Nicos Nicolaou: The Baker

Text: Romina Xyda / Photos: Silvio Augusto Rusmigo

The sweetest stories have been made at Hurricane for almost a century, with authentic recipes and the love of the people.

In the heart of Nicosia, behind the same shop windows from 1942, is a pastry shop with timeless flavours, warm hospitality, and a tradition that continues to live through people and stories. “Nothing has changed here,” says Mr. Nicos. “For over eighty years, the amaretti cookies, the cheese pie with puff pastry, and the croissants have been made using exactly the same recipes. Imagine – I still have the same tables from 1942, as well as the first electric oven that came to Cyprus in 1956, which is still in use today.”

The story of Hurricane is closely tied to his family: “My father worked here from 1962, and I grew up surrounded by the smells of dough and sugar, watching the older workers at their craft. In 1989, when the owner decided to step down, he offered my father the chance to take over. A year later, we bought the shop, keeping the same spirit alive.”

Despite the family connection, he had never imagined following the profession. “I had nothing to do with pastry-making until my father asked me to stand by his side. He knew the production inside out, but he had no experience in management. That’s where I came in. Over time, though, 
I also learned the craft.”

Over the years, Hurricane became a legend. Glafcos Clerides, then President of the Republic of Cyprus, used to have his coffee there, while David Bowie, whenever he visited Cyprus, would stop by for his favourite cheese pie. “But for me, the ordinary people are the most important,” he says emphatically. “What moves me the most is my relationship with the customers: the generations who pass through the shop, the spontaneous hugs, the feeling that Hurricane is a landmark in their lives.”