Bars restaurants and Cyprus entertainment
Catering specifically for tourists many bars and restaurants in Cyprus pro¬vide music, both traditional bouzouki and international pop, rock and disco, late into the night in all the resorts, par¬ticularly around the harbour. Strolling musicians occasion¬ally liven up the night scene at quaysides and in the tavernas.
If you want to find where the young Cypriots go, follow their motor scooters down the back streets behind the ports of Limassol, Larnaca and Pa¬phos. Nicosia's taverns as are more traditional. But Limas¬sol's cabarets provide the liveliest night out, keeping the Arab and Lebanese colony en¬tertained until the small hours.
Most hotels offer weekly folklore shows with Cypriot¬-costumed performers singing and dancing to charming village tunes. Visitors are in¬variably encouraged to get up and dance along and nobody objects to missteps. Hotels also organize special buffets and cocktail parties, gaming nights and fashion shows.
The Nicosia Municipal Theatre stages plays in Greek and sometimes English; concerts are held here, too. Films in English are shown in the larger cities. Ask at your hotel or consult local papers and Cyprus Time Out for informa¬tion about special events. A Cyprus-by-night tour might take you to a local res¬taurant to sample mezedes and on to a performance of tradi¬tional Cypriot dancing with bouzouki music. Some tours include a pastiche of a Cypriot wedding full in swing.
Festivals and car hire in Cyprus
Every town commemorates its patron saint in Cyprus, and if you want to tour around the festivals and events, there is no better way to do it than by hiring a car at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus. Feast days and other holi¬days bring out the inevitable merchants and their stands (paniyiri) of market produce, sweets, drinks and trinkets.
On Epiphany Day (6 January), bishops bless the waters in all the seaside towns, throwing their Holy Crosses into the sea. Boys dive for them, winning a small prize when they surface with one. February/March Clean Monday. Large amounts of vegetables, olives and wine are consumed on this day of 'fasting', the Monday before Lent. Carnival. Limassol's ten¬-day long celebration features fancydress balls and a spate of parades. It's not Rio, but it's lighthearted.
March/April
Good Friday. Orthodox Solemn Masses take place all over Cyprus, with a procession of the Holy Sepulchre in main streets and squares. Easter. A midnight service takes place on the Saturday before Easter, when people light their candles from the priest's, moving around the church and chanting the litany in a kind of sound-and-light atmosphere that is neverthe¬less fervently religious. On Easter Sunday, High Masses celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The rest of the day is devoted to socializing, eating and games.
May/June
Kataklismos. Also known as Pentecost, this two-day holi¬day harks back to ancient times, when Cypriots con¬vened at temples to worship and sacrifice to Adonis and Aphrodite, continuing their celebrations down at the sea¬shore. Nowadays there are ex¬cursions to the beach, parties, games, colourful parades, competitions and 'dousing' ¬especially at Paphos.
August
Assumption of the Virgin. On 15 August, the faithful gather at the leading monasteries: Kykko, Chrysorroyiatissa, Troodhitissa, Macheras. (Be¬ware of crowds: the small roads leading to the churches can be clogged with cars.) Lefkara Festival. In mid¬-August, Lefkara holds a vil¬lage festival to display its famous embroidery and other crafts. There's music, dancing and food stands galore. September The Virgin Nativity. On 8 Sep¬tember, a crowd assembles at Kykko Monastery to observe rites from iconkissing to lemonadedrinking.
Nicosia Arts Festival. This two-week long event features everything from art exhibi¬tions and folk dancing to avant-garde ballet and rock concerts. Most of the events take place in the Famagusta Gate Cultural Centre. Limassol Wine Festival. A fortnight of wine-tastings, dancing and folklore shows. Ayia Napa Festival. Folk¬lore, music, dance and theatre.
