Ocean Basket Larnaca — Restaurant in Larnaca

Stepping into Ocean Basket, I was hoping for a voyage of seafood delight. Instead, I found myself stranded on an island of culinary despair, served by a crew seemingly more interested in watching paint dry than attending to patrons. If you enjoy playing a thrilling game of "how long will it take to get a waiter's attention?" or "will I ever be allowed to pay and escape?", then this is your paradise. For the rest of us, it's just plain infuriating.

The service here is truly a masterclass in inattention. Our waiters were so adept at avoiding eye contact, I'm convinced they've undergone special training. Ordering felt like sending out an SOS from a deserted island, and as for paying... well, I almost considered setting up a small camp and waiting for the next geological era to arrive. It's truly impressive how a restaurant can make the simple act of taking money feel like an Olympic sport.

The starters set the tone perfectly. We were presented with dry bread, margarine instead of butter (because who needs actual butter with bread?), and three abject sauces. Two of these were "spicy" but boasted an impressive zero on the flavor scale, while the third was a sad excuse for supermarket mayonnaise. And in a seafood restaurant, the ultimate sin: no olive oil, no vinegar, and no salt were offered. It's like serving coffee without water. Now, onto the main event, or rather, the main disappointment. The food at Ocean Basket is less a meal and more a challenge to your taste buds. Our oysters, for instance, were a triumph of neutrality – utterly devoid of any discernible flavor. Perhaps they were just shy?

Then came the "Fisherman's Catch" platter, which I can only assume was designed by someone who holds a deep-seated grudge against the very concept of delicious food. This dish wasn't just a lack of culinary art; it was an active rebellion against it:

Mussels: Drowning in a third-rate sauce, clearly an attempt to camouflage their inherent flavor vacuum. It was like a bad magic trick, but instead of disappearing, the flavor just never showed up. Prawns: Split down the middle during cooking, effectively ensuring any hint of their natural, delicious sea flavor was instantly evaporated. Forget that classic ocean taste; these tasted of... well, nothing. Octopus: Another victim of the flavor void. It was there, it had texture, but its existence seemed purely existential. Grilled Fish and Calamari: These heroes of the sea were presented naked and unseasoned, as if salt and flavor were mythical creatures. It felt like a personal insult to my palate.

The sole survivor of this flavor massacre was the rice, which, to its credit, actually had some taste. A pity it was as dry as the Sahara.

In summary, Ocean Basket offers a truly memorable experience, though not in the way one hopes for. The food is remarkably tasteless, and the service is... well, let's just say it leaves plenty of room for improvement. If you're looking for a bland adventure and enjoy testing your patience, then by all means, set sail for Ocean Basket. Otherwise, I'd suggest charting a...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Ocean Basket in Larnaca, and overall, it was a very positive experience. The restaurant is beautifully located with a relaxed, coastal atmosphere that makes it an ideal spot to enjoy fresh seafood.

Starting with the food, the quality was undeniably high. Every dish was well-prepared and flavorful. I ordered a variety of seafood platters, and each item was cooked to perfection – tender, juicy, and seasoned just right. The freshness of the ingredients was apparent, especially when dining in. There’s something about eating seafood right by the sea that enhances the entire experience, and Ocean Basket delivered on that front. I particularly enjoyed the grilled prawns and calamari, which were deliciously charred on the outside and tender on the inside.

While the food was fantastic, the wine selection left a little to be desired. Although the wine we had was decent, I feel there’s room for improvement in terms of offering more sophisticated or better-paired wines with their excellent seafood dishes. This is something that could elevate the dining experience to an even higher level.

One minor issue we encountered was the payment process, which took longer than expected. There seemed to be some delay with the payment system, and while it wasn’t a major problem, it did cause a bit of a wait at the end of the meal. It would be great if this aspect could be streamlined in the future to avoid unnecessary delays.

Overall, I would highly recommend Ocean Basket for anyone looking to enjoy fresh, high-quality seafood in Larnaca. The food truly shines when eaten on-site – it tastes incredibly fresh and absolutely delicious. Despite the small hiccup with the payment process and the wine selection, the dining experience was memorable, and I would certainly return for another visit. It’s a must-visit for...

Fish was frozen and undercooked would not recommend.

Our most expensive meal in Cyprus and definitely the worst.

We arrived at the restaurant which at first glance look really impressive the menu was appealing until we asked the waiter if the fish was fresh (considering it’s on the sea front and is a fish restaurant) we were shocked to find out only 2 of the fish salmon and sea bass on the menu were “fresh” When starts arrived the garden salad was lovely! Atherina was ok considering they were frozen Calamari not so good also frozen. Our main course then arrived we ordered sea bass and salmon. When they both arrived very quick service I noticed the inside of the salmon was under cooked. The waiter quickly noticed and apologised and organised a fresh course to come. After it arrived 10-15 minutes later it was already cut into by the staff to check if it was cooked I then cut into myself and it was rubber it was overcooked on the outside and still raw on the inside - the fish was definitely frozen although originally told was fresh The sea bass was also not great and probably frozen. Chips were also frozen and cold … if a restaurant can’t cook chips I won’t trust them to cook fish. When the waiter came back the second time about the salmon he was quite cheeky and questioned that it was still raw he then took everything else off the table with attitude and walked to the kitchen. The rest of the staff then ignored our table when trying to pay the bill.

I do not recommend this restaurant if looking for nice good food I recommend tourist trap restaurants away from...