If you need to chillax…
Bar 127
The most important thing about a bar, is finding it in the first place! Inconspicuously located on a tiny side-street off a busy road in Limassol’s old town, this former village house doesn’t appear to have any sign to identify itself from the outside – in fact, it almost looks closed until you get close enough to the front door to see inside.
Unlike many other bars in the neighbourhood, there are no bouncers guarding its doorway and no crowds lurking outside waiting to get in. Although this is, in my opinion, a good thing, the reason is simply because Bar 127 borders more on the caf? front (perhaps it would be fair to label it as yet another caf?/bar). Snacks are served, including sandwiches and the usual coffee, teas and frappes, while it is populated by an alarmingly young crowd. If you ask me, what gives this place the right to even put the word ‘bar’ in its name – apart from the fact that there is actually is a bar inside and alcohol is served – is that there is live deejaying on the weekends, and the place is open late.
The music is a medley of soft jazz and funky remixes, and despite the fact that it’s mixed live, it takes a back seat, although adding to the background ambience. Thankfully, the music is neither too loud or too soft, allowing one to converse with others without any difficulty. However, even on weekends, the grooves don’t seem to pick up throughout the night, leaving one feeling the need to either move on somewhere with a more upbeat vibe or head home.
If you’re looking for a bar where you can mingle with strangers and meet new people, then Bar 127’s layout is not constructive to such a goal. In the summer, there is a lovely old-fashioned courtyard at the back, framed by trees, offering a delightfully cosy outdoor place to get together with friends, but during the winter months, there are no outdoor heaters set up to keep this space open. The interior is fairly large, but separated into several rather disjointed sections, which, perhaps, haven’t been taken advantage of appropriately. However, if you want a section of your own to sit alone or with a group of friends, or want to snuggle up in a corner booth with a date, then this place is adequate enough.
Overall, the design of the venue is not idyllic. Neither is the lighting, which is inconsistent. In some areas, dim lights and candles complement the warm red and orange tones of the walls and sofas, but in other sections, overhead spotlights are a little too bright and lamps seem placed in the middle of nowhere, almost as an afterthought. Perhaps a plant or a bookshelf in a corner would ameliorate the atmosphere and bring the elements together. On the entrance walls hang large funky abstract canvases, which match the general d?cor, but in the central room, a random collection of black and white pictures of the Onassis family, resembling a blown-up film strip, seems slightly odd and out of place. The same could be said for the couches and seating. If you are just a few people you will probably not have a problem to find somewhere to lounge in, but if you gather with more of a crowd, you will have to shuffle chairs and sofas around to try and make a sufficient seating area for all.
My biggest complaint about this place: Bar 127 needs better ventilation. Somehow, despite its high ceilings and array of rooms (I couldn’t find the non-smoking section), the smoke tends to gather and linger everywhere, much to the oblivion – and detriment – of the throngs of teens hanging out. Nevertheless, if your energy levels are on the low side this time of year, and you can’t psyche yourself to glam it up and join the rest of the crowds in Limassol’s nightclubs, you won’t be too disappointed if you head down to Bar127 to chill out and relax, or, as is more hipply referred to these days: “chillax”.
Bar 127
Where 5 Elenis Paleoginas, Limassol
Contact 25 343990
When 9am – 1:30am (later on weekends)
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Nathalie J. Kyrou © 2008
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