Eating Out in Cyprus
People in Cyprus eat well and plenty; they are not a thin race. Their island has the cuisine of its geography and history ¬conquerors and refugees alike have left their mark Turkish, Greek, Syrian, Lebanese and Armenian. And the modern Republic has the prosperity to make the combination distinct¬ive: good fresh vegetables, tangy meat dishes, fish and seafood savoury but undis¬guised by dubious sauces. Best of all is that mindboggling procession of mezedes where you have the delightful prob¬lem the French call embarras du choix too much to choose from.
But with mass tourism has come that bland hybrid called 'international cuisine' getting in the way of the real local food. And British-style fish¬ and chips is being overtaken by the ubiquitous hamburger and pizza. But take heart: such local fast food items as pitta bread with sheftalia (a kind of •sausage) and souvlaki (skewered meat) are not yet mass-¬produced and the quality can be high.
As opposed to Greece, where you're encouraged to rush in to the kitchen to point out what you'd like to eat, Cyprus restaurants usually ex¬pect you to order from the menu (almost invariably trans¬lated into English and perhaps other languages), with the waiter's help.
Some traditional Cypriot tavernas have no menu, just a set meal and you pay a fixed price for whatever is being served that night: trust them and enjoy your meal. In Mediterranean fashion, local people tend to eat late (from 1.30 to 3.30 p.m. for lunch, 9 to 10.30 p.m. for din¬ner). But service begins an hour or even two hours earlier.
Things are quieter, but you'll usually get good service if you come early, which is also a good idea if you're eating with young children. To be sure of eating in the company of Cypriots, come later. As Cyprus produces excel¬lent wine, beer and brandy, reasonably priced drinks before, during or after meals can contribute to the general euphoria.
Breakfast in Cyprus
The usual hotel breakfast is continental: rolls, toast or bread, biscuits and perhaps croissants with butter and jam, and coffee, tea or chocolate. The tea will probably be made from tea bags, and the coffee is all too often hot water, provided with an envelope or two of instant powder, to be added to taste.
For big appetites, some hotels offer an Englishstyle breakfast of ham and eggs, perhaps porridge or kippers. Some international hotel menus also list Americanstyle breakfast cereals. Fresh fruits and fruit juices are almost always available and they are delicious.
Those who prefer real cof¬fee should order the 'Greek' or 'Turkish' variety, readily available at any time of day in cafes or tavernas. Order it sweet (gliko), medium sweet (metrio), or without sugar (sketo). Greek coffee is taken black, never with cream or milk, and is usually accompa¬nied by a glass of ice water.
Starters in Cyprus
Hot and cold appetizers (mezedes) can be so varied and interesting that you could make a whole meal of them. Some restaurants offer menus of over 20 items. Naturally, in this food cornucopia, there is Greek-style taramosalata (fishroe paste with oil, mashed potato or softened bread and lemon juice). Dzadziki (yoghurt with cu¬cumber, crushed garlic and seasonings) is well known as a Greek or Turkish dish, but probably originated in Lebanon.
Talattouri, a Cypriot variant of this preparation, will invariably be seasoned with fresh mint. Other popular dips include tachinosalata (sesame seed paste with garlic) and hoummous, a puree of chick¬peas, olive oil and hot spices.
To accompany these dips, you'll be served fresh Cypriot sesame seed (koulouri) bread, which has a hearty homemade taste, and may be toasted. The array of mezedes continues with melidzano¬salata (aubergine eggplant ¬pureed with oil, garlic, a little vinegar, lemon juice and sea¬sonings) and a small plate of black olives.
You may be served a tomato salad, pickled capers and cauliflower (moun¬gra) or spicy squid or octopus (ktapodhi ksidhato), cut into small pieces. Smoked sausages figure prominently among mezedes offerings, whether sheftalia (port, veal or lamb) or the ever-popular pork and beef loukanika.
There is succulent marinated ham, pressed (chi¬romeri) or smoked (lounza), and smoked fillet of pork, served hot (charcoal-grilled) or cold and thinsliced. Do try haloumi, Cypriot ewe's milk cheese, which may be served hot (grilled or fried) or cold. Dolmadakia are the well-known vine leaves stuffed with rice, lamb and sometimes mint. Souvlakia, skewered pieces of lamb (or chicken, beef or pork) grilled over charcoal, may be eaten as a starter or a main course as may grilled lamb chops.
