What's On Cyprus

I was delighted to be invited to 'Play 4 All' to catch up with owner Lucas Polycarpou and I have to say, I had no idea just how much they do here, with 6 Full Size Bowling Alleys, a Children's Play Room, called 'The Jungle' and a fully fitted club style party room called 'La Mour' for up to 150 of your friends.  There's also a restaurant with a top chef presenting a full a' la carte menu and that's just for starters, excuse the pun … oh and, a few big screen TV's so you can just pop in for a drink to watch all the live sports and the footie! … So it really is a fun place for kids, and grown ups!

... it's an absolutely wonderful find, just off Kapparis Avenue, just over 200 metres to the beach, in one of my favourite areas in Cyprus, with a massive veranda, so you can relax overlooking the sea that’s about 200 metres away ...

This is where they excel, specialising in over 20 different choices of kebabs.  Gyros here is a choice of 4 meats, pork, chicken from Greece, beef and lamb from the UK, each cut into thin slices, layered and seasoned, and set onto big skewers ready to be imported.  Vangelis said, "I spend a little extra, but I get the very best" ... I asked "do you then add a little more seasoning" and he said "there's really no need", tbh, the beef Gyro was probably the best I've ever tasted ...

I've known the infamous consultant chef Louis Papageorgiou since he opened Di Capilla Seaside Stories in 2005.  It was my absolute pleasure to interview him, without a doubt one of Cyprus' finest chefs, this guy is seriously on another level.  These days, he's writing a new chapter, purely by accident, in 2010 he met and partnered up with Savvas, a master of hospitality, whom I've known since his Napa days in 1993 ... and together they started a new story ...

Recently passionately refurbished to boutique style by this wonderful couple, Maria and Doros, who have created a unique accommodation that depicts tranquillity and relaxation to a tee ... one bedroom apartments and studios, available for long or short stay and the whole top floor, with panoramic sea views available for purchase with title deeds ...

I wanted to have a chat before Andreas gave me a personal tour of the museum, so we met upstairs in the cafe and ice cream parlour, my delicious cappuccino brewed with 'Vittorio Coffee' pure Arabica from Brazil.  I asked Andreas to tell me how it all started?  He said, "It started as a hobby, I would find old cars, in Cyprus, mostly Fords, buy them and restore them myself, to showroom perfection, sometimes having to source spare parts from all over the world.  Then he said, " Next thing you know, whenever my friends were selling a vintage or classic car, I would buy it".

Evi continued; "It all started back in 1912, when Wilbur Scoville charted the comparative heat of different chillis.  The greater the number of Scouville units the hotter the chilli, but don't worry, we have 8 Different Flavours of Piri Piri sauces, from Zesty Lemon and Herb to Extreme with everything in between!"  Piri Piri of course means Pepper Pepper, my favourites are the Hot & Spicy and the Jerk Chicken, OMG!

Recently, Koulla invited me to try their fish platter on their weekly Cyprus Night with a traditional Cypriot dance group ... I'm so glad I went there hungry because the fish platter was big ... Their Greek dancing just awesome, traditional, right down to the famous glass tower dance, this guy is amazing, and when they get everyone up to join in its totally unique because of this perfect location, outside, with the little church as a backdrop and all of harbour approach is your dance floor with many passer-byes stopping to see what's on ... brilliant! btw it every Wednesday night, regulations permitting

Sitting in Cafes chatting with your mates is a way of life in Cyprus, but as we joined Europe we noticed a huge swing...

Over a gorgeous cappuccino I asked Vaida, why she created 'The Loop'? … She explained; "I'm originally from Lithuania, but lived in Holland for many many years and fell in love and married Nicos a Cypriot and finally moved to Cyprus just 8 years ago" … Vaida continued, "I noticed there was a distinct lack of places to get good fresh food, not just vegetarian and vegan but specialising in healthy eats and healthy diets".