With the rise in demand for more than just local fare in North Cyprus, and with those in the tourism industry seeking to boost the appeal of the island with a wider variety of offerings being made available, there are now many more eateries to try which cater for different palates and tastes.
You can enjoy international dining in many of the 5 star hotel establishments, as well as at some independent eateries which feature their own internationally flavoured dishes. And whatever you fancy, you can probably eat a different type of international or European dish every night of the week in TRNC for quite some time!
For those of you who love Indian cuisine there’s Jashan’s (who doesn’t know the wonderful Riaz and his team?!) and Oleander in Karaoğlanoğlu and the Courtyard in Edremit to name but three excellent restaurants. The food available from each is top quality, the menus are varied enough without offering a bewildering selection – yet a favourite dish would be very hard to choose thanks to the range of dishes on offer! All offer a takeaway service with Jashan’s also offering delivery.
Italian is another favourite, and we have numerous quality establishments to choose 
from with some restaurants featuring many pizza and pasta options within a wider menu. There are some speciality pizza restaurants too, such as Mani Peni in Kyrenia which is a very reasonably priced restaurant which dishes up authentically prepared and cooked pizzas Italian style. Other Italian based menus are offered at the tapas style El Sabor restaurants in Lefkoşa and Kyrenia, with dishes such as carbonara and lasagne very popular.
Fish restaurants are another popular choice with some very classy restaurants such as Missina, Capitano and Ambience all offering fish based menus. Each of these is located to the west of Kyrenia, and all are quite high class eateries offering a wide range of fish dishes. Many of the fish choices available are fresh and locally caught, and all dishes are served à la carte style and in modern settings by the sea with great views complimenting fantastic menus. There are also some good restaurant 
options for those who like fish in the harbour town of Boğaz too.
Other interesting and sophisticated dining options are available at the Stonegrill in Karaoğlanoğlu. Here steaks and meats are served sizzling hot on your very own hot stone so that the meat continues to cook away whilst you carve off small portions to eat at a time. Stonegrill also serves meze, soup and desert as an all inclusive dining experience. Prices are not cheap, but they are well worth it.
Chinese food is very popular with locals and visitors alike; the Chinese House in Kyrenia is one of the most frequented Chinese restaurants and it serves up all the dishes one would expect to see including crispy duck and sweet and sour dishes – the service here is also very good but price-wise it can be a bit on the expensive side.
And of course we couldn’t finish up without mentioning the traditional expat Sunday roast! There are too many venues 
to mention that offer this classic, but you will always find out about the best ones via word of mouth and via the Cyprus Today newspaper. They are often very good value for money too with a two or three course option for around 18-25ytl (approx. £7.50 – £10).
This selection of restaurants is tiny, you’ll soon realise this when you come to North Cyprus and see the wealth of choice available. Go out there and sample as 
many as you can! Only then will you be able to establish your firm favourites.
Feel free to also browse our articles on traditional Turkish Cypriot cuisine, take-aways and fast food, as well as information on family friendly restaurants. Plus if you really want to push the boat out, check out our feature on hotel and real à la carte dining for some seriously sumptuous meals out!