Fish and shellfish in Cyprus
Since offshore catches are relatively scanty, the choice of seafood may be limited. Shrimp, squid and spiny lob¬ster appear on menus, but it's likely they will be frozen, rather than fresh. However, you may be offered fresh swordfish (xifias), red mullet (barbounia), red snapper (sinagrida) or a small Medi¬terranean fish called psirika.
These varieties may be grilled, sauteed, stuffed and baked or, more rarely, cooked in a wine sauce. Some hotel chefs prepare salads of mixed shell¬fish (mussels, shrimp, spiny lobster), and they can be ex¬cellent. In the Troodos moun¬tains the farm-raised trout are very good, whether smoked, sauteed, perhaps with slivered almonds, or au bleu (poached with clarified butter).
Meat and vegetables in Cypus
Cypriots love the ubiquitous moussaka as much as Greeks do; this layered dish of minced meat, aubergine (egg¬plant) and marrows (squash),potatoes, cream sauce and spices varies somewhat, ac¬cording to the chef.
A slightly different taste and texture characterize aubergine stuffed with minced meat and toma¬toes and topped with beaten egg and breadcrumbs (papout¬sakia). Stifado, beef or veal stew, usually contains wine, onions and herb seasoning. Patcha is sheep's head stewed with lemon and garlic. Chick¬en (kotopoulo) may be barbe¬cued, roasted, or served in a casserole with sauce, and per¬haps mushrooms and onions as well.
A variety of plain grilled steaks and chops feature on all menus. Lamb is cooked in a kind of clay pot with vegeta¬bles and spices (tavas) or cut into chops and kebabs and barbecued (kleftiko). Pork and suckling pig can be delicious grilled (perhaps over charcoal) or roasted. Look out for aphe¬lia, a tender pork stew made with red wine and coriander seeds, which does not often appear on hotel and restaurant menus.
Vegetable dishes and ac¬companiments include black¬-eyed beans (louvia), potatoes, rice, green beans or peas, tomatoes, courgettes (zucchi¬ni) and aubergines. Fresh green salads are always avail¬able. 'Greek' or 'village-style' salads incorporate tomatoes and feta cheese. In hotels and at poolsides you'll see mixed chef's salad, potato, egg and Nicoise salads.
Desserts in Cyprus
Cheese offerings are limited to the local ewe's milk halloumi (salty and mild), Greek-style feta (a bit stronger) and some rather tired imports. Some¬times graviera is served a local version of Swiss gruyere as well as kefalotyri and kaskavalli. Charcoal-grilled meat {souv¬laki is the speciality at this Ayia Napa hotel. Concentrate instead on the fruit of Cyprus.
Depending on the season, you'll be able to try the outstanding honeydew or cantaloupe melon, water¬melon, cherries, peaches, figs, apricots, oranges, tangerines, plums, grapes, pomegranates, and more ... You may also find wonderful yoghurt and honey, though not as often as in Greece. Cypriot sweets are very sweet indeed.
A speciality of Yeroskipos and Lefkara, louk¬houmi is the sugar-dusted, jellied Turkish delight. Honey and nuts flavour baklava, a strudel-like pastry, and kataifi, a pastry which resembles Shredded Wheat.
Another speciality of Cypriot pastry chefs, loukoumades are a kind of very sweet puffy dough¬nut dipped in syrup. The ice¬-cream, ices and sundaes can be excellent, and many hotels offer French-style pastries and tarts.
Drinks in Cyprus and car hire
If you are planning a tour of the local tavernas, you may not want to take your hire car with you, but the best way to tour around Cyprus is still to hire a car from Larnaca or Paphos Airport. If you pre-book car rental from Larnaca Airport, your vehicle will be waiting for you when you get there.
