Of all the bars in all the world...!

There's a quirky bar on a small but popular Greek island that is my go-to place in the whole wide world when I want to chill out and relax, have a decent drink and listen to a mix of the most eclectic music possible. That it is owned by a lovely guy who has been a dear friend for the last twenty years is a bonus, not a factor, in my judgement. This special little place is on the island of Koufonissi, is called Nikita's bar and is owned and run by - you guessed it - a local man whose first name is Nikita.

Now Koufonissi is a tiny island, part of the small Cyclades grouping to the southeast of Naxos and something like four square kilometres in total - a speck in the Aegean Sea. What makes it special is that it has been blessed with beaches of incredible quality, with amazing colours and crystal-clear waters. A word of caution, though: the sea here is always a bit on the cold side, so not for lovers of warm, bathwater temperatures, due to the strong currents swirling around this little rocky place.

Nikita's Bar sits just above one such beach, probably not the most impressive around near the island's little harbour, but still better than most beaches on most other islands. Here it barely rates a mention but still forms a perfect vista as one looks across from Nikita's terrace to the uninhabited island of Keros, once a thriving centre for the Cycladic civilisation, long extinct. During the day one can ogle shapely bathers or simply relax and drink in the view, while at night depending on the quantity of moonlight available one sees a little, or a lot.

This is a 'one of a kind' place, a rarity, a bit of a gem with its own individual character and, as such, it will not appeal to everyone even though the drink and food (limited) on offer will cover most needs. The music, which I adore despite never having heard most of it before, is not 'popular'; this is not the place to hear today's pop hits or greek music of any kind. Rather, it is eclectic, sometimes jazzy, unusual, stimulating and relaxing at the same time for an old music buff like me. The lack of familiarity I find appealing rather than off-putting because the quality is so amazing.

The key to the place, other than its unique setting, is the man Nikita. From an old island family, he is a non-conformist individual, a little bundle of energy, solicitous to all if outwardly undemonstrative. In our long acquaintance I have also found him to be a kind friend, considerate and sensitive, with a touching generosity of spirit. As far as his bar goes, he is the consummate host who will look after you perfectly, but you will always be aware you are in his space.

I truly adore his little establishment. Due to my well publicised, to my faithful reader anyway, problems over the last few years I had not been to either Koufonissi or Nikita's bar for seven years and I realised on coming back that, for me, there is no substitute. It is one of my special, magical places where I can withdraw to sit and contemplate life, to relax, to heal; drink plays only a small part in this, though you can drink exceedingly well here if your taste is for beers and all sorts of spirits. This is not the place for great adventures in wine, alas for me, as the clientele for that sort of thing is sorely lacking among the visitors to the island.

It isn't perfect, I know, but it is my kind of place - please let me know if you know it, or of it. Whatever you do, though, don't spoil it.