Bar review: Ambassaden Bar, Ayia Napa

By Andreas Vou

It is not exactly everyone’s cup of tea but Ayia Napa is a truly unique spot with an atmosphere that every Cyprus resident or tourist has to try at least visit once in the summer, and Ambassaden Bar is a great place to start.

People from across the continent travel to the small town each year and the truth is that there is something for just about anyone. There is both a very quiet side to Ayia Napa and, for the majority, an extremely hectic and chaotic one.

If you’re somebody who is somewhere in the middle, keen to get a feel of the atmosphere but not exactly a huge fan of being part of some overly enthusiastic bar crawl, then Ambassaden Bar should be ideal.

Situated in an ideal spot, on the corner of a lively row of bars and overlooking an open plaza, the two-storey bar has everything one needs to have an enjoyable time. There is a vast outdoor seating area where one can have a front-row view of the droves of people walking past and in Ayia Napa there’s always something interest to cast your eyes on. There is also both an indoor and upstairs area which holds hundreds.

It is arguably the best place to start a night out in the town and has remained hugely popular since its inauguration back in 1986, in large part due to its excellent buy-one-get-one-free deal on all cocktails. Finding a promoter outside is always useful too, with whom you can even negotiate some additional shots or a large shared cocktail, all for €7.

Ambassaden is a melting pot of people of all ages and nationalities, so there should be no apprehension from those who feel Ayia Napa is not exactly their thing – from around 7pm to 10pm, it is a nice spot to have a few drinks and a chat with friends. If partying through the night is your thing then you might want to stick around from around 10pm onwards, as that is when the real hustle and bustle starts and the bar begins to fill up.

If you decide to stay late, you must also stick around for the fire show which takes place just outside the main entrance of the bar, an excellent display of focus and skill from the performers.

Ambassaden Bar
Where: Louka Louka 2, Ayia Napa
Contact: 99 994393