That’s a’bit Irish
I recently caught up with my good friend Rich at his Irish pub, Tipsy O’Turtle, in Pernera. Rich, coming out of a little place just outside Liverpool, Leicester, told me, “I was originally a butcher, then a lorry driver, but I moved here in 1993, ‘same as me’, with another idea in mind”, same as me!
Early Days
I’ll just mention, I first met Rich in the early 2000’s, when he came to our design studio to chat about the corporate identity, stationery and t-shirt design for his dive school called ‘Absolute Scuba’. I still think it was one of my favourite designs. I asked him why he launched Tipsy O’Turtle, and he said: “Well, we’d always end up going for a drink after a dive, so it sort of made sense”.
Après Dive
I loved this bar the moment I saw the name. Rich, aka ‘Stevo ‘, told me, “It’s the only chill-out garden lounge bar in the area, somewhere you can relax in our gorgeous beer garden out back and enjoy a refreshing drink” … and btw, following his diving days, there’s still no plastic straws here! … tbh, as far as landlords go, a nicer bloke you couldn’t meet, hmm, if you can get used to his friendly banter … No Problem, I love it, and just give him some back!
Beer Garden
Like any traditional Irish pub, out the back, the spacious beer garden with mature trees, picnic benches, umbrellas, a stage for the live music events and a BBQ Area … and on that note, it’s a great venue for a birthday or private parties, with Rich putting on delicious BBQs, lovely spreads or buffets … check out their Event Photos on their Facebook page.
Gig in the Garden
Rich reminded me, “We still occasionally throw the now famous and very popular ‘Gig in the Garden’ with live entertainment, with at least 4 or 5 shows, accompanied by BBQ, buffet nibbles, cool drink offers and lots of like-minded people having a good time, all day! But, he continued, booking is essential coz it’s become a locals’ favourite!” … One of my favourite bands this year were Carbon Copies from the UK … and Rich let me into a little secret, they’re coming back in 2027 … Theres a couple of YouTube links below …
Your Juke Box
There’s a DJ Box and Dance Floor coz Rich is a DJ and evidently loves his Northern Soul … And there’s loads more to this bar than that; for starters, it’s a Northern Soul Pub, with a really cool Vespa Scooter on display … Then it’s like a never-ending Jukebox, so every night, if you can name a ‘track’ and they can’t find it, you’ll get a free shot! … oh and, if he finds it and plays it, tell him, Tony from What’s On said ‘you can have a free shot, just coz you asked for a record request’ 😉
Irish Style
As I was saying, ‘It’s an Irish style pub, from the outside to inside, cool decor, really cool signage and some lovely comfy seating just inside the front terrace, with all the sliding doors open, so you watch the world go by, while you enjoy a full English breakfast served from 9.30 ’til 12.30, or for a change do try the ‘Irish Spice Bag ‘; it’s delicious!. Naturally, just as cool, you can enjoy a Gin & Tonic on crushed ice in the late afternoon sun.
Inside
I love the bar; the ambience as you walk in, influenced by wood and red brick, with high stools around it. It’s spacious with comfy seating, and I love the log burner for those chilly winter nights, especially when Rich cooks my Pizza in the oven section.
Rack Em Up
There’s a separate games area, with a cool pristine Pool Table, with regular ‘Killer Pool’ games and btw, they’ve got a couple of Pool teams so if you’re good enough pop down and join them or maybe start another? … oh and, there’s a winter pool league, who knows you might make the first team?
Sports
Sadly, I suppose I have to congratulate him, not because there’s Liverpool shirts and memorabilia everywhere, but because they’re the official Liverpool FC Supporters Club for the Ammochostos area in Cyprus. tbh, I think that’s the only thing that lets this place down 😉 … of course, there’s 7 large TV Screens, boasting the new 98″ Screen in the garden, showing all the live sports, including Football, Tennis, Darts, Cricket, Golf, Formula 1 and Rugby … in fact, if your sport isn’t on and you ask Rich to find it for you, he probably will.
