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Discover Traditional Cypriot Dishes and Northern Cyprus Cuisine

Northern Cyprus is a true food lover’s paradise, where Mediterranean flavours meet Turkish and Middle Eastern influences to create an unforgettable culinary experience. Whether you’re a dedicated foodie or simply love discovering new tastes, the island offers an incredible variety of restaurants, cafés, and beachside taverns to explore.

 

From freshly caught seafood served with sea views to traditional meze platters bursting with local flavour, dining in Northern Cyprus is always a pleasure. The region’s cuisine reflects its rich cultural heritage — expect dishes made with olive oil, halloumi cheese, grilled meats, fresh herbs, and seasonal vegetables straight from the market.

 

Food lovers can discover fine dining restaurants in Kyrenia, family-run taverns in Famagusta, and authentic Cypriot eateries in Nicosia, each offering a unique taste of the island’s warm hospitality. There’s also a growing international food scene, with everything from Italian and Indian to Asian fusion and modern European menus available across the TRNC.

 

Pair your meal with local Cypriot wines, enjoy a strong Turkish coffee, or end your evening with a sweet helping of baklava or lokma. Whether you prefer elegant dining, rustic charm, or street food simplicity, Northern Cyprus offers something delicious for every appetite.

 

Explore our Foodie section to discover the best places to eat, local delicacies, restaurant reviews, and insider tips for enjoying the island’s thriving food scene.

Octopus salad served with olive oil, lemon, and fresh herbs – a Mediterranean seafood dish.

Ahtapot Salatasi

Layered filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and honey or syrup, a classic Turkish dessert.

Baklava

Traditional Cypriot sausage made from lamb intestines stuffed with rice and spices.

Bumbar

Cold yogurt and cucumber dip with garlic, dill, and mint, similar to tzatziki.

Cacik

A sunlit seaside terrace in Kyrenia with a white linen table set for breakfast — croissants, fruit, smoked salmon, and two glasses of Champagne glimmering in the morning light. The turquoise sea sparkles in the background beneath clear blue skies.

Champagne Breakfast

Turkish coffee served in small cups with foam, often accompanied by Turkish delight.

Coffee Culture

Traditional dolma and koupepia served in North Cyprus with vine leaves, rice, herbs, and Mediterranean meze dishes.

Dolma

Traditional Et Güveç beef casserole served in a clay pot in North Cyprus

Et Güveç

Guided culinary tours exploring traditional Cypriot food and local specialties.

Food Tours

Traditional gözleme being freshly cooked on a sac griddle in a village in North Cyprus.

Gözleme

Smooth chickpea dip with tahini, garlic, lemon, and olive oil.

Hummus

Indian dining in North Cyprus featuring curries, naan, and tandoori dishes.

Indian Restaurants

Slow-cooked lamb marinated with garlic, herbs, and lemon, a Greek-Cypriot classic.

Kleftiko

Grilled meatballs seasoned with herbs and spices, served with salad or pita.

Köfte

Traditional lokanta restaurant serving authentic Turkish-Cypriot home-style food in North Cyprus

Lokantas

Turkish scrambled eggs cooked with tomatoes, peppers, and onions.

Menemen

Stew made with jute leaves, garlic, and chicken or lamb, a Middle Eastern specialty.

Molohiya

Foraging for wild mushrooms in the Cypriot countryside.

Mushrooming

Traditional paluze grape dessert being prepared during the grape harvest season in North Cyprus.

Paluze

Cypriot cheese-filled pastry, similar to a small pie or scone.

Pilavuna

Traditional anise-flavoured Turkish spirit, usually served with meze.

Raki

Elegant fine dining table setup overlooking the Mediterranean coastline in North Cyprus.

Restaurants - Fine Dining

Coastal Iskele restaurants with fresh seafood and beach views.

Restaurants - Iskele

Traditional retselia sweet made with grape must and fruit in North Cyprus

Retselia

Moist semolina cake with syrup and orange zest.

Shammali

Traditional sucuk and eggs breakfast served in North Cyprus with bread, olives and Turkish tea.

Sucuk

Tahini salad made with lemon juice, garlic, and parsley.

Tahin Salatasi

Savory pastry filled with shredded chicken and herbs.

Tavuklu Börek

Bitter orange peel preserved in syrup, a Cypriot sweet delicacy.

Turunç Macunu

Creamy yogurt soup with rice, mint, and butter.

Yayla Çorbasi

Traditional Cypriot bread flavoured with olives or herbs.

Çakisdez

Grilled Cypriot sausage made from minced lamb wrapped in caul fat.

Şeftali Kebab

Traditional Turkish yogurt drink made with water and salt, served chilled.

Ayran

Cypriot cocktail made with brandy, lemon juice, and soda, served over ice.

Brandy Sour

Traditional börek pastries freshly baked in a North Cyprus bakery.

Börek

Dried carob pods or syrup used as a natural sweetener in Cypriot cuisine.

Carob

Chinese dining in North Cyprus offering noodles, dumplings, and stir-fried dishes.

Chinese Restaurants

Coastal Cypriot dishes featuring fresh seafood and Mediterranean flavours.

Costa Cuisine

Tomatoes stuffed with rice, herbs, and spices, baked to perfection.

Domates Dolmasi

White bean salad with onions, parsley, and olive oil, often served with kebabs.

Fasulye Piyaz

Sweet pastry layered with syrup and nuts, a regional Cypriot dessert.

Gatmer

Slices of halloumi paired with fresh tomato and olive oil drizzle.

Halloumi & Tomato

Creamy soup inspired by hummus, made from blended chickpeas and spices.

