As I noticed last Friday, the sun is noticeably lower.
Yoghurt at Lazaris. Each time is different.
I find Koffea open. Excellent cappuccino. First floor open.
Paul’s coffee roastery open. I find Paul. He had just finished roasting.
Time to visit Nick’s Coffee Bike. I find open and find Nick. Though closes at six as quiet.
I only just make the bus. I become lost and disoriented in the dark.
A public holiday. Would I find anything open? I would risk it.
Local bus to Ayia Napa, then Intercity Bus to Larnaca.
For the first time in many trips, local bus stops at the top entrance, enabling me to walk through the Ayia Napa International Sculpture Park (though no time to explore) and pick up the InterCity Bus to Larnaca from the bottom entrance.
Bus goes on a detour. Seafront closed. Driver says pick up bus here on return.
A market has been created inside the marina. I say market. Half a dozen sheds, most are for rent, those open, tat and junk food. I don’t see the point. Plenty of tat and junk food on the seafront.
A poorly attended concert. The marina a weird place for a concert.
Walk along the seafront almost to the castle. The one place I expect not to find open, shoe shop, closed Wednesday and Saturday, I am surprised to find open.
Lady is pleased to see me. She has the sandals I want. Though black not briwn.
Never Lazaris Saturday or a Public Holiday. Packed outside. I sit inside. I prefer outside.
Excellent yoghurt with fruit and nuts. Undrinkable cappuccino.
Koffea not open.
Paul’s coffee roasters open. No Paul.
I stay, have a coffee and a chat.
Head to catch the bus.
Nick’s Coffee Bike, as I expected. Not open.
A somewhat frustrating trip to Larnaca. Hardly anywhere open.
Initial impression dirty. It is not but gives the impression of being dirty.
I have eaten before and it was not good.
Tonight my chickpea masala was disgusting and that is being generous.
Chickpeas cooked to fuck, soggy, covered in God knows what disgusting gunk. The white rice tasteless
I thought of the reaction of Gordon Ramsay. I was too polite. I was though sorely tempted.
I left my meal barely touched. That should have told the waiters something wrong. Can we offer you something else? Not a murmur. They don’t care.
I have cooked a far superior tasty similar dish, Sri Lankan golden masala curry and mine was a far better dish.
A nearby table a couple smoking. Hawkers and beggars walking in to tables. Not good.
I only ate Yummy India because neighbouring Greek restaurant claimed to be fully booked. It was empty. When I walked by later, not even half full. Very annoying.
I am at a loss how Yummy India remains in business. It would not survive more than a few months in England.
En route to Koffea from Lazaris I go on a little detour and encounter a coffee shop The Third Room. I stop and have a coffee. Coffee not good. Not bad, not undrinkable like Costa or Starbucks but not good either.
Design contemporary, part of a boutique hotel.
I ask is it third wave, as definitely not? Guy does not hear me due to awful moronic loud music. I say I will sit outside and can talk to me there.
When coffee arrives, with a glass of water and two tiny little biscuits, thus service good (unlike Athens in Cyprus water never brought without asking) I explain music too loud and must be turned down, 30x covid-19 ejected at high velocity across the room straight into his face. I am thanked and music turned down.
Coffee not good, I leave it cup half full.
Asked what I think of the coffee I say not good. A sour taste though I cannot pinpoint what is wrong. I suspect the beans and recommend source better quality beans.
Currently source coffee beans from Jasmine a local roastery. Sourcing locally, supporting local producers, the circular economy, is always to be commended, but not at the expense of quality.
I ask of the name. Not third wave, maybe third place, nether home nor office. No, coffee shop during the day, cocktail bar at night. Though that is two not three.
I am fascinated by what appears to be an avocado growing as very difficult to grow. I want to inquire more but distracted by our discussion and it slips my mind.
Guy asks can I return and discuss coffee. Not very likely as lack the time otherwise maybe yes.
Later I have a coffee at Paul’s Coffee Roasters. A world of difference good coffee and skilled barista makes.
