On the Beach
You all know I find you the best places to go and this one is up there on the must-try list … I’ve known Costas aka ‘Speis’ to his friends since about 1987, early Porkies and Club Amadeus in Protaras days and over a delicious cappuccino made with freshly ground Arabica coffee, we reminisced … Gone are his interior design days in Italy, much as it’s obvious the designer in him, is evident here, the place looks well cool … and tbh, this guy is one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, and in fact one the pioneers of the Protaras area …
Beach Side
It’s all sort of lean-to-Tikki-style shack on the beach, all wood and lots of bamboo … out front the aroma of freshly watered lush green grass lawns, a beach volleyball court, and outdoor seaview massage booths. A gorgeous spacious veranda, covered with bamboo, creates delightful shaded patterns to enjoy your stay, with stunning sea views over Pernera Bay. I love stuff like; Speis’ handmade crisps shelf and the colourful signage on the wooden rails that run down the side of the cafe
Coco Nutzzzz
So I asked Speis, why Coco Tropic? how did it all start? he said; … “Back in 2014 really got immersed into the fresh young coconut market for health and fitness, importing them direct from Thailand. We opened a couple of little beach huts along the coastal path and supplied our coconuts to more beach huts, health clubs, hotels, bars, and nightclubs and next thing you know we were distributing all over Cyprus. It all became a bit of a fashion, coz our coconuts are full of goodness”.
More Fruit
‘Speis’ continued; “That was shortly followed by adding fresh pineapples, watermelons, honeydew melons, and all the other seasonal fresh fruit like strawberries, mangos, and oranges to mention but a few, that Cyprus has an abundance of … and then, I thought it would be a good idea to open a beach cafe that has the lot”!
3 in 1
I asked him to tell me more; he said, “We loved the idea of mixing smoothes and cocktails using fresh fruit, inside real fruit … so we pour out the fresh coconut milk for you to drink, then mix you a wicked coconut cocktail in the coconut and you can share it with a friend and then eat all the soft white coconut flesh inside … its a 3 in 1 drink! So, I mix your Pina Colada in a Pineapple, Strawberry Daquiery in a Coconut, Watermelon Cocktails in the Watermelon, and lots more”
Presentation
I did mention this guy was special, and this is what this place is all about, it’s not just any old cocktail, Spiec creates a masterpiece of a fresh fruit cocktail, with umbrellas, and hanging fruit and flowers, perfect for any beachside selfie, ha!, the sea is so close, you could even drink it with your toes dipping in the Med
Signature Cocktails
Spiec is a master mixologist; creating his signature cocktails from his extensive experience; I love the ‘Jungle Juice’ a blend of Acai, strawberries, blueberry, and mango, or the “PowerGranite’, strawberry, apple, pomegranate, blackcurrants or one of my favourites the ‘Blue Beauty’, with Blue Spirulina, coconut, banana and yoghurt … to mention but a few …
New
‘Speis’ was telling me he’s launched a new signature cocktail that everyone went crazy about last weekend, it’s called the Coco Tropic, it’s made with 6 exotic fruits and you can choose your favourite shot to spice it up … or just let him surprise you
Behind the Bar
You’ll also find 10 Ice cold Beers; Including my favourite Stella Artois, Estrella, Corona, Heineken, Leon, Carlsberg, Keo, and Somersby and Koppenberg Ciders and Alcopops like Smirnoff Ice … The wines are mostly Cypriot, and we are making fine wines here these days … you must try the Mateus Rose, just delightful!
Smoothies
Naturally with all this fresh fruit in abundance ‘Spiec’ mixes as many different smoothies and milkshakes as he does cocktails if not more lol … ask him about the ones with a Veggie Twist
All Day Snacks
Wherever there’s a good man, there’s bound to be a good woman, Wife Fotoulla, with roots in Health Spas, helps out in the kitchen … She told me … “It’s a seasonal menu; The Salads are freshly made to order, the Seafood Salad is my favourite but the Greek Salad a great choice to accompany any meal … and there’s Jacket Potatoes with a choice of fillings!
Sandwiches
Best sellers include the traditional Lountza & Halloumi or the Mini Pitta Pread with Lountza & halloumi served with hand-cut chips and salad … or The Club Sandwich a triple-decker of ham, cheese and salad.
Burgers & Pastas
All the burgers are homemade using the finest 100% ground beef and cooked to your liking served with fresh caramelised onions in a brioche bun, with or without hand-cut chips … and I love the fresh pasta, especially the Seafood Pasta, with large mussels and prawns but the Carbonara is usually my first choice … much as I often go Greek coz their homemade Moussakka is just delicious, and if you’re a veggie you can choose Vegetarian Penn … cool
Pizza
You can’t go far wrong with their stone-fired pizza oven making the best pizza just’a like’a Mama used to make … you can make your own, but their ‘Special Pizza’ is very special.
Seafood
There’s fish fingers for the kids, calamari rings and delicious Cod & Chips that always taste better when you eat them closer to the sea.
On the Grill
Naturally, the charcoals are alight all day, and over them, they cook the finest grills … Spiec said: “We don’t use any MSG’s here, all the meats are carefully selected, some are marinated for 24 hours, other we just add seasoning when cooking … We cook the tastiest pork and chicken souvlaki … Huge Pork Chops, almost 800gms, served with hand cut chips and crispy salads”.
Desserts
Making one of the best homemade apple pies I’ve ever tasted, served with ice cream … on that note, they have an ice cream fridge with, Ice Lollies and Papaphillipou Ice cream … with 16 Flavours … The Rum & Raison is hard to resist so to the Salted Caramel … there’s Sorbets and Lactose-Free and Diabetic Ice cream too …
Location, Location
Coco Tropic really is situated in a lovely spot, not far from the beach, edged by sweeping fresh lawns … Spiec and Fotoulla are exceptional hosts and they go just that little bit further to be sure your visit is perfect … Hospitality to the extreme and cuisine to compliment! … Check out my live Facebook Video
Parties & Events
It really is a perfect choice for somewhere to hold your birthday party, anniversary, drink, wedding reception or just a lovely romantic beachside dinner.
Open Long Summer Season
April to October
Daily: 10 am ’til 8 pm ‘ish
Free Wifi
Directions
You’ll find Coco Tropic at 15, Ifestou, 5296, Pernera, it’s almost on the beach at Penelope Beach Appartments in Pernera … close to Pernera Beach Hotel, Its sort of next to the little church, where you’ll often catch a wedding ceremony … Click on the Google map icon below …
GPS: 35.033069, 34.039819:
Let’s Get Tropical!
More …
