Nicosia

Alfanige


Joined: 27/08/2007
Posts: 5

Message Posted:
27/08/2007 23:27

Hi guys, I have been a regular visitor to TRONC for a number of years now includuing a few trips "solo" as well as with family in tow. I have spent a week walking in the Besparmak Mts on my own which was probably the most wonderful break I have had for years - you must experience the sound of the bark crackling as the sun comes up to gain the full wonderfull aura of the place



Anyhow.... I have a yearning to go back (last visit was April '06) but fancied something different and wondered about staying in Nicosia itself - is it worth it, anywhere to recommend, whats it like in the evenings. I only realised that I had only gone there a few times during the day and one early evening so have never really got to know the place.



I am not a beach person, but like food, wine and experiencing local music etc so over to you guys for ideas.



Probably looking later this year (November) or early next (Feb - April) as business tends to run (ruin) my life lol!



Nige

Alasian


Joined: 11/08/2007
Posts: 70

Message Posted:
28/08/2007 14:59

Hello Nige,

There are two hotels-Saray and Royal hotels- in Nicosia and a new luxury with indoor pool is under construction,it may finish before you visit. One of the hotels-Saray- is one of the

oldest Turkish Cypriot hotels and was finished around 1960. It has a panoromic view of the Old City of North and South Nicosia. The royal hotel has a small indoor pool.



Nicosia is our biggest town so you have may be able to experience cypriot food commercially without the need of having cypriot relatives.So there are a couple of Cyprus cuisine restaurants.None of which i remember the name but i have found another one and the link is below.



Cyprus cusine is one of the richest in the world because its a distinct union of Turkish, Greek, some italian and some middle eastern food as well as many Cypriot food.



If you like eating, then you can enjoy "Molehia" which looks like spinach but is a unique cypriot food-this maybe the name of one of cypriot cusine restaurants by the way.This is one of our main dishes and is cooked regularly in cypriot houses.



You can also try Kolokas, again unique to Cyprus-at least in Europe i think- which is a vegetable that looks like potato but tastes a bit like chicken.This also is one of our main dishes.



But our cuisine is huge so i cant recommend every thing one by one,thus i think the best is to go to a Cyprus cuisine restaurant and try yourself.Yet if you have a question about a food feel free to ask me.



This page,though not comprehensive contains some part of our cuisine,so you can read more about the food:



http://www.cypnet.co.uk/ncyprus/culture/cuisine/



This restaurant on the middle age walls of old city nicosia:

http://www.cypriotartculture.com/

seems to be nice from the web with cypriot music,food and dances as well as handcrafts though never eaten there myself.



If you go to Old City around Buyuk Han(great inn)



http://www.pbase.com/omeryagiz/great_inn



which is a medieval inn, you can find two places to eat which make very delicious food but i wouldnt eat from them if i was a tourist and a cypriot didnt take me there because the restaurants dont look attractive.But in fact they make very delicious and safe food.



In fact these are one of the last presence of Cypriots in the old city, because people have moved to areas out of the old city for bigger roads,houses. Now the area is mainly immigrant inhabited.So, I would certainly not recommend any other restaurant than the ones below.



One is the pide(pitta) maker nearby. You can try mixed pide which is halloumi-our national cheese- and pastirma(which may look like sausages but is not and has a very distinct taste) mixed. This pide maker is opposite the Kumarcilar Han(Gamblers' Inn) which is also nearby to Buyuk Han.Pide is one of our breakfast or lunch foods. The pide maker probably speaks english.



Another place is "Sabir Restaurant", which probably makes one of the most delicious Koftes(specially spiced,mixed,cooked minced meat) in the world. But the fact is the guy opens the restaurant on random.If its open though, you can try "Sis Kofte".You can say "1 Shish Koefte" to order. The owner's late father wouldnt take any order if one didnt say "1 Sabir" but the son now owns and is less stringent. Sabir means patience in Turkish and it is said that when the father was running the restaurant you might have waited hours to be served.



This restaurant is at the back door of Buyuk Han.Be sure not to go to a fake Sabir Restaurant and get poisoned. This one is right at the back of Buyuk Han.



In Buyuk Han, you can try traditional "Sulu Muhallebi" as a sweet and enjoy classical guitar that they play live, though this maybe only in summer.



For night life, you can go to Dereboyu(means along the stream/river) Street where most of our cafes,bars are and enjoy your wine. Some cafes also have live music. But dereboyu is m

Alasian


Joined: 11/08/2007
Posts: 70

Message Posted:
28/08/2007 15:15

http://www.cypriotartculture.com/

This one seems to be in Girne, there is a very similar one also in nicosia with a similar name though. It's near the ledra palace border gate.

Alfanige


Joined: 27/08/2007
Posts: 5

Message Posted:
29/08/2007 01:22

What a brilliant and detailed response Alasian, thank you very much. I will print that lot out



I know the Saray, I think thats the one where you can pay a small amount and go up on the roof - done that a couple of times. Hotel seems a bit run down when I was last there though :-(, but don't get me wrong, I am not a 5* or nothing person, hell i stay in hotels in the UK that are worse on a weekly basis!



Thank you again