

Panchocat


Joined: 29/11/2009
Posts: 1333

Message Posted:
01/11/2011 20:05

There is also a nice Cypriot courtyard restaurant behind the Mosque.

It's parallel to Sabor, you do a right turn behind the mosque before you reach Sabor, and it leads to it.

Forgotten what it's called but was full of locals on Friday and the sounds from Friday mosque added to the charm.

Lester


Joined: 23/02/2011
Posts: 18

Message Posted:
02/11/2011 15:11

Getting back to i Belli, we were very disappointed. The portions were very small... we had three courses and we still came away hungry. Dessert was Tiramasu or nothing. For this sort of money, you expect better quality food, and at least reasonable portions. They don't appear to be catering for the ex-pat market but if they are, they will need to rethink. We complained that our hot food was served on cold plates and by the time we came to eat it, our puny mutton chops had congealed. We were told that this hot plate preference was only preferred by the British, and was not an Italian custom. So I guess it will be Cypriots and Italians only that they will attract... certainly not us.

andrew4232



Joined: 04/07/2009
Posts: 1543

Message Posted:
02/11/2011 19:38

i feel its shame because the idea is right they have just lost the plot !

rickheff


Joined: 14/01/2009
Posts: 27

Message Posted:
10/11/2011 15:18

yea we have been to ibelli twice for dinner and once for lunch and had great food each time. its good honest northern italian food. the owners are indeed italian and fantastic people. sure the prices arent the cheapest but if its cheap you want then you can always find that and then enjoy rubbish food. someone mentioned sabor in lefkosa - well we left half way through a disgusting meal - its nothing like real tapas!

also if you give them 48 hours notice for a particular dish they will endeavour to provide it subject to availability of the ingredients.

carian


Joined: 13/03/2009
Posts: 336

Message Posted:
10/11/2011 16:53

Have to agree about Sabor( but the one that used to be in Girne), we left because of a terrible meal but a couple who came into the restaurant after us actually left before us !!!

cavalryman


Joined: 08/11/2010
Posts: 314

Message Posted:
10/11/2011 17:13

There always seem to be people on here with an agenda or trying to push a venue. I have tried i belle and found the food good but not very good also small portions and expensive.Just because people complain about the price it does not mean we are looking for cheap food just value for money.As for sabor I have and still do eat there regularly and I too have had a bad meal BUT upon complaining it was rectified IMMEDIATLEY every place slips up sometimes.Sabor is constantly packed mostly by locals at night and tourists in the day they offer good food good quantity and offer tapas STYLE food which varies in each country according to tastes.I am only sad that because of the roadworks and then the car park being repaired for over a year they closed in girne they had the right idea good honest food at a good price.There are too many pretentious places offering mediocre pricey food in the Girne area its about time they woke up could any of you name 12 EXCELLENT restaurants in Girne I could,nt

aruzhan


Joined: 11/03/2011
Posts: 146

Message Posted:
10/11/2011 17:46

Yes rickheff, you have to order paella in advance in El Sabor, but it is delicious and the portion huge, we could never eat all!



What is a good restaurant?



Where you feel happy

the food is good- it tastes nice , it is fresh, of high quality and good quantity,

prices are resonable for the standard of the restaurant (is the Italian restaurant a Michelin star?),

surroundings are pleasant and the service is professional .



We are happy to pay a lot of money in a good restaurant.

aruzhan


Joined: 11/03/2011
Posts: 146

Message Posted:
10/11/2011 17:53

Last Sunday we went ot LAPIDA Hotel for lunch.



I believe the hotel - is a hidden jem of North Cyprus.



We had a very tasty local food in a beautiful garden .



We left happy not because we paid only 70 TL ( with a bottle of wine) but because everything was very good- tasty, fresh, beautiful, comfortable, pleasant.

cavalryman


Joined: 08/11/2010
Posts: 314

Message Posted:
10/11/2011 18:02

Thanks for that Aruzhan where is Lapida and what type of food?

lovefood


Joined: 14/11/2011
Posts: 2

Message Posted:
14/11/2011 16:21

We went there last week…Lovely and charming restaurant… home away from home… Well constructed menu, cooking and presentation simple but accomplished, the food was served quickly and with a smile On the price side, not cheap but for the food quality (finally an Italian restaurant in Cyprus using authentic parmesan cheese and real pancetta and many other real Italian ingredients..), you couldn’t complainCyprus we will be back…would certainly go back to IBelli because the food was some of the best Italian I have had

aruzhan


Joined: 11/03/2011
Posts: 146

Message Posted:
14/11/2011 17:46

www.lapidahotel.com



It is typical Cypriot cuisine- mezze and kebabs , pleasant.

reyntj


Joined: 26/01/2011
Posts: 229

Message Posted:
14/11/2011 17:58

at least trnc isnt full of all those crap chains in the uk churning our prefabricted microwaved fodder -la tasca

gbk pizza express nandos etc its all thats in most high streets! i use to live in kingston upon thames and the centre was full of this crap very few individual restaurants. i did use to go to them though but im much happier with the restaurants here especially the prices

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
15/11/2011 10:16

Anyone got a contact number for iBelli?

lovefood


Joined: 14/11/2011
Posts: 2

Message Posted:
16/11/2011 16:58

Email: ibellirestaurant@gmail.com

Phone:+357 3928154670

ADDRESS: 52 Namik Kemal cad., mersin 10 Kyrenia, Cyprus

TRNCVaughan


Joined: 27/04/2008
Posts: 4578

Message Posted:
16/11/2011 21:07

Thanks lovefood,



Do you have directions, please?

fatboy



Joined: 05/11/2008
Posts: 244

Message Posted:
17/11/2011 13:34

Behind Efedi restaurant opposite the mosque in the old turkish quarter,used to be Sele,wish it still was.