In addition to a variety of soft drinks and mineral water, there is excellent beer, brewed in Cyprus. Like the Greeks, Cypriots favour ouzo, the re¬freshing anis-flavoured aperi¬tif. Poolside drinks often include cooling Pimm's cup; and do try the heady, fruit brandy sours which are to Cyprus what pifia colada is to the Caribbean. Otherwise all the usual cocktails and drinks are available, but these are likely to be on the expensive side when they include import¬ed spirits. WINES Cyprus wines have been renowned since antiquity. Foremost among them is the sweet red Commandaria, originally produced for the Knights of St John at Kolossi.
Celebrated as an aperitif or dessert wine, it is worth try¬ing even if you usually eschew sweet wines. Sweet to dry wines of the sherry type are another Cypriot speciality. Constantly improving in quality, Cypriot table wines equal the best similar vintages 106 of Italy and Spain, and even some of the lesser wines of France.
Cyprus wines
White wines are usually quite light but not sweet; the outstanding names include Keo Hock, White Lady, Aphrodite and Arsinoe. Bella Pais, a rather bubbly white, makes a good aperitif or dessert wine. Duc de Nicosie is the closest a Cyprus wine comes to being champagne. It is produced using the traditional French method for a quite honourable result.
Red wines are catching up to whites in quality and popu¬larity even in this warm climate. Keo Claret, Olympus Claret and Domaine d' Ahera in particular often have subtle¬ty as well as body. Othello, a very well-known brand, can be outstanding (but not cheap) in vintage years try the ban¬ner year of 1959.
There are a few roses; most people consid¬er Coeur de Lion the best. For an after-dinner drink, try some Cypriot brandy. In the more sophisticated cate¬gory, Five Kings is one of the better-known brands. Filfar, a very strong liqueur, resembles Grand Mamier in taste.
Cyprus is a fascinating island and the best way to explore it is to pre-book a hire car from Larnaca Airport or from Paphos Airport, which will not only save you time and money, but will also enable you to travel in style and comfort. Car hire at Larnaca Airport Cyprus starts from just €80.00 per week, so book before you go, and save the hassle of delays when you arrive.
If you want to find where the young Cypriots go, follow their motor scooters down the back streets behind the ports of Limassol, Larnaca and Pa¬phos. Nicosia's taverns as are more traditional. But Limas¬sol's cabarets provide the liveliest night out, keeping the Arab and Lebanese colony en¬tertained until the small hours.
Most hotels offer weekly folklore shows with Cypriot¬-costumed performers singing and dancing to charming village tunes. Visitors are in¬variably encouraged to get up and dance along and nobody objects to missteps. Hotels also organize special buffets and cocktail parties, gaming nights and fashion shows.
The Nicosia Municipal Theatre stages plays in Greek and sometimes English; concerts are held here, too. Films in English are shown in the larger cities. Ask at your hotel or consult local papers and Cyprus Time Out for informa¬tion about special events. A Cyprus-by-night tour might take you to a local res¬taurant to sample mezedes and on to a performance of tradi¬tional Cypriot dancing with bouzouki music. Some tours include a pastiche of a Cypriot wedding full in swing.
Festivals and car hire in Cyprus
Every town commemorates its patron saint in Cyprus, and if you want to tour around the festivals and events, there is no better way to do it than by hiring a car at Larnaca Airport in Cyprus. Feast days and other holi¬days bring out the inevitable merchants and their stands (paniyiri) of market produce, sweets, drinks and trinkets.
On Epiphany Day (6 January), bishops bless the waters in all the seaside towns, throwing their Holy Crosses into the sea. Boys dive for them, winning a small prize when they surface with one. February/March Clean Monday. Large amounts of vegetables, olives and wine are consumed on this day of 'fasting', the Monday before Lent. Carnival. Limassol's ten¬-day long celebration features fancydress balls and a spate of parades. It's not Rio, but it's lighthearted.
