Northern Cyprus traditional cuisine will provide you with a culinary adventure as tasty Cypriot food represents a part of the unique culture.
Turkish-Cypriot cuisine has been influenced by different cultures throughout history. Influences come from the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Cyprus itself. Each dish has a specific taste and is well presented reflecting the Cypriot character. A few Cypriot dishes you might want to try are: Molohiya; yalanci dolma, shish Kebab and mousakka. Local dishes are delicious, particularly the meze. This is a specialty of Cyprus and consists of a large number of cold and hot dishes such as different salads, meats, vegetable, and fish. The most served meze dishes are grilled haloumi cheese, bulgur köfte and sigara borek.
Turkish coffee is an important part of everyday life across Northern Cyprus. Coffee was introduced to the West by the Ottoman Turks in the 15th century. The secret of making Turkish coffee is to grind the coffee beans into a fine powder and then cook them together with sugar, producing a thick cream on top. Turkish coffee is served in small cups in three ways and you will always be asked before the coffee is brewed which of the three one would like. Coffee types are; sah-de, which is unsweetened, ortah, which is moderately sweet, and shekerli, which is very sweet.
North Cyprus has on offer the very best traditional food and you will find some great places to eat located in Kyrenia and its surrounding areas. If you are not staying in the city then having a rental car will definitely be an advantage to enjoy some excellent cuisine during your holiday. You will have the option of delivery and take away restaurants in North Cyprus, but these are located in the bigger towns such as Kyrenia, Nicosia, or Famagusta.
| Restaurants in Kyrenia | Restaurants in Nicosia | Restaurants in Famagusta | Restaurants in Güzelyurt | |
| Kervan Terace Cafe & Bar | Ezic Restaurant | Pronto Restaurant | Pizza Uno | Ada Restaurant |
| Patina Restaurant | El Sabor Restaurants | Four Season Restaurant | Gokkusagi Restaurant | |
| Kybele Restaurant | Galbur Restaurant | Temel Reis Restaurant | Horse Shoe Beach Restaurant | |
| Passport Restaurant | Mirage Restaurant | Yiltas Restaurant | ||
| Patina Kebab House | Californian Restaurant | |||
| Pasta Mania |
North Cyprus has a large number of cafes and bars. Here you can get beers, imported alcohol, raki and brandy. If you are having a holiday in North Cyprus don't forget to try the Raki which is the anise flavoured Turkish alcohol.
Tipping
When you eat out in a restaurant is it expected that you will leave a tip. A service charge is not always shown on your bill but it is customary to leave a 10% tip.