Bar review: Bottega Amaro, Nicosia

My friend and I had enjoyable, albeit pricey, Sunday evening drinks at Bottega Amaro – an Italian themed bar in Pindarou street, downtown Nicosia.

As soon as we entered the establishment, we realised it would probably have been a good idea to reserve a table before going as the best places to sit are outside. But some tables were available close to the outside area, giving us access to some of the night’s breeze.

The atmosphere of the bar was great – the lighting felt just right and the music was some form of downtempo electronic jazz, which is definitely to my taste and was not too loud. What really stands out is its semi-circular bar and the stylish, low-hanging lights.

We were greeted by an enthusiastic waiter, who presented us with the menu although we were just there for the drinks, but the menu did look tempting and includes dishes of the day. We were talked into a couple of starters – Sea Bass Carpaccio and an Italian cheese burrata. Both were well presented and it was obvious someone had put some thought into what the plates looked like.

The drinks menu consists of a variety of red, white and rosé wines as well as some specialty cocktails, vermouths and aperitivos. The specialty cocktails are: the Milano Torino – a Campari from Milan mixed with a sweet vermouth from Turin; the Garibaldi – fresh orange juice with Campari; the Amaros Smash – an after-meal drink which is a blend of Amaros; and the Bitter Guiseppe – a mix of amaro and bourbon. If you want a more interesting option, the bar offers the Affogato Concept, which is a combination of sorbet or ice cream doused in a shot of Amaro. One can choose between lemon, dark chocolate, vanilla and pistachio – all offered with a different type of amaro. We chose to keep it simple – he chose a gin cocktail with elderflower and I had a vodka with lime.

The drinks were good and prepared exactly to our liking. When I go out I tend to find most vodka-lime preparations unnecessarily sweet, and was happy to find that the bartender used only natural ingredients; actual lime juice instead of cordial!

Overall, I would definitely visit again. Is it pricey? It is, but I would argue that you get what you pay for. It is pretty evident that this bar uses high quality ingredients – both in their food and in their cocktails, something that is reflected in the price. The service was great – dishes come out quickly and the waiter’s recommendations make evenings a little more memorable.

Bottega Amaro
Where: Pindarou 14, Nicosia
When: 9am – midnight
Contact: 22 777270