Cypriot coffee tradition: from village kafeneion to specialty bar

Coffee as a social institution

Cyprus has been drinking coffee since the Ottoman period — the briki (small copper brewing pot) and the kafeneion (coffee house) both arrived with Ottoman culture in 1571 and became so thoroughly embedded in Cypriot life that they now feel as indigenous as the carob tree or the Archaic terracotta figurine.

What makes Cypriot coffee culturally interesting is not primarily the drink itself (which is identical in preparation to Turkish coffee, whatever the preferred name on either side of the Green Line) but the social infrastructure that has grown up around it. The kafeneion is not merely a place to buy a beverage; it is a social institution as specifically Cypriot as the village square or the Orthodox church. Understanding the kafeneion is understanding something fundamental about how Cypriot society organises itself.

The briki and the method

Cypriot coffee is brewed in a briki — a small, long-handled pot of copper, brass, or stainless steel, typically holding enough water for one or two cups. The process:

1. Cold water is measured into the briki (one briki-cup per serving).
2. Ground coffee (extremely fine, similar to espresso but finer) is added — typically one heaped teaspoon per cup.
3. Sugar is added if requested.
4. The briki is placed over a low heat and watched continuously.
5. As the water heats, the coffee and sugar dissolve and a foam (kaimaki) begins to form on the surface.
6. The briki is removed from the heat just as the foam threatens to overflow — this motion pulls the foam back and prevents boiling.
7. The coffee is poured immediately into the cup, carrying the foam on the surface.

The grounds sink to the bottom of the cup and are not drunk — the last 5–10 ml of the cup is always left. This is not fastidiousness; it is simply that the sludge at the bottom is undrinkable.

The whole process takes approximately 3 minutes. In a busy kafeneion, the briki owner may have four or five brikis on different elements simultaneously, each at a different stage. The skill is in the timing — pulling the foam at exactly the right moment for each order.

The kafeneion: an anatomy

A traditional Cypriot village kafeneion has a specific physical character. Usually a single room or a room with a covered terrace. The furniture is functional — plastic chairs, formica-topped tables, an ancient refrigerator full of beer and cold water. A television, almost always on, usually showing football, news, or a Greek series with the sound turned up. Behind the counter, the briki setup: gas ring or electric hot plate, a row of brikis of different sizes, jars of coffee and sugar, and an espresso machine of varying vintage.

The clientele in a traditional kafeneion is predominantly male, predominantly middle-aged to elderly. This is the culture’s social space for men who have finished their morning work and have time to fill before lunch, for men who have retired and need somewhere to be, for men who simply prefer the company of other men in a space without domestic obligation. Women are not excluded — especially in tourist areas or urban kafeneia, women are welcome and often present — but the cultural default is male.

The backgammon (tavli) is essential. Three forms are played: fevga, portes, and plakoto — each with different opening positions and movement rules. Games are played with intense concentration, rapid dice throws, and a running commentary on the moves. The clatter of backgammon pieces is as characteristic a sound of the kafeneion as the coffee machine.

The komboloi (worry beads) — strings of beads, typically in amber or semi-precious stone — are manipulated continuously in one hand by older men, particularly those not currently playing backgammon. This is a soothing habit rather than a religious practice (unlike prayer beads, komboloi have no religious function). The sound of komboloi — the soft clatter of beads sliding over each other — is another ambient sound of the kafeneion.

How to order

Walk to the counter. Say:

• “Ena kafe sketo” (one coffee, no sugar)
• “Ena kafe metrio” (one coffee, medium sweet)
• “Ena kafe glykyvrastos” (one coffee, sweet)

You will receive the coffee in a demitasse, a glass of cold water alongside, and sometimes a small piece of loukoumi (Cyprus delight) without being asked. Pay at the counter or when you leave — conventions vary.

The price is €1–2 per coffee in a traditional kafeneion, €2–3 in a tourist area. Coffee that costs more than €3 in a kafeneion is a tourist establishment with kafeneion aesthetics.

The naming question

In the Republic of Cyprus, the coffee is called “Cypriot coffee” (kafes kypriakos) rather than “Turkish coffee.” In Northern Cyprus, it is called “Turkish coffee” (Türk kahvesi). The preparation is identical. The naming difference reflects the political reality of the island’s division — a sensitivity that developed particularly after 1974 — but does not reflect any actual difference in the beverage.

