Bar review: Alchemies Café/Wine Bar, Larnaca

By Andreas Vou

Larnaca may be a small town but it is never short of bars or cafés to choose from. And even though summer is on its way out the need to sit outside on a terrace and enjoy a coffee with friends is a tradition that goes on throughout the year, regardless of the weather.

Alchemies is an enchanting café/wine bar situated in the heart of Larnaca’s new Ermou square which has provided an additional edge to the town. The Phinikoudes strip will always be the primary hot spot of Larnaca but it is no longer the only option when it comes to coffee with friends or even a drink at night.

One of a handful of establishments located in and around this new square, Alchemies is steadily proving to be the most popular. Firstly, in terms of food, it has been smart to adapt to Cyprus’ healthy-living trend by offering a comprehensive ‘Healthy Selections’ menu and a fantastic touch by also displaying the nutritional value of each meal’s contents. The quality of its food has recently gained recognition by being nominated for Time Out Magazine’s 2014 Eating Awards in the ‘New Opening’ category.

In the drinks department, the selection is even more impressive. As its name suggests, mixing and combining a variation of different drinks is their forte. Other than the selection of cocktails, their own formulae have led to the creation of a number of interesting new tasty drinks which are worth a go including Venice Passion, Mind Control and, my favourite, Night Alchemies, among many others – all served in unique measuring glasses.

Alchemies serves Lavazza coffee in all of its various formats – hot, cold, tall, short – as well as a broad range of local and imported wines.
In terms of seating arrangements, there is a cozy indoor space but even though the weather might have dropped by a few degrees, the outdoor area is still the most popular which might require getting there a bit early to get a place.

Friday and Saturday nights are usually hectic and so service may be slow but, in general, staff are very attentive and are keen to help out in the selection process.

Alchemies
Where: Ermou Square, Larnaca
Contact: 97 665555
When: 9am-2am Monday-Sunday

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.