There are at least as many bars and pubs in Northern Cyprus as there are restaurants – which should tell you that there is a wide choice available to keep everyone happy whatever their own personal pub or bar preference.
We have split our article into sections so that you can see what kinds of venue cater for your preferred bar or pub experience choice, and which should give you an idea of the wide choice of venue type available too. From family friendly to entertainment pubs offering activities such as karaoke or quizzes, from late night music bars to your good old fashioned English style pub, we have them all in TRNC. You can also find out more about the music club scene in our related article which gives details on some of the clubs to dance the night away in.
Harbour Bars
The harbour in Kyrenia is unquestionably the most desirable place to while away an hour, an afternoon or even all night, and the horseshoe shaped harbour is home to a whole host of bars and restaurants.
From any of the bars located around the horseshoe shaped harbour you can sit and view all the comings and goings from one end of the strip to the other. You can sit outside in the summer and people watch, or you can sit inside and listen to the excellent music with some bars having their own house bands and singers to entertain you. It is definitely a 
good place to be seen and is frequented by ‘the beautiful people’ especially in the summer! The decor in many venues is sophisticated, the staff efficient and the ambience is lively but relaxed.
Another nice spot is Boğaz with various bars located around its pretty little harbour area, where you can watch the sun go down of an evening. Being a city Famagusta is obviously also home to numerous bars mostly with a more restaurant or club vibe to them but many are still worth checking out.
Night Bars
There are some really good night bars in Kyrenia, Lefkoşa and Famagusta, and we would love to be able to name a few for you, but given that a lot of them cease trading under one name and open up under another it would be silly of us to name all the venues available! Suffice to say we would recommend that you seek them out and it’s not that hard as you can often just follow the ‘it’ crowd!
A couple however which seem to have been going for a few years in Kyrenia are the Cream Bar which you can find in Kyrenia town behind the harbour at its western end. It has a really laid back and chilled out atmosphere. The other is the Ego Bar, which is located on the cobbled road heading back up into town from the eastern end of the harbour, it’s a great place to meet with friends, listen to some chill out music and it has beanbags and hammocks to really relax in!
In Lefkoşa there has been a growth in the trendy bar scene recently with the likes of the Cadi Kazani Café Bar which has regular themed nights as well as music, or the Narnia Rock Bar which has become extremely popular as a pub and music venue.
Music Venues
There seem to be more and more places to enjoy a night of live music in North Cyprus opening every year, whether you fancy listening to live bands or DJs. Many of these venues are either on a beach in a club or a pub. The harbour bars for example will often have live music on a Friday and Saturday night, with local singers doing sets late into the evening.
Hotels often have their own bars hosting music evenings, with jazz being a popular choice for people to meet up and listen to for a great evening’s entertainment – you will find top quality musicians and you can enjoy their music whilst sipping the odd cocktail! You can often find out about these evenings through the hotels’ websites and in the local press.
For the more traditional music bar venues then try the Old Tunnel Rock Bar in Kyrenia, which doesn’t really get going until around 10pm but which has live music and a traditional bar in a rather dark but definitely atmospheric underground location! Or as above, the Narnia Pub or Cadi Kazani Café Bar both in the heart of Lefkoşa are good. Both are traditional bar venues which also have some great bands playing on weekends and weeknights. Another choice in Lefkoşa is the Arancia Nargile Café Car situated in the Selimiye area of Lefkoşa, which, depending on who’s playing that night, is open until 3am.
Traditional & Sports Pubs
Most of the traditional type pubs will also show sports events such as football and rugby, so we have merged the traditional pubs and sports bars into one section for you!
The most popular pub venues tend to be ones where expats will gather for a Saturday beer and to watch a game of footie. At the time of writing these venues include the Castle Pub in Karaoğlanoğlu near to Kyrenia, where they have the obligatory big screen and serve a regular feast of quality pub grub. Another is the Pine Bay Club just along the same main road to the west of Kyrenia which has the same kind of vibe to it, offering big screen sports events as well as darts and pool.
Alternatively there are various other traditional pubs offering draught beers such as the Crows Nest and Spot Bar in Karaman, the Stroll Inn in Karakum or the Back In Time bar in Kyrenia which is home to darts and pool teams too.
There are obviously many more, but we will let you explore to find them!
This article only just touches on what’s available, but if you’re after a place to start it should set you on the right track! Of course all the hotels and holiday villages have their own bars for residents, and most are excellent offering a family friendly welcome. Furthermore all the casinos on the island have their own bars as well…drinks are often free to those who come in to gamble…children are of course not allowed, but they offer an interesting alternative to an evening in a pub! Many hotels, pubs and bars host karaoke and quiz evenings too, and you can more than likely find out about these through the Cyprus Today newspaper or you will see events listed on advertising boards outside the venues themselves.
Whatever your own personal preference for your evening’s entertainment, one thing’s for sure, the bars and pubs of Northern Cyprus will give you plenty of choice.
