By late evening the cafés along Makarios Avenue have spilled their tables onto the pavement, and the old city's bars are filling with students. Cypriots are socialites, the sources note, and they spend most of their time out rather than at home.
Nicosia's nightlife is shaped by its student population, which supports a flourishing industry of bars, pubs and nightclubs that keep the old city alive. It suits anyone who likes a late start and a long evening: going out before 22:00 or 23:00 is unheard of, in line with other south European countries. There is no single nightlife reference point, so the character of a night depends on which part of the city you choose.
Where to go out in Nicosia
1. Makarios Avenue
This avenue serves as the closest thing to a nightlife strip, described as turning into a catwalk and cruising strip. The posh cafés line it, intertwined with shops, and in the summer months their tables spill onto the streets.
It suits an afternoon-to-early-evening coffee stop or a night of seeing and being seen. Coffee culture here is a way of life, and it is the place to see and be seen before the bars take over.
2. The old city
The old city, within the ancient Venetian walls, is where the student-supported bar scene keeps the night alive. Several long-established bars occupy converted houses here, and the streets are small enough to explore easily on foot.
It suits a wandering night of bar-hopping rather than a single destination. One practical point from the sources: you can find your way via the 'Ohi' roundabout, which also leads toward the Hamam Omerye in the heart of the old town.
3. Bars and pubs
There is not much distinction between bars and pubs in Nicosia; most serve beer, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, and many now serve food too, though kitchens usually close earlier than the bar. Babylon, a popular long-established bar in a converted 1950s house, has a large beer garden for hot summers and log fires for cold winters. Plato's Bar, in an old converted house in the old city, prides itself on a range of beers, wines, malts and spirits, with a yard open all year round and rock, blues, indie and alternative sounds.
This scene suits a relaxed, conversational night. One practical point: Plato's Bar opens at 20:00 all year round and does not admit men wearing sleeveless T-shirts.
4. Café culture
Cafés are the setting for the afternoon to early evening, when the city sees and is seen. Local equivalents survive alongside international chains, and the sources suggest skipping the latté or cappuccino in favour of a Greek coffee, or a frappé in summer.
It suits an early start to the evening or a break before the bars open. Pralina Café on Stasikratous Street is the flagship of a confectionery chain and is described as a chocolate addict's paradise.
5. Bouzouki bars
For a more traditional flavour, generally catering to an older population, you could try a bouzouki bar.
It suits a night of live traditional music rather than a student-oriented bar crawl.
6. Cinema
Nicosia once had dozens of open-air and indoor cinemas, but only a handful remain, none of them open air. They show the latest blockbusters and occasionally an arthouse European film, most screened in their original language with Greek subtitles. K. Cineplex in Strovolos is a modern multiscreen theatre, and Zena Palace Cinema is one of the oldest venues.
It suits an early, quieter evening before or instead of the bars. The annual Cyprus International Film Festival is the local equivalent of Cannes, though the sources note you should not expect the same calibre of stars.
How a night out unfolds
Going out before 22:00 or 23:00 is unheard of, so plan your evening accordingly. Cafés fill from the afternoon into the early evening, and in summer their tables spill onto the streets. Bars and pubs take over later, with kitchens usually closing earlier than the bar itself. Some venues run late: Murphy's Pub opens from 10:00 and stays open until 02:00 on Monday to Thursday and until 04:00 on Friday and Saturday, while Moondogs runs from 12:00 to 02:00 daily.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- The annual Cyprus International Film Festival, the local equivalent of Cannes, with films but not the same calibre of stars.
Frequently asked questions
What time do people go out in Nicosia?
Not before 22:00 or 23:00. Going out earlier is unheard of, in line with other south European countries.
What is there to drink in Nicosia?
Bars stock the usual international brands. Local options include KEO beer, Carlsberg (the only other brand brewed on the island), Leon beer, local wines, Commandaria dessert wine, zivania (usually drunk as shots straight from the freezer), Cyprus brandy, and local ouzo. The Brandy Sour is a local cocktail based on Cyprus brandy.
Is there a single main nightlife area?
No. The sources state there is no official nightlife reference point, though Makarios Avenue turns into a catwalk and cruising strip, and the old city's bars and pubs keep the old town alive.
Where can I go for a quieter evening?
Cinemas offer blockbusters and occasional arthouse films, mostly in their original language with Greek subtitles, and cafés are the setting for the afternoon to early evening.
Plan your evening around a late start, choose between the avenue's cafés and the old city's bars, and let the night run as long as you like.