Bar review: Bolivar House, Larnaca

Sandwiched between Larnaca’s two best-known bar spots is a long stretch of road which could go on to become the town’s latest place to be, especially with the few establishments beginning to open in the newly renovated street.

Bolivar House, named after the Venezuelan military leader Simón Bolívar who played a pivotal role in the revolutions against the Spanish empire, is a fairly new establishment which is putting down a significant marker in the town.

Its originality in its production of cocktails has to be the standout feature, with a separate menu solely for unique concoctions prepared by bar staff who know their stuff.

The Beluga Collins is a play on the traditional Tom Collins using top quality Beluga vodka, with syrup, fresh lemon juice and soda. It provides the perfect balance of sweet and sour with a strong kick thanks to the vodka in place of the gin.

The Mai Tai may be among the most common of cocktails, but the likelihood is that you will not have tried it with stout beer syrup, and though it may not sound appealing, the taste is superb as it brings a mature flavour to what can sometimes be an overly sweet drink.

There is a vast selection of just about every other drink you can imagine too, be it gin, whiskeys, beers or anything else.

There is also a vast food menu, which is also on a parallel with the way they produce their cocktails, in the sense that they are specially crafted dishes as opposed to basic snacks just thrown together.

The concept of a sleek bar by the sea is not exactly new in Larnaca, with the Makenzie strip a few hundred metres down the road being dotted with such establishments, but Bolivar is unique in the sense of being the first of its kind in the Piale Pasha street, which has the potential to become a new hotspot for the town.

The street’s recent renovation, with a paved promenade and cycling road makes it a beautiful setting for the once rundown road. The view from the bar is that of the rich blue sea, which can be seen from just about anywhere you may be seated.

There is a vast indoor area, though it remains to be seen whether that part will become a seating area once the cooler months kick in. Though very popular in its early stages, it is yet to become one of those bars that is absolutely packed and its vast open space means that you will not be affected by nearby smokers.

Bolivar House
Where: Piale Pasha, Larnacal
Contact: 24 664411