South Coast Specialty Coffee
South Coast Specialty Coffee is on Mackenzie Beach in the middle of the bar ghetto, next to Caffe Nero. A fair old trek from Larnaca Marina.
A large seating area outside on artificial grass, inside the serving area, half of the inside taken up by a kids play area. There are proposals to charge for this as supervised, at a guess because parents are dumping kids unsupervised.
First impressions, a ghastly corporate chain.
The coffee is Taf, not only Taf but Taf competition blend.
It was not good. Far better than if gone to Caffe Nero, but Taf should be far far better than this.
A cold brew tower. Was it for show? No, used for cold brew. I was offered a sample. It was not good. Concentrate and undrinkable.
The explanation, we serve with ice, the ice melts.
No. Make not as concentrate, serve cold, with one large ice cube at minus 22C that slowly slowly melts and does not dilute the drink. Follow the example of how cold brew is served at The Underdog in Athens.
A neat touch, when coffee served, a card with a QR code. Scan and if wish, complete a survey. Back door access to personal data?
A sign outside Best Coffee in Larnaca. Asking for trouble when not. Taf coffee is far better than this in Athens. Miyu Coffee in Protaras is serving Taf coffee, not even competition blend, and better than this.
Outside Larnaca Marina, Nick’s Coffee Bike, by far the best coffee in Larnaca is in another league.
That is not to say South Coast Specialty Coffee is serving bad coffee, far worse coffee is served in the corporate coffee chains, but Taf should be far far better than this, especially if using competition blend, and no, it is not the best coffee in Larnaca, that accolade belongs to Nick’s Coffee Bike, though may have been true before the coffee bike was outside the marina.
South Coast Specialty Coffee is not a coffee shop let alone a specialty coffee shop, it is a tacky bar serving coffee.
It is not doing Taf any favours their coffee being supplied out of the back door by a coffee shop in Nicosia.
It is quite a trek from Larnaca Marina to Mackenzie Beach. There are plans afoot to develop the beach. Not a good idea, though please get rid of the artificial grass. What is needed is a shuttle bus service, an electric bus, from Larnaca Marina, or at least the Bus Stop, to Mackenzie Beach, either free or one euro. The money earmarked for Mackenzie Beach would be far better spent on pedestrianising the seafront and the back streets of the old town.
Note: To see what Taf coffee should like apart from visiting their coffee shop in Athens try the coffee at Koffea in the old town.
Note: As of October 2020 there are three coffee shops worth visiting in Larnaca, Koffea, Paul’s Coffee Roasters and Nick’s Coffee Bike has retired and sits in a coffee shop of the same name. To find coffee worth drinking is a rarity in Cyprus.
