Bar review: CU at Phinikoudes, Larnaca

By Andreas Vou

According to the calendar, summer is officially over yet there is no such evidence of that being the case when you take a wonder along Larnaca’s Phinikoudes. With temperatures set to remain above the 30 degree mark for a little while longer and the streets brimming with life, the open promenade remains the ideal location to meet up with friends for a coffee and a chat, both in the day and at night.

One of the latest establishments to have opened on the town’s most popular street is CU at Phinikoudes, a small café with front row seats overlooking the nearby sea.

CU has both open and sheltered seating areas, the difference mainly being that the latter caters to those who prefer a chilled air-conditioned room during the height of the day’s heat and a more convenient setting for a game of cards or a more quiet chat. The café has wooden armchairs, slightly wider and more comfortable than most cafés I have visited, and simple round marble tables.

On the menu there is a wide variety of drinks, with coffees of all shapes and sizes as well as local and imported beers. Snacks such as crepes and waffles are made in sizeable portions which end up serving as meals rather than a mere light treat. Prices are slightly more inflated than the small bars you would find just 100 meters parallel to the Phinikoudes, simply due to the location.

With whatever you order, you are given a glass of water which is regularly topped up by the staff, which is a nice and apt touch in the searing heat.

The establishment itself does not exactly have a strong identity. Sandwiched between a whole host of other cafes, CU does not offer something that the area does not already have nor does it stand out in any particular way. One should not expect anything too different to the majority of places found nearby.

Nevertheless, it is in a great location and the quality of both service and products are good. The atmosphere of the promenade and its proximity to the beach mean that the experience will always overall be a positive one, despite its lack of a unique style.

CU

Where: Phinikoudes, Larnaca