March/April
Good Friday. Orthodox Solemn Masses take place all over Cyprus, with a procession of the Holy Sepulchre in main streets and squares. Easter. A midnight service takes place on the Saturday before Easter, when people light their candles from the priest's, moving around the church and chanting the litany in a kind of sound-and-light atmosphere that is neverthe¬less fervently religious. On Easter Sunday, High Masses celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The rest of the day is devoted to socializing, eating and games.
May/June
Kataklismos. Also known as Pentecost, this two-day holi¬day harks back to ancient times, when Cypriots con¬vened at temples to worship and sacrifice to Adonis and Aphrodite, continuing their celebrations down at the sea¬shore. Nowadays there are ex¬cursions to the beach, parties, games, colourful parades, competitions and 'dousing' ¬especially at Paphos.
August
Assumption of the Virgin. On 15 August, the faithful gather at the leading monasteries: Kykko, Chrysorroyiatissa, Troodhitissa, Macheras. (Be¬ware of crowds: the small roads leading to the churches can be clogged with cars.) Lefkara Festival. In mid¬-August, Lefkara holds a vil¬lage festival to display its famous embroidery and other crafts. There's music, dancing and food stands galore. September The Virgin Nativity. On 8 Sep¬tember, a crowd assembles at Kykko Monastery to observe rites from iconkissing to lemonadedrinking.
Nicosia Arts Festival. This two-week long event features everything from art exhibi¬tions and folk dancing to avant-garde ballet and rock concerts. Most of the events take place in the Famagusta Gate Cultural Centre. Limassol Wine Festival. A fortnight of wine-tastings, dancing and folklore shows. Ayia Napa Festival. Folk¬lore, music, dance and theatre.
Eating Out in Cyprus
People in Cyprus eat well and plenty; they are not a thin race. Their island has the cuisine of its geography and history ¬conquerors and refugees alike have left their mark Turkish, Greek, Syrian, Lebanese and Armenian. And the modern Republic has the prosperity to make the combination distinct¬ive: good fresh vegetables, tangy meat dishes, fish and seafood savoury but undis¬guised by dubious sauces. Best of all is that mindboggling procession of mezedes where you have the delightful prob¬lem the French call embarras du choix too much to choose from.
But with mass tourism has come that bland hybrid called 'international cuisine' getting in the way of the real local food. And British-style fish¬ and chips is being overtaken by the ubiquitous hamburger and pizza. But take heart: such local fast food items as pitta bread with sheftalia (a kind of •sausage) and souvlaki (skewered meat) are not yet mass-¬produced and the quality can be high.
As opposed to Greece, where you're encouraged to rush in to the kitchen to point out what you'd like to eat, Cyprus restaurants usually ex¬pect you to order from the menu (almost invariably trans¬lated into English and perhaps other languages), with the waiter's help.
Some traditional Cypriot tavernas have no menu, just a set meal and you pay a fixed price for whatever is being served that night: trust them and enjoy your meal. In Mediterranean fashion, local people tend to eat late (from 1.30 to 3.30 p.m. for lunch, 9 to 10.30 p.m. for din¬ner). But service begins an hour or even two hours earlier.
Things are quieter, but you'll usually get good service if you come early, which is also a good idea if you're eating with young children. To be sure of eating in the company of Cypriots, come later. As Cyprus produces excel¬lent wine, beer and brandy, reasonably priced drinks before, during or after meals can contribute to the general euphoria.
Breakfast in Cyprus
The usual hotel breakfast is continental: rolls, toast or bread, biscuits and perhaps croissants with butter and jam, and coffee, tea or chocolate. The tea will probably be made from tea bags, and the coffee is all too often hot water, provided with an envelope or two of instant powder, to be added to taste.
For big appetites, some hotels offer an Englishstyle breakfast of ham and eggs, perhaps porridge or kippers. Some international hotel menus also list Americanstyle breakfast cereals. Fresh fruits and fruit juices are almost always available and they are delicious.
