B.R. Hub, Nicosia

My faithful dining companion and I decided to indulge in pub grub, partly because Lent is approaching with many options set to be taken off the table.

There is a reason why bars and pubs tend to stick to what they know when it comes to food.

Burgers, buffalo wings, onion rings, sandwiches, wraps. A classic menu, with classic offerings, for a reason. Before even sitting down, the patron probably knows what they’ll order. Likewise, the kitchen staff can execute the dozen or so staples with speed and precision. Everyone leaves happy.

B.R. Hub in Nicosia has been around for some time and came recommended not only for its menu, but also for staff attentiveness, décor, comfort and even the music selection.

Upon entering, everything appears as it should. A vast draught beer tower stands proudly behind the bar. Sports memorabilia and rock icons adorn the walls. On half a dozen large TV screens, David Bowie urges the children to lose it, use it and boogie.

We opt to sit outside, as the evening isn’t particularly chilly. A quick but important note: the bar stools are exceptionally comfortable.

A cheerful waiter informs us that the menu is accessed via QR code on the puck marking our table number. A pint of Kronenbourg Blanc for her, a pint of Staropramen for me.

Drinks secured, we turn our attention to the menu. And oh boy.

Every dish comes with a sports-themed name. Starters lean basketball: buzzer beater prawns, slam dunk wings. Mains favour boxing: counter punch chicken, uppercut baby ribs. Somewhere in between you’ll find the goalkeeper chicken wrap and the free kick bacon cheeseburger.

What truly stands out is the breadth of the menu. By bar standards, it’s enormous. Bao buns, salads, pasta, pizza, burgers, sandwiches. Some dishes are plated in a way that wouldn’t feel out of place in a conventional restaurant.

Our first starter, the backcourt bacon cheeseballs – goat’s cheese, cheddar and bacon bits coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried – arrived garnished with thinly sliced pickled beetroot and radish, fresh chives and even a decorative sauce swoosh.

To its credit, the dish was perfectly palatable, though once goat’s cheese enters the equation, everything inevitably tastes like goat’s cheese regardless of supporting cast.

Next came the swish onion rings. They were excellent. Perfectly fried, seasoned just right, crunchy yet airy. Paired with a garlic-infused aioli, they were easily the standout of the starters.

For mains, my faithful dining companion ordered the hat-trick steakwich, while I went for the bare-knuckle chicken rematch. Part of the reason was curiosity. Given the ambition displayed across the menu, I decided to experiment as well.

In essence, the dish is a chicken kebab: thigh pieces marinated in herb-infused yoghurt, garnished with radish and bell pepper, served over wild rice with sautéed vegetables. The menu photo showed deep orange, succulent chicken.

Then the mains arrived.

The menu photo of my chicken did not bare much resemblance to the dish. It tasted fine but I can’t shake the feeling I should have chosen something else. The vegetables were well cooked, with just enough bite to remain interesting – but when steamed vegetables are doing the heavy lifting, it’s not a good sign.

By contrast, my companion’s plate looked fantastic. Ciabatta filled with tender slices of beef steak, melted cheddar and caramelised onion, finished with cream cheese, tomato and baby rucola. On the side: golden, homemade fries and a vibrant green salad.

The sandwich was juicy and generous, the interplay between steak, sweetness and sharpness balanced just right, each bite slightly different from the one before. A hat-trick indeed.

I understand that innovation and refinement are necessary in the culinary world. Bars and pubs are not exempt from that reality. Menus evolve, expectations shift, diners want more.

But sometimes it’s worth remembering why the classics became classics in the first place – why the TV screens are playing David Bowie, Queen and Nirvana instead of chasing the latest algorithm-approved hit.

Bar food is evergreen for a reason.

At B.R. Hub, when the kitchen leans into what it knows – hearty sandwiches, properly fried onion rings, straightforward comfort – it scores. When it strays too far into reinvention the result feels forced.

There’s ambition here, but the real victories come when the bar remembers its home turf.

VITAL STATISTICS

SPECIALITY Bar/pub food

WHERE B.R. Hub, Athinon 22, Strovolos, Nicosia

WHEN 10am – 12:30am

HOW MUCH Starters €8 – €13 Mains: €11 – €32

CONTACT 22 252825, brhub.com.cy