If the idea of baking your own flaounes and tsourekia scares you, then you can just visit one of the following bakeries and confectioneries to solve the problem!
By Natassa Georgiou
Melissa Confectionery
You will be hard pressed to find flaounes like these, as well as smiles like Ms. Maria’s smile and her son’s Kyriacos, who for 40 years now fill the neighbourhood around Melissa with nice smells. They make traditional, village flaounes with a cheese mix, mint, mableb and mastich, with or without raisins. If you are on a diet you can opt for the choice of anari instead of the cheese mix. Their almond tsourekia are very fluffy and have a hint of orange.
On Easter Week, people flock to Melissa, so make sure to make your order in time!
Aischylou 82, Nicosia, 22762070, Monday-Saturday 06:00-19:00
Liotatis Lotier
The reason that Liotatis confectioneries are popular is not just the quality of their products but also their service as Liotatis sisters are top. Respecting their tradition, they make Famagusta sweet flaounes with lots of raisins. Of course, depending on the customer they can make savoury or sweet flaounes, with or without sugar, with or without mint, with raisins or seasame, with anari or a cheese mix.
Their tsourekia are very tempting as they come in white chocolate, dried fruit and nuts, Oreo, Snickers or walnut versions. They deliver all over Cyprus.
April 1 77 Paralimni – Archishop Makariou 64, Frenaros – Patron 6 Larnaca, 77777705, Monday-Saturday 07:15-22:00, Sunday 08:00-21:30
Mondial
I can’t remember an Easter, when my godmother did not bring my delicious, warm flaounes from Mondial. This confectionary, which has been operating in the capital since 1957 is an institution for Nicosians. The butter, the milk and the fresh eggs they use make the dough soft and rich, while the filling is comprised of Paphos cheese, halloimi and mint.
You will notice that you can keep their flaounes outside the fridge with many taste, without them losing their flavour.
Dimostheni Severi 14B, Nicosia, 22665316, Monday-Sunday 06:00-22:00
Epaminondas Bakery
This Easter, it’s worth to pay a visit to Paphos, even if it just to try the “paskies” an edition of flaouna that until recently I hadn’t heard of. Ms Anna told me that they first fry the lamb and then the onions. Then, they add salt, cumin and then they add the flaouna filling. They are great!
They also make great classic flaounas with Paphos cheese, some halloumi and hemp seed.
Aristoteli Savva 22, 26935353 – 25 March 38, Paphos, 26 955540, Monday-Friday 06:30 – 20:30, Saturday 07:00 – 16:30, Sunday 07:00 – 15:00
Vienna Bakeries
Whoever has tasted savoury snacks from Vienna will have the best best things to say. The same goes for their excellent tsourekia, which I highly recommend. They make them from scratch, without ready mixtures, with gluten-high farina, clarified butter and quality hazelnut spreads. Besides their Ferrero, Bueno, Yoghurt Berries and orange versions they also serve a pistachio tsoureki, and one with ION wafer filling.
Kyrenias Avenue 147, Nicosia, 22 337245, Larnakos Avenue 101, Nicosia, 22 334912, Yiannou Kranidioti Avenue 84, Latsia, 22 029965
Semiramis
The family bakery and confectionery Semiramis sticks to tradition. They make everything from scratch, with their hands, with fresh ingredients. Their tsourekia and flaounes have a homey feeling. Their tasty flaounes are made with lots of cheese, kefalotyri, halloumi, mableh and mastic and they are offered in sweet or savoury versions.
If you choose to visit this period, you will surely find something, as they are continuously baking due to the large demand. Try the tsourekia plain, with walnut or chocolate.
Makariou III 7, Lakatamia, Nicosia 22320888, Monday-Sunday 06:00-22:00
Paradosiako Artopoieio
Plain and simple. The philosophy of this bakery is evident from its name which in English translates to Traditional Bakery. Mr. George does not make discounts in quality and pays extreme attention to detail, especially with the flaounes. For example they use fresh eggs, kefalotyri and fresh mint so as not to alter the taste and the shape of the flaounes. You can also ask to bake them with raisins or anari for you.
Archbishop Kyprianou 74, Strovolos, Nicosia, 22425338, Monday-Sunday 06:30-20:30
Fiction Bakery
Ms Antonia honours her mother-in-law’s recipe for flaounes which are flying off the shelves, with many well-known Limassolians in the customer’s list. The secret is in the ingredients. Their triangle-shaped flaounes are made with fresh cheese, halloumi, kaskavali cheese, herbs and you can order them with raisins or hemp seed.
On your way out, grab a forest fruit tsoureki. It’s perfect!
1 April 288, Limassol, Monday-Saturday 05:30-22:00, Sunday 06:30-22:00
Silo – The Bakery Project
Executive pastry chef Aggelos Athanasopoulos masterfully bakes handmade goods in this new age bakery. Next to the bread loaves with buckwheat and chia seeds, you will find traditional grandma’s flaounes. They make three different versions, one with goat’s cheese, with or without raisins and one with anari. The authentic tsourekia are served either plain, with praline filling and chocolate glaze, with walnut and white chocolate, with a red egg in the middle.
Faneromenis 151, Larnaca, 24 424274, Monday-Sunday 06:00 – 24:00
Chrysovalantou-Kalopesas Bakeries
Two household names of the bakery sector, under the same roof. For 30 years now, Ms Froso at Chrysovalantou Bakery is being loyal to the same tradition for the traditional Cypriot flaouna. The secret way with which she handles the yeast, gives the tastes and the volume to the flaounes, that her customers have loved. Their fluffy, delicious tsourekia are made with expertise acquired right from Thessaloniki.
They have intense flavours of cumin and orange, a variety of fillings, from walnut to spoon sweets and jams.
Lykavitou Avenue 2, Lakatamia, Nicosia, Monday-Sunday 05:30-23:00
STE-MA Bakery
Their famous halloumi pie is well known all over Cyprus. Ms Maria Hadjiharalambous and her husband Stelios make hundreds of fresh halloumi pies daily, delicious chicken pies, cakes, desserts, snacks and of course flaounes.
Excellent quality, with delicate amounts of cheese and mindblowing herbs!
Astromeritis, 22823923, Monday-Saturday 5:30-21:00, Sunday 5:30-13:30
