Dining Out in Nicosia

Lefkosa has a wide selection of restaurants offering their visitors different kinds of cuisine: Turkish cuisine, as well as French, Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Indian meals, and of course local Cypriot cuisine.

If you travel through the history of Cyprus you will discover that this island was influenced by many civilisations. This has enriched the island’s culture, and as the result, has added to its cuisine a unique taste. Today Cypriot cuisine represents a splendid mixture of dishes which origins can be found in the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Southern Europe: mostly Greece and Turkey.

The local cuisine is very nutritious and consists only of natural products. It is believed that Cypriot meals are healthy as they contain mainly vegetable fat and are usually cooked on olive oil. The main ingredients are lamb, chicken, fish, vegetables, fruit, yogurt, cheese and of course lots of different spices: oregano, thyme, cinnamon, pepper, caraway, parsley and garlic. Spices and herbs are used wisely so that they only intensify the natural taste of a product or the meal as a whole.

Fruit and vegetables are always fresh, as most of them are delivered from the local villages all year round. Cyprus is famous for its citrus gardens which bring juicy oranges, mandarins and grapefruits; strawberry which can be enjoyed from January to November; apples, pears, watermelons, melons, grapes, and figs.

The most famous traditional meal of Cyprus is "meze", an abbreviation for "mezedes" (Greek) or "mezeler" (Turkish). It is a kind of a calling card of every restaurant, which will give you the best idea of what Cypriot cuisine is. Every chef decides himself what should be included in meze but it is certainly the first meal you should try upon arriving in Cyprus.

If you want to see the entire list of Lefkosa restaurants please visit our partner website www.cyprus-restaurants.com.