Hummus Soup

Semolina cookies dusted with sugar, soft and buttery in texture.

Irmik Kurabiyesi

Traditional Kol Böreği spiral pastry served in North Cyprus

Kol Böreği

Thin Turkish flatbread topped with minced meat, herbs, and spices.

Lahmacun

Fried dough balls soaked in syrup or honey, a popular Cypriot street sweet.

Lokma

Traditional Turkish taverns serving meze, seafood, and raki.

Meyhanes

Creamy milk pudding topped with cinnamon or rosewater.

Muhallebi

Rice pilaf with chickpeas, often served with grilled meat.

Nohutlu Pilav

Grape molasses used as a sweetener in traditional Cypriot desserts.

Pekmez

Pomegranate tree with ripe red fruit in a traditional North Cyprus garden during harvest season.

Pomegranates

Restaurants in Esentepe serving Turkish, Cypriot, and international dishes.

Restaurants - Esentepe

Kyrenia dining scene with harbourside restaurants and traditional taverns.

Restaurants - Girne

Lefke restaurants serving authentic Cypriot village-style dishes.

Restaurants - Lefke

Traditional Revani semolina cake dessert served in North Cyprus with syrup and pistachio garnish.

Revani

Cuttlefish cooked in ink sauce with rice, a coastal Cypriot delicacy.

Sipya

A bright outdoor buffet setting by the Mediterranean Sea: long tables laden with vibrant salads, grilled meats, seafood platters and desserts; chilled glasses of wine and cocktails on ice; guests helping themselves while gentle live music plays in the background. Palm trees sway in the breeze and the deep blue sea stretches out beyond the terrace — capturing the relaxed yet indulgent vibe of Sunday in Northern Cyprus.

Sunday Buffet

Traditional dried soup mix made from yogurt, tomato, and cracked wheat.

Tarhana

Colourful cubes of jelly candy dusted with icing sugar, flavoured with rose or citrus.

Turkish Delight

North Cyprus wineries producing local red, white, and rosé wines.

Wineries

Traditional handmade yufka pastry dough being rolled in a village kitchen in North Cyprus.

Yufka

Stuffed zucchini flowers with rice, herbs, and spices.

Çiçek Dolmasi

Skewered and grilled cubes of marinated meat, served with salad or bread.

Şiş Kebab

Sweet Turkish pudding made with grains, nuts, and dried fruits, also known as Noah’s Pudding.

Aşure

Bulgur wheat pilaf cooked with tomato, onion, and herbs, a staple side dish.

Bulgur Pilavi

Black-eyed bean salad with olive oil, lemon, and fresh vegetables.

Börülce Salatasi

Preserved green walnuts in syrup, a traditional Cypriot sweet.

Ceviz Macun

Shredded chicken with creamy walnut sauce, a traditional Turkish appetizer.

Circassian chicken

Traditional Cypriot spoon sweets in North Cyprus including walnut, bergamot, cherry and fig preserves served with coffee and silver spoons.

Cypriot Spoon Sweets

Traditional Ekmek Kadayıfı dessert in North Cyprus served with kaymak and pistachios.

Ekmek Kadayıfı

Cypriot baked pasta layered with mince and béchamel sauce, similar to lasagna.

Firin Makarnasi

Halloumi cheese grilled to golden perfection, served with salad or bread.

Grilled Halloumi

Traditional Cypriot halloumi cheese made from goat and sheep milk.

Hellim

Stuffed aubergine with tomato, onion, and garlic, simmered in olive oil.

Imam Bayıldı

Traditional Kiofterka grape sweet displayed with fresh grapes in North Cyprus.

Kiofterka

Stewed colocasia root with lamb, tomato, and celery, a traditional Cypriot dish.

Kolokas

A display of popular beers and spirits served in North Cyprus, including Efes and Tuborg bottles on a bar counter, highlighting the island’s locally manufactured and licensed drinks.

Local Drinks

Traditional loukoumades served with honey syrup and cinnamon in North Cyprus

Loukoumades

Assorted small dishes served as appetizers, typical of Cypriot dining.

Meze

Traditional musakka in North Cyprus with layers of aubergine, potato, minced meat and béchamel sauce.

Musakka

Green and black Cypriot olives served with olive oil and herbs.

Olives

Traditional Turkish pide baking in a wood-fired oven in North Cyprus.

Pide

Bright cactus fruit with sweet, juicy flesh, native to Cyprus.

Prickly Pear

Restaurants in Famagusta serving Turkish, Cypriot, and international dishes.

Restaurants - Famagusta

Güzelyurt eateries known for local produce and traditional meals.

Restaurants - Güzelyurt

Capital city restaurants offering both traditional and modern cuisine.

Restaurants - Lefkoşa

Freshly made Shamishi pastries at a traditional festival in North Cyprus

Shamishi

Traditional soutzouko sweet made from grape must and walnuts hanging to dry in North Cyprus

Soutzouko

Baked rice pudding topped with cinnamon, served chilled.

Sütlaç

Traditional Tavuk Güveç chicken casserole served in a clay pot in North Cyprus

Tavuk Güveç

Traditional Turkish tea served in tulip-shaped glasses at a North Cyprus breakfast table overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

Turkish Tea (Çay)

Stuffed vine leaves filled with rice, pine nuts, and herbs, served cold.

Yalanci Dolma

Cypriot lamb stew cooked with potatoes and tomatoes.

Zinavia

Shepherd’s salad with tomato, cucumber, onion, and olive oil.

Çoban Salatasi

Traditional şıra grape drink being made from freshly harvested grapes in North Cyprus.

Şıra

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