Luck of the Irish in the capital
Finbarrs, Nicosia
Picture this: you’re in Dublin’s fair city circa 1950. Outside the icy wind is whipping through the cobbled streets, the best place to be is indoors in the cosy surroundings of the local pub. Wooden stools line the bar, behind which a swarthy youth is drying pint mugs, bearded old men gulp down Guinness and moan about their wives. Now fast forward 59 years and swap the bitter cold for Cyprus’ mild winter and you’ve got the bar of the moment – Finbarrs.
Every city worldwide has an Irish bar and Nicosia is no exception. The Irish are, after all, infamous for their pub culture and Finbarrs embodies this spirit wholeheartedly, embracing and recreating the conviviality and jovial nature of the Irish.
In the words of the Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, who incidentally is quoted on the walls of the pub: “Wine comes in at the mouth, and love comes in at the eye, that’s all we shall know for truth, before we grow old and die. I lift the glass to my mouth, I look at you, and I sigh.” The simplicity of his words reflect the genuine unpretentiousness of the bar. Be warned, this place is not for fashion hungry social butterflies. If you’re looking for glitz and glamour don’t knock on this door.
This is a veritable watering hole, a place deserving of the name Public House, a place so without superficiality, so without a preconceived notion of being “too cool for school” that without realising it, its become just that, too cool for school (kids!).
The interior is oozing with understated, quaint Celtic tradition, class and personality; if the walls could speak they’d have a story or two to tell about the late night knees ups and shenanigans that go on within. Although slightly uncomfortable, the wooden tables and benches lend a certain authenticity, heightening the ambience of the gritty yet irresistible charm that is Dublin. Let’s face it, after a whiskey or seven the last thing you’ll be worrying about is whether there is sufficient padding for your situpon!
Another notoriously scandalous Dubliner, Oscar Wilde once said the only thing you can never resist is temptation and the best way to overcome it is to yield to it. With the mouth-wateringly delectable food menu and irresistibly tempting array of wines, beers and spirits in front of you, putting these words into practise will seem like a very enticing option.
Succumb to your impulses and indulge in some nectar of the leprechauns from the extensive list of whiskeys or get those endorphins spinning with the impressive beer menu. Alternatively, if it’s the true Irish vibe you’re after then get your lips around a pint of the black stuff, as they call it in the emerald isle, with a pint of Finbarr’s draught Guinness.
It’s not by chance that the Irish are renowned for their luck, with a pub on every corner in Dublin you’d think they had enough practice to get it right and if Finbarr’s is anything to go by the luck of the Irish translates overseas.
Finbarr’s
WHERE 52B Archbishop Makarios Avenue, Nicosia
WHEN 12pm–1 or 2 am
CONTACT 22 376625
