Plato’s Pub

If you are not careful, then you could walk or drive by Plato's bar. There's just an old doorway and a dimly illuminated sign hanging high above it. But once you discover the bar, you will not want to forget it.

Plato's has so much to offer. Excellent food with pork or chicken souvlaki marinated then grilled and served on a chopping board block of wood, and much more. The bar has one of the largest selections of whiskys (from all over the world) and brandies that I have ever seen in a bar along with a huge selction of beers.

Along the top of the bar there are the broken galsses of past patrons of the bar - most people who will have gone there over the years will have had to put a glass they have broken up there.

The atmosphere is great and it is helped by the excellent music played. An American friend who I took a few years back commented that it was just like the bars back in America - apart from the fact that Plato's plays more American rock than they do back in the USA.

Just one house rule - don't come in shorts or a vest.

Plato's is an excellent bar in the middle of the Old City of Nicosia that has a fairly unique proposition for Cypriot bars in terms of its focus on an extremely wide range of beers.

The chicken souvlaki is excellent, the lakmahjoun is very good and their mega-burger is very large though not the best dish they have

Atmosphere is very cozy, particularly in the winter with the fireplace.

Summary: Definitely the best beer selection in Nicosia; Excellent 2-3 food dishes; nice environment

This place is great when the weather is nice and you can sit in the cozy courtyard. The lakhmajoun and chicken souvlaki are delicious must-haves, to be washed down with a beer selection that is quite impressive. The interior definitely has a dark, crowded pub atmosphere, which can be nicer in the cooler months.

The beer-drinker's choice! I love going to Plato's for 3 reasons: The atmosphere, the chicken souvlaki and the beer. The pub is a restored traditional Cypriot house that caters to more rustic pub decoration, which the owners have pulled off well. There is a long bar along the main wall which is a pleasure to sit at if a table is not available. The music is almost always rock that again fits the environment perfectly. Do not expect to watch any sports here as this is not a sports bar, but an old-school pub. No TVs.

The food is a pleasant surprise with the lahmajun and my favorite, the chicken souvlaki, being solid options to fill an empty stomach and complement the excellent beer. The lahmajun is spicy and delicious, while the chicken souvlaki is marinated to perfection and served with fries, grilled and fresh vegetables on a wooden board. If you are brave you may order the cheeseburger which is HUGE, but a hit or miss in terms of flavor.

The highlight is the wide selection of beers, especially if you like Belgian beers with a high alcohol content. I do, which is why I love this place. You will find the usual suspects like Duvel, Chimay, Hoegaarden and Leffe, but also some relatively unknown delicious ones like the Tripel Karmeliet which is my personal favorite. Each beers is served in its proper glass (each brand has its own) which creates some fun ones to drink like Kwak, for which you need a special wooden prop to hold the tall and irregularly shaped glass.

There are of course other options for non-beer drinkers, like wine, ciders, cocktails and spirits, but those are not the things that make this place special.

In terms of service, the staff is very friendly and they eve make the effort to crack jokes with the guests sometimes. The people that frequent Plato's are an interesting mix. You'll see bearded bikers, businessmen, socialites, college students and even politicians socializing in the same establishment. Plato's is one of those rare cases of a universal social-class-less venue, that only a real quality proposition can inspire.

Very highly recommended!