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Restaurant Reviews: Nicosia

Discover the best restaurants in Nicosia with Cyprus Mail’s expert reviews, covering everything from traditional Cypriot tavernas and cosy local favourites to stylish fine dining venues and international cuisine. Explore the capital’s vibrant food scene with honest reviews, recommendations and insights into the top places to eat across Nicosia for every taste and occasion.

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image Introducing our new Restaurant Reviews Hub: Discover the best places to eat by district

Introducing our new Restaurant Reviews Hub: Discover the best places to eat by district

We’ve made it even easier to find your next great dining experience. Our new Restaurant Reviews Hub brings together all our restaurant reviews in one place, conveniently organised by ...
image Restaurant review: Spin and Nicosia’s new pizza revolution

Spin and Nicosia’s new pizza revolution

Pizzerias, unlike traditional eateries, live and die by table turnover. That’s the nature of the business when you sell a high-margin, low-cost product. Simple economics. And pizza itself is ...
image Restaurant review: Chaos, charm and a very good bowl of pho

Chaos, charm and a very good bowl of pho

By Marko Ljubicic If you’re from Nicosia, chances are you have a strong opinion about the city’s old town. You’re either drawn to its serpentine streets, its ...
image Restaurant review: Fusion restaurant gets the balance right

Fusion restaurant gets the balance right

Kuzuba may be what many fusion restaurants aspire to be when they grow up: dining without gimmicks or pomposity, but with just a sprinkle of good-natured pretentiousness. Those airs may ...
image Restaurant review: A game of two halves at B.R. Hub

A game of two halves at B.R. Hub

My faithful dining companion and I decided to indulge in pub grub, partly because Lent is approaching with many options set to be taken off the table. There is a ...
image Restaurant review: Why the neighbourhood taverna still matters

Why the neighbourhood taverna still matters

My faithful dining companion and I decided to have dinner at a taverna – specifically, Pais Lysiotiki Souvla. Located in a beautiful old house in Ayios Omologites, the restaurant has been ...
image Restaurant review: The art of restraint in fusion cooking

The art of restraint in fusion cooking

It’s a beautiful winter day. The sun is out under a cloudless sky, yet a chilly wind cuts through it all. The season has truly turned. And what better ...
image Restaurant review: Bar Italia, Nicosia

Bar Italia, Nicosia

If I had the time and word-count limits didn’t exist, I’d tell you how this restaurant review veered into film-noir territory. I’d tell you how I combed ...
image Restaurant review: Are the oldies always the goodies?

Are the oldies always the goodies?

Operating since 1969, and since 1989 in its current location, Jack’s Pizza House is arguably the oldest pizzeria in Nicosia. Yes, the Jack’s. The mythical, legendary pizzeria that seems to ...
image Restaurant review: A Lebanese work in progress

A Lebanese work in progress

Maybe you’ve dined at places so perfectly run they feel like a well-oiled machine. Maybe you’ve also eaten at spots that seem to have launched after watching a 15...
image Restaurant review: Fast food in disguise

Fast food in disguise

This time around, my faithful dining companion and I decided to try a well-established joint that thrives on a clever illusion: dining in as if it were the upper echelons ...
image Restaurant review: Brothers Bar and Grill, Nicosia

Brothers Bar and Grill, Nicosia

Sometimes, even if that “sometimes” is peak summer, you just get a craving for classic bar and grill – the deliberate duality of an establishment focused on serving alcohol (that’s ...
image Restaurant review: Stou Rousha, Nicosia

Stou Rousha, Nicosia

In my eagerness to explore the novel, the obscure, the ethnic I’d somehow overlooked the most obvious choice: the local taverna. You know, places that are meant to be ...
image Restaurant review: Guido and the Goose, Nicosia

Guido and the Goose, Nicosia

I’m thinking of writing a somewhat negative review for this place, I tell my faithful dining companion days after we’ve had dinner at Guido and the Goose. “Is ...
image Restaurant review: Elysian, Nicosia

Elysian, Nicosia

It’s Lent, and I’m fasting, so I decided to visit a fully vegan restaurant instead of settling for a traditional eatery where plant-based options are an afterthought. Despite ...
image Restaurant review: Syrian Club, Nicosia

Syrian Club, Nicosia

We decided to visit a restaurant that has been a fixture in Nicosia’s dining scene since at least the 90s that is widely regarded as a pillar of Levantine ...
image Restaurant review: India India, Nicosia

India India, Nicosia

A long-standing fixture of Nicosia’s dining scene, India India is situated at a busy traffic intersection and it is hard to miss – not least because it has been there ...
image Restaurant review: Rincon Latino, Nicosia

Rincon Latino, Nicosia

Buenos diaaaass! And the energy for the day ahead has just changed. Rincon Latino is just that: a Latin Corner tucked away in central Nicosia, where Roberto Nicolas Aquino serves ...
image Restaurant review: Beba, Nicosia

Beba, Nicosia

By George Demetriades Nestled in the heart of Nicosia, on evergreen Pindarou, Beba is a restaurant that seems to have mastered the delicate art of being trendy without trying too ...
image Restaurant review: Ttasis, Nicosia

Ttasis, Nicosia

This wasn’t the first place I intended to write about after moving to the area a couple of months ago. That spot will have its moment soon, but after ...
image Restaurant Review: The Queen’s Head and Artichoke

The Queen’s Head and Artichoke

Usually, we’re all about the best dining spots in Cyprus. But how does that take into account the thousands with an interest in Cyprus across the globe? After all, ...
image Restaurant review: Baristro, Nicosia

