The pulse of Old Town
Text: Eleni Xenou / Photos: Silvio Augusto Rusmigo
Around Nicosia’s new town hall, a dense and vibrant daily life unfolds, breathing new life into the city’s historic centre.
A circular walk around the buildings that make up Nicosia’s new town hall is enough to reveal how, within such a small area, everything can coexist. From alternative bars, tavernas, cultural venues, and cosy cafés to archaeological finds and traditional artisans of the past – everything and everyone is there.
Art and Beers
It’s afternoon, and the weather is unpredictable – sunny one moment, cloudy the next. Yet this shifting light perfectly complements the contrasts found along the three streets that embrace the new town hall. But, let’s start from the beginning.
I begin on Apostοlou Barnabas Street, the small stone-paved alley beside the Archbishopric, heading toward NiMAC, the Municipal Arts Centre across from the town hall and the archaeological park – Cyprus’ oldest and largest centre for contemporary art. Operating for over thirty years, it has hosted some of the island’s most significant art exhibitions. It’s well worth a visit: browse the publications in its bookstore, explore the current exhibition, and unwind at the café-restaurant in its back courtyard –one of the most charming in the Old Town– named Palia Ilektriki (Old Electric). The atmosphere there is calm, the culinary offerings are noteworthy, and the menu offers plenty: international dishes, shared platters, wines, and cocktails. And if you’re wondering about the name, it comes from the fact that the building once housed Nicosia’s first electricity-generating plant, which shut down in the early 1950s due to the pollution it caused.
Just a few steps further down, you’ll come across the very cool café-bar Swimming Birds, with tables spilling out onto the sidewalk. Especially in the evenings, when the town hall building lights up like a magical lantern, the atmosphere becomes almost dreamlike. This is a place where everyone gathers – from artists and hipsters to those who love the Οld Τown. Open all day, this cosy little spot smells of fresh coffee in the mornings, and by afternoon it transforms into a bar serving Cypriot beers, homemade iced teas, great music, and perfect negronis for the sunset hour.
Brandy Sours and Cocktails
I turn right onto Eptanisou Street, which leads to the Green Line, and right next to the barrels that mark it stands a unique little café: Haratsi. Its owner, Stavros Lambrakis, is a young poet known for crafting the best brandy sours, and he’s determined to spark a different kind of human connection. The place is so small, after all, that everyone inside becomes part of the same group. Writers sip drinks with handymen, wandering travellers trade tales with locals, retirees share stories with tattoo-covered youths, and for this beautifully mismatched coexistence, everyone seems willing to pay their fair share of the Haratsi (taxes). Before you get there, on your right is Tempon Street, featuring a new graffiti piece by Twenty Three, the well-known Cypriot street artist. Just after that, on the left, begins Manis Street, which leads me straight to Palaia Pineza (Old Thumbtack) – a friendly, laid-back bar that draws a lively crowd, serves delicious cocktails, plays great music from guest DJs, and boasts a résumé filled with some of the Old Town’s most legendary parties.
Hidden Secrets
On the very next narrow street, tucked between the iron doors of neighbourhood workshops, a hidden gem reveals itself: the pub Hide. Its owners –Ronika and George– having spent years in England, wanted to bring the micropub vibe to Nicosia. Industrial design defines this tiny space which offers 30 different beers from small producers in England and Cyprus, with the list rotating every quarter. Great music –rock and indie– a laid-back atmosphere, tasty burgers, and weekend brunch round out the experience. Back on Pentadaktylou Street, another intriguing establishment awaits: Sin, Plin, Ison (Plus, Minus, Equal). That’s the name of the bar with its colourful decor, unique drink selection, funky music, juicy burgers, and bratwurst sausages that are sure to win you over. Surrounded by traditional-style houses and a scatter of basil-filled pots, it sets its tables out on the street, adding a fresh and playful twist to the neighbourhood scene.
Technology, Pizza and Meze
Back to Eptanisou Street –to keep my circular route intact– and from there, a right turn onto Lellou Demetriadi Street. I pass by Agios Georgios taverna, well worth a stop for classic Cypriot meze paired with ouzo or zivania, before heading toward town hall square. Where the old municipal market once stood, you’ll now find CYENS, a research and innovation centre specialising in interactive media, smart systems, and emerging technologies. This strikingly futuristic addition brings a postmodern energy to the heart of the Οld Τown. In the same building, there’s also a new addition: the all-day café Akora.
In the morning, you’ll find people working on their laptops, drinking coffee, and eating delicious sandwiches. In the afternoon and evening, at the tables outside under the eucalyptus trees, young people enjoy their drinks while listening to lounge music and snacking on hot nachos. Before you continue, take a look at the small shop right across from Akora, where the traditional craft of the tinker is still alive. On Diogenous Street, which runs alongside the square, you’ll spot the charming pizzeria Biga. Here, you’ll be served authentic Neapolitan pizza outdoors on the cobblestones, ideally paired with Golem beer, brewed in the Οld Τown.
Beautiful courtyards and lovely music
Leaving Biga, I walk along Isaakiou Komninou Street, which leads to the Cathedral of Apostle Barnabas. Before I get there, I turn right onto Piraeus Street towards Kafeneio 11, which has a beautiful courtyard full of bougainvillea and unique décor. Open from 10:30 AM, it serves homemade jams, eggs, Lountza (smoked pork tenderloin), and cheeses. In the afternoon, it offers refreshing lemonades, and in the evening, ouzo, wine, and zivania, along with small sides. Some evenings, it hosts various bands, mostly Greek Rebetiko. Directly across is the café-restaurant Erodos, with a rich menu and regular music ensembles. It opens at 2 PM on weekdays and 11 AM on weekends. Down Soutsou Street, a narrow street to the right, in a beautifully preserved building with a lovely courtyard, you’ll find Korniza Baroque – a relaxed café-bar with fresh juices, strong drinks, appetizers, and cool music. Further down, in a small arcade next to Erodos you’ll discover the café Marabou – those who frequent it simply call it Stou Teli after its owner. The food is homemade: wine-infused fried meats, meatballs, and pie with halloumi and tomato. As for drinks, there are Zivamela, Krasomela, Rakomela (Zivania, Wine, and Raki mixed with honey, respectively), and wine from a priest in Panagia. At Marabou, you’re definitely in for an alternative experience – especially now that Yousooroom has opened next door, a small multi-purpose space that hosts exhibitions and stand-up comedy shows. At the conclusion of your circular stroll, the best awaits you: the renovated Hamam Omerye – where you can relax with a massage and a cup of tea made from local herbs.