Behind the Bar
Rich is an awesome barsteward 😉 serving just about every drink you can imagine, your fav spirit, mixers, long drinks, cocktails and on draught; Carlsberg, Keo, Leon, Magners Cider, and arguably the best pint of Guinness in Cyprus. They say, ‘it’s as close as you can get to a pint of Black Gold from the Green Isle’, plus several bottled beers including the unusual Kozel from the Czech Republic, arguably a pub favourite! Oh, and of course, non-alcoholic beers for the drivers.
Tipsy Hours
Rich calls them ‘Tipsy Hours’, aka ‘Happy Hours’, in most pubs. Every day from 4 pm to 6 pm and for every live football match … when it’s ‘Buy 2 get 1 Free’ on selected drinks, which changes weekly … very cool … naturally, the atmosphere in here for the game is awesome! And when there’s no football on, they’ll have some cool sounds or a bit of live acoustic guitar!
Menu
The food is traditional pub grub, with a twist … in the kitchen, top chefs start the day with one of the best English Breakfasts I’ve tasted in Cyprus, which can be twisted into a ‘Cork’ or ‘Dubliner’ if you’re really hungry … tbh, I hope you get a chance to try their menu a few times; their chef is tops!! … Mmm!
Munchies
I have to say, “they serve one of the best Fish & Chips I’ve ever had in Cyprus”, some say they rival Dhekelia and Ayios Nik … I love the Tipsy Nachos, extra cheese please. The Baguettes are top sellers, and the toasties and wraps are a lovely snack; my fav is the Bacon and Halloumi baguette.
Sunday Sessions
If you like a Sunday Roast, look no further, coz they serve an absolutely fabulous traditional Sunday Roast Dinner. Stevo was saying, “We offer a choice of 4 types of meat, beef, pork, gammon and turkey, or you can order one of their delicious Lamb Shanks at least a day before, all complemented by a selection of roasted Cyprus Potatoes and seasonal fresh vegetables, Yorkies and delicious gravy … oh and btw, it may be advisable to book 😉
Entertainment
Attracting an international mix of Locals, and of course lots of repeat tourists. The ambience is very friendly, family-oriented and great fun on a busy night, and there’s loads of those … including: the very popular Pub Quiz on Friday afternoons, and Northern Soul Nights on the First Saturday of the month … and they’ll find any excuse to party, especially Valentine’s, Saint Patrick’s Day, Christmas, Easter, Halloween and stuff like that. Check out their Videos here … and their Facebook page for up-to-the-minute info …
Beach Clean
I have to give a huge shout-out to Rich and the crew, coz, over the last 22 years, their regular beach clean-ups in the winter months are a really cool idea! Rich and all the crew and local helpers meet up to help keep our beaches clean … oh, and Rich goes that little bit further and invites everyone back to the Tipsy O’Turtle Pub for finger bites and a drink … awesome idea, and did I mention? They only use paper straws here, and they recycle everything they can!
For The Doggies
Then another fabulous event here was the Sponsored Dog Walk on behalf of Ammochostos Dog Rescue that I made it to with Bandit last year … The turnout was amazing and the afterparty equally so … Loving this cover of Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black by the gorgeous Carley …
Round Up
I can’t recommend this pub enough, as Rich and the fabulous crew make every effort to get it right by day or night. Once you get used to Rich’s sense of humour, you can just join in, and while you’re there, you might as well buy the T-Shirt to prove it! … oh, and do check out their Facebook Reviews … and their TripAdvisor Reviews …
Open All Year
Summer
April ’til October
Daily: 9 am ’til Late
Winter
November ’til March
Daily: 12 noon ’til 8 or 9 pm’ ish
Free Wifi
Directions
You’ll find them at 13 Aphrodite Street, Pernera … It’s slightly up-slope from the Anastasia Hotel, next door to Cyprus Diving Centre, with plenty of On-Street Parking … or just click on the Google Maps icon below …
GPS: 35.026953, 34.040844
The Tipsy O’Turtle,
Your Friendly Local!
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