Covid-19 biosecurity good, apart from loud music which was then turned down on request. Open and airy, open to the street, clean, outside seating, staff wearing masks correctly (which is more than can be said of most places).
Improve the coffee and this will be an excellent addition to the Larnaca coffee scene hidden in the back streets of Larnaca.
Earlier in the week I had eaten at Ithaki Garden, the service good, the food good. If not I would not have returned. I was therefore surprised the reviews commenting how bad the service. Tonight I learnt why. The service was appalling. Covid-19 biosecurity leaves much to be desired.
Ithaki Garden is hidden down an alley, somewhere to stumble upon. I have in the past used as a short cut, always empty.
This evening empty, only to be told every table reserved apart from the the one I was guided to.
More waiters than when I last visited and yet fewer customers, it was not even busy when I left.
A menu brought to my table, I was then ignored for ten minutes. I had not looked at the greasy menu, I knew what I wanted, souvlaki and could have taken my order ten minutes earlier. The greasy menu I did not touch.
Souvlaki reasonable, chips not. First visit I was given a choice. Noisy loud Germans at a nearby table were offered special of the day. I was not told of any specials. What constituted a salad a little bit of decoration on the side of my plate.
Red wine I ordered half way through my meal was reasonable.
At least one waitress wandering around with mask hanging around her mouth. This is the norm everywhere.
Covd-19 biosecurity left much to be desired. Waitress with mask hanging around her mouth, greasy menu, glass upturned on table. They did though have hand sanitiser.
Menu should be simplified, single printed sheet, which is then disposed of. Staff should at all times be wearing masks correctly covering nose and mouth.
Cutting through an alley on my way from Paul’s Coffee Roaster to the seafront I pass through a square. Having found no bus at 1900 and the next bus the last bus 2045 I decide to eat at the restaurant that occupies the square.
Ithaki Garden a Greek restaurant.
I order souvlaki. It was excellent. I ordered red wine which was good.
A pleasant quiet place to eat of an evening.
On a par with Plaka. Far better than would find in Protaras.
— to be continued —
Local bus to Ayia Napa to pick up InterCity bus to Larnaca.
Alight at Sculpture Park and wander through. I notice many new additions since my last visit a year ago.
Intercity Bus to Larnaca. Driver not wearing mask covering face, chatting and turning round to passenger entire journey.
Walk along seafront almost to Larnaca Castle then head to Church of St Lazarus and nearby Lazaris.
Lunch a bowl of Greek yoghurt with fruit at Lazaris.
Lazaris used to be excellent so long as avoid the undrinkable coffee. But sadly it has gone downhill. Still good but not as good. Loud music, no sruprise everyone sat outside, my yoghurt with fresh fruit the fruit not freshly prepared as going brown.
I sat outside where it it would be pleasant were it not for the traffic pollution.
The streets are being dug up and paved. Why are they then not pedestrianised as this would greatly improve the back streets of the old part of Larnaca?
I headed to Paul’s Coffee Roaster. The intention had been stop for a coffee and a chat then on to Nick’s Coffee Bike, but best laid plans and all that jazz.
En route I passed a little coffee bar, Kaffea, it was new. My eye caught by a sign saying taf. I decided to stop and have a coffee and that was as far as I got.
I was not going to make 1800 bus as i had intended.
I set off for Paul’s Coffee Roaster and used to get my bearings to head to Nick’s.
No time to stop. I head to sea front for 1900 bus, only to find not running. The next bus, the last bus, not until 2045.
Walking through an alley, itvpasses through a square. I decide to try and find as an open air restarant.
I find and decide to stay and eat. A Greek restaurant. I ask for svoulaki. It is excellent, far better than would get in Protaras.
I am in time to catch the last bus.
— to be continued —
Once upon a time there was a bicycle strictly speaking a tricycle if wish to be pedantic parked outside Larnaca Marina serving coffee, the best coffee in Cyprus let alone Larnaca.
Alas no more, the bicycle has been retired. But all is not lost, the bicycle is parked up in a coffee shop of the same name. A coffee shop that sets new standards for Cyprus.
Keithpp's Blog 