Visitors do not need to take sides on this. Ordering “a Greek coffee” will produce knowing looks but not confrontation. The safest approach in the south is simply “kafe” followed by your sweetness preference.

The contemporary coffee scene

Alongside the traditional kafeneion, Cyprus has developed a sophisticated contemporary café culture — particularly in Nicosia, Limassol, and the university areas of Larnaca. Speciality coffee shops serving filter, pour-over, aeropress, and cold brew have appeared in significant numbers over the last five years, driven by a cohort of young Cypriots who have been exposed to Third Wave coffee culture in London, Berlin, and Athens.

The best of these establishments are genuinely excellent — carefully sourced beans, precise extraction, knowledgeable staff. The aesthetic is typically post-industrial (exposed brick, concrete, minimalist furniture) rather than kafeneion-casual. They coexist with the traditional kafeneion without hostility or competition; the demographics are different enough that the two institutions are not really competing for the same customers.

Recommended speciality café locations:

• Nicosia: Chrysaliniotissa neighbourhood and the streets around the old town market area.
• Limassol: The old town quarter around the castle, and the Agios Athanasios suburb.
• Larnaca: Small cluster around the Larnaca University area.

Coffee and food pairings

Cypriot coffee is traditionally served with loukoumi (Cyprus delight), as noted above. In the morning kafeneion, it might accompany a tiropita (cheese pastry) or a sesame-encrusted koulouri (ring bread). At the end of a meze meal, it appears as the natural conclusion, often with a small glass of zivania (grape distillate).

The pairing of Cypriot coffee with the sweet desserts of the meze — preserved fruit in syrup (glyko), honey pastries — is the standard closing sequence of a traditional Cypriot meal. The bitterness of the sketo coffee cuts effectively through the sugar of the desserts.

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Reading the grounds

After drinking Cypriot coffee, the traditional practice is to upend the cup onto the saucer, wait a few minutes for the grounds to dry and form patterns on the inside of the cup, then turn it right-side-up and read the images in the dried grounds. This is tasseography — a form of fortune-telling that has been practised in the eastern Mediterranean for centuries.

The reading is informal and playful in most kafeneion contexts — not a serious occult practice but a social ritual that gives structure to post-coffee conversation. The interpreter typically identifies shapes (animals, birds, geometric forms) and maps them to conventional symbolic meanings: a bird means good news arriving, a snake means an enemy, a ship means travel, a ring means love or commitment. The reading always ends on a positive note — it would be impolite to conclude otherwise.

If you ask a kafeneion proprietor to read your cup, do so with genuine interest and accept whatever is offered with good humour.

Frequently asked questions about Cypriot coffee

What is the difference between Cypriot coffee and espresso?

Both are small, concentrated coffee preparations. Espresso uses pressurised extraction through a metal filter; Cypriot coffee uses direct immersion — the grounds are never separated from the water before serving. Espresso is filtered and clear; Cypriot coffee has grounds in the cup. The flavour profiles are different: espresso is more acidic and bright; Cypriot coffee is earthier and more bitter in its sketo form, with a heavier body.

Can I take coffee home from Cyprus?

Ground Cypriot coffee is widely available in supermarkets and specialty food shops. Look for brands like Andreas Papadopoulos (the most common) or the branded products from small Nicosia roasters. The coffee must be very finely ground for briki preparation — standard filter or espresso grind is not correct.

What is the alcohol served with coffee in kafeneia?

Often zivania — the Cypriot grape distillate (roughly equivalent to grappa or raki), served in a small glass without preamble. Some kafeneia also serve commandaria (the sweet dessert wine) as an accompaniment. Accepting these when offered is a gesture of social reciprocity and is the hospitable thing to do.

Is there good coffee in tourist resort areas?

The resort areas of Ayia Napa, Protaras, and the Paphos tourist strip have cafés serving Cypriot coffee, but these are often mediocre — made with pre-ground industrial coffee, over-sweetened, and under-attentive to the kaimaki. For the best experience, go to the nearest village kafeneion rather than a tourist café.

How does coffee culture differ between north and south Cyprus?

The preparation and the social institution are essentially identical. The main differences are naming (Turkish coffee in the north), accompaniments (sometimes tea alongside the coffee in Northern Cyprus cafés), and price (slightly lower in the north). The atmosphere of a Kyrenia or North Nicosia kafeneion is very similar to that of the Limassol or Paphos equivalent.