Best restaurants in North Cyprus

Kyrenia is the island's dining hub, and most visitors eat here more than anywhere else. You'll find everything from long-running Cypriot bistros to sushi, Indian, and lounge dining, most within a short drive of the centre. Tap any linked name to open its card for photos, menu, and location.

• De Niro's — a long-running Kyrenia bistro.
• Nima Restaurant & Lounge Bar — one of the highest-rated spots in the area.
• Jashan Indian Restaurant — curries and tandoor.
• Azra Claire's — Asian restaurant and bar.
• Sky Lounge — lounge dining and drinks.
• Geyik Restaurant Lounge Bar — restaurant and lounge.
• Tokyo Sushi & Noodle — sushi and Japanese noodles.
• Sushinn — sushi and Japanese dishes, Yukarı Girne.
• Niazi's — Kyrenia's famous full-kebab restaurant, in the town centre.
• Dragon Chinese & Sushi — Chinese and Asian food.
• Ezic Premier — Turkish and Cypriot dishes.
• Uncle Sam's — American eatery and patisserie.
• Black Penny — coffee house, kitchen, and bar.

The old town around the harbour — Kaleiçi — is the most atmospheric place to eat in Kyrenia. Meze houses, grills, and cafés line the lanes behind the horseshoe harbour, a short walk from the castle. It's the classic choice for a first-night dinner or a slow lunch by the water.

• İnciraltı Meze Restaurant — Cypriot meze in the old town.
• SD Grill House — grills and kebab near the harbour.
• Ali Dayı'nın Yeri — a local favourite in Kaleiçi.
• Limanı — long-standing harbour restaurant known for meze and fresh seafood.
• Lagoon Fish Restaurant — grilled sea bass and calamari.
• Calamari, Lapta — a seafood meze spread west along the coast.
• Harbour-front cafés line the old harbour itself — best at sunset.

Ten minutes above Kyrenia, the hillside village of Bellapais is one of the most scenic places to eat on the island, built around its Gothic abbey. Restaurants here trade on the view and the setting as much as the food — ideal for a long lunch or a sunset dinner. These aren't on the platform yet, but they're what the village is known for.

• Tree of Idleness — the village's most famous restaurant, opposite the abbey, made famous by Lawrence Durrell's Bitter Lemons.
• Kybele — atmospheric dining in the abbey grounds.
• Bellapais Gardens — a garden restaurant with a strong local reputation.
• Bella Moon and Abbey Bell Tower — village restaurants with abbey and sea views.

East of Kyrenia, Esentepe sits below the Beşparmak mountains and has a small cluster of destination restaurants worth the short drive for the views and a relaxed evening.

• Taro Restaurant & Bar — dining with sea and mountain views.
• Eagle's Nest — restaurant in Esentepe.
• Californian — restaurant in Esentepe.

The capital, Lefkoşa (Nicosia), has the island's biggest casual-dining scene — brasseries, burgers, pide, and Asian food, much of it around Dereboyu. Tap a linked name to open its card.

• Big Chefs — all-day brasserie in Lefkoşa.
• Hamburg XL — burgers and grills, Dereboyu.
• Chinese Kitchen, Ortaköy — Chinese food.
• Yıldırım Pide — Turkish pide and lahmacun.
• Katsu Express — Japanese and Asian food, Dereboyu.
• Burger Tunes — burgers, Dereboyu.

North Cyprus cooking is Turkish-Cypriot: grilled meat, generous meze, and fresh bread. The signature meal is the full kebab — not one dish but a long parade of grilled meats (doner, chicken, lamb, şeftali sausage, liver, and chops), invented at Niazi's in Kyrenia. Look out for meze spreads, hellim (halloumi) grilled or fresh, şeftali kebab, kleftiko, molehiya, and seafood on the coast. Portions are generous and meals are slow, so come hungry and plan to linger.

A few practical notes. Popular dinner spots fill up in peak season, so it's worth reserving ahead for the harbour and view restaurants — open a restaurant's card to see its details, or ask MERVE to arrange it around your route. Kitchens often run late, and dinner is the main event rather than lunch. Vegetarians are well served by the meze culture, and halal food is widely available. Many smaller places prefer cash, and tipping around 10% is normal for good service.