Those who prefer real cof¬fee should order the 'Greek' or 'Turkish' variety, readily available at any time of day in cafes or tavernas. Order it sweet (gliko), medium sweet (metrio), or without sugar (sketo). Greek coffee is taken black, never with cream or milk, and is usually accompa¬nied by a glass of ice water.
Starters in Cyprus
Hot and cold appetizers (mezedes) can be so varied and interesting that you could make a whole meal of them. Some restaurants offer menus of over 20 items. Naturally, in this food cornucopia, there is Greek-style taramosalata (fishroe paste with oil, mashed potato or softened bread and lemon juice). Dzadziki (yoghurt with cu¬cumber, crushed garlic and seasonings) is well known as a Greek or Turkish dish, but probably originated in Lebanon.
Talattouri, a Cypriot variant of this preparation, will invariably be seasoned with fresh mint. Other popular dips include tachinosalata (sesame seed paste with garlic) and hoummous, a puree of chick¬peas, olive oil and hot spices.
To accompany these dips, you'll be served fresh Cypriot sesame seed (koulouri) bread, which has a hearty homemade taste, and may be toasted. The array of mezedes continues with melidzano¬salata (aubergine eggplant ¬pureed with oil, garlic, a little vinegar, lemon juice and sea¬sonings) and a small plate of black olives.
You may be served a tomato salad, pickled capers and cauliflower (moun¬gra) or spicy squid or octopus (ktapodhi ksidhato), cut into small pieces. Smoked sausages figure prominently among mezedes offerings, whether sheftalia (port, veal or lamb) or the ever-popular pork and beef loukanika.
There is succulent marinated ham, pressed (chi¬romeri) or smoked (lounza), and smoked fillet of pork, served hot (charcoal-grilled) or cold and thinsliced. Do try haloumi, Cypriot ewe's milk cheese, which may be served hot (grilled or fried) or cold. Dolmadakia are the well-known vine leaves stuffed with rice, lamb and sometimes mint. Souvlakia, skewered pieces of lamb (or chicken, beef or pork) grilled over charcoal, may be eaten as a starter or a main course as may grilled lamb chops.
Fish and shellfish in Cyprus
Since offshore catches are relatively scanty, the choice of seafood may be limited. Shrimp, squid and spiny lob¬ster appear on menus, but it's likely they will be frozen, rather than fresh. However, you may be offered fresh swordfish (xifias), red mullet (barbounia), red snapper (sinagrida) or a small Medi¬terranean fish called psirika.
These varieties may be grilled, sauteed, stuffed and baked or, more rarely, cooked in a wine sauce. Some hotel chefs prepare salads of mixed shell¬fish (mussels, shrimp, spiny lobster), and they can be ex¬cellent. In the Troodos moun¬tains the farm-raised trout are very good, whether smoked, sauteed, perhaps with slivered almonds, or au bleu (poached with clarified butter).
Meat and vegetables in Cypus
Cypriots love the ubiquitous moussaka as much as Greeks do; this layered dish of minced meat, aubergine (egg¬plant) and marrows (squash),potatoes, cream sauce and spices varies somewhat, ac¬cording to the chef.
A slightly different taste and texture characterize aubergine stuffed with minced meat and toma¬toes and topped with beaten egg and breadcrumbs (papout¬sakia). Stifado, beef or veal stew, usually contains wine, onions and herb seasoning. Patcha is sheep's head stewed with lemon and garlic. Chick¬en (kotopoulo) may be barbe¬cued, roasted, or served in a casserole with sauce, and per¬haps mushrooms and onions as well.
A variety of plain grilled steaks and chops feature on all menus. Lamb is cooked in a kind of clay pot with vegeta¬bles and spices (tavas) or cut into chops and kebabs and barbecued (kleftiko). Pork and suckling pig can be delicious grilled (perhaps over charcoal) or roasted. Look out for aphe¬lia, a tender pork stew made with red wine and coriander seeds, which does not often appear on hotel and restaurant menus.
