Bar review: Palia Pineza, Nicosia

By Constantinos Psillides

Nestled somewhere in the old Town of Nicosia – for the life of me I cannot get there without getting lost at least twice – is the café/bar PaliaPineza (translated as the Old Thumbtacks), a peculiar name for a peculiar hangout.

Pineza – as the patrons call it – is located behind the Archbishopric, in an until recently run-down area of the old town, jam-packed with buildings on the brink of collapse. All that changed when the Nicosia Municipality decided to renovate a significant portion of the old town, transforming the previously desolate to inner-city urban oasis. And

Pineza is smack in the middle.

Pineza is both a café and bar. It opens at 6.30pm every day to greet the first customers, gathering at Pineza to get away from it all while enjoying their coffee. And keeping to that urban spirit, prices at Pineza are lower than your run-of-mill fancy café you see at the most crowded areas of the old town. At €1.50 euro for a frappe and €2 for beer, finding a place that can compete with Pineza when it comes to prices and location is challenging.

The café also offers a variety of traditional home-made sweets to perfectly accompany your caffeine excursion! And for those who steer away from coffee, Pineza also offers a selection of herbal teas.

The building itself used to be a smithy, before the owner closed-up shop and abandoned the area. Traces of the building’s origins can still be found in the decoration, if one knows what to look for.

The café/bar has only been open for a little over a year but has managed to win the hearts of those who are in love with the old town but are unwilling to navigate the streets near Phaneromeni square that are flooded with people.

As the day progresses, the inner city café gives it’s spot to a bar for a party that lasts till the early hours. There’s no one kind of music played there, as the owners are fans of variety. While usually Tuesdays are reserved for rock, the bar holds live DJ sessions on Saturdays ranging from retro 80s to funk and jazz.

One thing is for sure. You are always in for a surprise when you head out to Pineza!

PalioPineza
Where: Manis 14, Nicosia
Contact: 70001991

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