Restaurants & Bars in Famagusta

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Restaurants and Bars in Famagusta, North Cyprus

Famagusta in North Cyprus is a fascinating mix of ancient walled city and new development, with no one single area packed with restaurants and bars like Kyrenia Harbour, for example. Of course, that's the charm of Famagusta, discovering great places to sit and eat for yourself!

Where to eat in old Famagusta, Northern Cyprus

In and around the walls of old Famagusta in Northern Cyprus, there are some lovely local places to eat. The decor will probably be basic, the menu not extensive, but the food will be good and the prices reasonable.

For lunch or a sticky pastry snack, head for Petek Pastanesi, a very popular cafe on Liman Yolu in old Famagusta. Spread over two floors, the best seats in summer are beside the fish-filled fountain. Or enjoy the artwork and fresh salads while sitting in the shade at Jax Café Bar's open courtyard. If you like your restaurant to have a literary connection, try the Desdemona Café at Canbulat Yolu 3, between the Sea Gate and Canbulat bastion in Famagusta. This North Cyprus restaurant sits inside a tower with no windows, which lends it an atmosphere all its own, especially out of season when the locals come here instead of tourists. The North Cyprus meze is particularly good, a big meal with a small price tag.

The trendiest café of them all in Famagusta must be the D&B Café on the main square (Namik Kemal Meydani), right opposite the mosque. The D&B Café in Famagusta is a popular student haunt which does great pizza and ice-cream! For a quick snack, Haci'nin Yeri are known for their excellent kebabs, although finding them is challenging, as the restaurant is tucked in a shopping arcade opposite the main gate into the walled city of Famagusta.

Restaurants outside Famagusta, and restaurants in Bogaz, North Cyprus

Beyond the great walls of Famagusta, restaurants are more spread out, so it's better to head towards the North Cyprus town of Bogaz and its famous fish restaurants. The Speedboat restaurant in Bogaz has a great reputation for fish dishes; be sure to ask what the catch of the day is, as it will be fresh off the fishing boat that day. Or try the open air restaurant Kemal'in Yeri for its excellent Turkish Cypriot meze and live music at the weekends.

Restaurants near Salamis, North Cyprus

The Cennet restaurant in North Cyprus is on the road to Salamis, and serves Turkish Cypriot food, including a great kebab with salad at lunchtimes if you've visited the ruins of Salamis in the morning. Also on the road to Salamis is the Moon Over the Water, a bistro and bar run by an English couple, which boats boast great views across the sea. Near Salamis in Northern Cyprus is the F & S Paradise Resort, which has both an outdoor and indoor restaurant, and it popular with families since it serves both meze and burgers!

Hotel Restaurants and Bars in Famagusta, North Cyprus

The main hotels in and around Famagusta offer some excellent restaurants. For a taste of the former glories of Famagusta before the events of 1974, head for the recently refurbished Bilfer Palm Beach Hotel, right on the edge of the former resort area of Varosha, North Cyprus. The main restaurant offers an open buffet, and there is also a Chinesh restaurant and fish restaurant too. It's worth a meal here just to see the rather disconcerting sight of the dead zone of Varosha beyond the metal barricades, the rows of abandoned hotels pock-marked with shells.  If you want to eat cheaply in the Varosha area, head for Sari Ismail, a tiny restaurant right next to the water's edge, which serves super seafood.

The Mimoza Hotel in Famagusta, North Cyprus, has a live folklore and music show every Friday during the summer months, when the restaurant also serves traditional dishes. You can dine either in the main restaurant by their pool, or beside the sea under the trees. There are also two bars to choose from at the Mimoza. The Portofino Hotel may be small and on a main road, but it does have a restaurant and a rooftop pool with bar, so you can swim and see the sights of Famagusta at the same time!

 If you have more money to splash out, (and a car to drive 10km north of Famagusta), the Park Hotel in North Cyprus has excellent service in the nice but a little expensive restaurant that overlooks the beach. The Salamis Bay Conti Hotel is a large complex also about 10 km north of Famagusta, and offers two restaurants and no less than six bars.