Vegetable dishes and ac¬companiments include black¬-eyed beans (louvia), potatoes, rice, green beans or peas, tomatoes, courgettes (zucchi¬ni) and aubergines. Fresh green salads are always avail¬able. 'Greek' or 'village-style' salads incorporate tomatoes and feta cheese. In hotels and at poolsides you'll see mixed chef's salad, potato, egg and Nicoise salads.
Desserts in Cyprus
Cheese offerings are limited to the local ewe's milk halloumi (salty and mild), Greek-style feta (a bit stronger) and some rather tired imports. Some¬times graviera is served a local version of Swiss gruyere as well as kefalotyri and kaskavalli. Charcoal-grilled meat {souv¬laki is the speciality at this Ayia Napa hotel. Concentrate instead on the fruit of Cyprus.
Depending on the season, you'll be able to try the outstanding honeydew or cantaloupe melon, water¬melon, cherries, peaches, figs, apricots, oranges, tangerines, plums, grapes, pomegranates, and more ... You may also find wonderful yoghurt and honey, though not as often as in Greece. Cypriot sweets are very sweet indeed.
A speciality of Yeroskipos and Lefkara, louk¬houmi is the sugar-dusted, jellied Turkish delight. Honey and nuts flavour baklava, a strudel-like pastry, and kataifi, a pastry which resembles Shredded Wheat.
Another speciality of Cypriot pastry chefs, loukoumades are a kind of very sweet puffy dough¬nut dipped in syrup. The ice¬-cream, ices and sundaes can be excellent, and many hotels offer French-style pastries and tarts.
Drinks in Cyprus and car hire
If you are planning a tour of the local tavernas, you may not want to take your hire car with you, but the best way to tour around Cyprus is still to hire a car from Larnaca or Paphos Airport. If you pre-book car rental from Larnaca Airport, your vehicle will be waiting for you when you get there.
In addition to a variety of soft drinks and mineral water, there is excellent beer, brewed in Cyprus. Like the Greeks, Cypriots favour ouzo, the re¬freshing anis-flavoured aperi¬tif. Poolside drinks often include cooling Pimm's cup; and do try the heady, fruit brandy sours which are to Cyprus what pifia colada is to the Caribbean. Otherwise all the usual cocktails and drinks are available, but these are likely to be on the expensive side when they include import¬ed spirits. WINES Cyprus wines have been renowned since antiquity. Foremost among them is the sweet red Commandaria, originally produced for the Knights of St John at Kolossi.
Celebrated as an aperitif or dessert wine, it is worth try¬ing even if you usually eschew sweet wines. Sweet to dry wines of the sherry type are another Cypriot speciality. Constantly improving in quality, Cypriot table wines equal the best similar vintages 106 of Italy and Spain, and even some of the lesser wines of France.
Cyprus wines
White wines are usually quite light but not sweet; the outstanding names include Keo Hock, White Lady, Aphrodite and Arsinoe. Bella Pais, a rather bubbly white, makes a good aperitif or dessert wine. Duc de Nicosie is the closest a Cyprus wine comes to being champagne. It is produced using the traditional French method for a quite honourable result.
Red wines are catching up to whites in quality and popu¬larity even in this warm climate. Keo Claret, Olympus Claret and Domaine d' Ahera in particular often have subtle¬ty as well as body. Othello, a very well-known brand, can be outstanding (but not cheap) in vintage years try the ban¬ner year of 1959.
There are a few roses; most people consid¬er Coeur de Lion the best. For an after-dinner drink, try some Cypriot brandy. In the more sophisticated cate¬gory, Five Kings is one of the better-known brands. Filfar, a very strong liqueur, resembles Grand Mamier in taste.
Cyprus is a fascinating island and the best way to explore it is to pre-book a hire car from Larnaca Airport or from Paphos Airport, which will not only save you time and money, but will also enable you to travel in style and comfort. Car hire at Larnaca Airport Cyprus starts from just €80.00 per week, so book before you go, and save the hassle of delays when you arrive.
posted by The Car Hire Guy at
09:40
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home