Baristro, Nicosia

Sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I was a student again. You know, out most nights, happy with a few beers and a burger, not too many responsibilities, at least compared ...
image Restaurant review: Sentio, Nicosia

Sentio, Nicosia

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Nicosia’s food scene is growing. Slowly and perhaps rather unilaterally – most new restaurants, in fact, still pander to ...
image Restaurant review: Au Bon Plaisir, Nicosia

Au Bon Plaisir, Nicosia

Capturing the essence of a meal through words is more often than not like trying to bottle lightning. It’s not just about the food on the plate. It’s ...
image Restaurant review: Pralina Experience, Nicosia

Pralina Experience, Nicosia

Nicosia is not your usual European capital. You can’t call it beautiful, though it’s not exactly ugly. It’s not (yet?) a modern city, but it is neither ...
image Restaurant review: Pasta Strada, Nicosia

Pasta Strada, Nicosia

The very idea we have of restaurants has changed profoundly and perhaps irreversibly in recent years. We used to go out to eat, now we mostly stay in and order. ...
image Restaurant review: Ethimo, Nicosia

Ethimo, Nicosia

When it comes to a new restaurant, the anticipation and the expectations alone are worth at least half the experience. The more I wait to try a place out, the ...
image Restaurant review: Henry’s, Nicosia

Henry’s, Nicosia

Unlike most of my restaurant visits, this one was spur of the moment. I was out for a walk, luckily accompanied by my faithful dining companion, and we both realised ...
image Restaurant review: Nom, Nicosia

Nom, Nicosia

I realised lately I miss London. Not just the hustle and bustle of a big city, the constant excitement and the myriad of choices every day in every aspect of ...
image Restaurant review: Tode Ti, Nicosia

Tode Ti, Nicosia

Tucked away in Engomi, one of Nicosia’s most residential areas and amidst a burgeoning enclave of eateries, Tode Ti – a modest yet inviting haven boasting the culinary treasures of ...
image Restaurant review: Impasto, Nicosia

Impasto, Nicosia

Nestled on Nicosia’s unassuming Armenia street, Impasto is quickly gaining traction. Despite not fitting the traditional definition of a restaurant, the new spot has garnered widespread attention, all thanks ...
image Restaurant review: Sumo Sushi & Bento, Nicosia

Sumo Sushi & Bento, Nicosia

I’m one of those people whose Instagram feed teems with food (and dogs!) – not something I’m particularly proud of, especially considering Big Tech’s ominous awareness of my ...
image Restaurant review: Kritamo, Strovolos, Nicosia

Kritamo, Strovolos, Nicosia

Spoiler alert, you are about to read a lot of praise and virtually no criticism whatsoever. As far as I am concerned, the recently opened Kritamo in Strovolos, which replaced ...
image Restaurant reivew: Bar Italia, Nicosia

Restaurant reivew: Bar Italia, Nicosia

Over the past few years I came to realise that I have a real soft spot for family-run restaurants. Perhaps it’s a sign of my advancing old age or ...
image Restaurant review: Honest Bread, Nicosia

Honest Bread, Nicosia

We often get caught up in what we believe to be a good restaurant. But over recent years, the world has changed so much that the very definition of it ...
image Restaurant review: Street Food Yard, Nicosia

Street Food Yard, Nicosia

Cravings are difficult to explain. They hit you suddenly and you have no choice but to either resist or give in to them and find a way to placate your ...
image Restaurant review: Midi Modi, Nicosia

Midi Modi, Nicosia

Of all the cuisine I’ve had the privilege to try, that of Georgia is one of the most intriguing. Somewhere between Middle Eastern and Eastern European, the Caucasian country’...
image Restaurant review: Mouson, Nicosia

Mouson, Nicosia

While writing my last review, I promised myself to venture into places that are relatively unknown, I was dead set on “breaking” a place, so to speak. However, even if ...
image Restaurant review: Itameshi, Nicosia

Itameshi, Nicosia

It is very difficult to define what fusion cuisine actually is, if only for its constant evolution, a byproduct of globalisation and migratory phenomena influencing cultures all over the world. ...
image Restaurant review: Istorikon tavern, Nicosia

Istorikon tavern, Nicosia

I have said it before, when it comes to more traditional establishments in Cyprus, social media and websites don’t quite work as well as the old word of mouth. ...
image Restaurant Review: Crosta Nostra, Nicosia

Crosta Nostra, Nicosia

Whenever a new Italian restaurant opens up, I can’t help but rejoice. Just like any other expat in the world, I miss the food I ate on a regular ...
image Restaurant review: The Gym, Nicosia

The Gym, Nicosia

I bet that nowadays when restaurant owners and managers meet to discuss their establishments’ operations – what works, what needs to be improved and what needs to change – they place much ...
image Restaurant review: Mezostrati, Nicosia

Mezostrati, Nicosia

Everyone has a go-to restaurant to return on a regular basis. A tough day can easily be turned around by a familiar environment. At the same time, a reason to ...
image Restaurant review: Bao Pau, Nicosia

Bao Pau, Nicosia

As much as almost everything else in our society, food choices are now often a byproduct of the latest trends. A few years ago, lobster rolls were all the rage, ...
image Green eating in Nicosia

Green eating in Nicosia

Eleni Philippou looks at the dining out options for vegetarians and vegans A few years ago, one of the rare times vegans and vegetarians could really celebrate their diet with ...
image Restaurant review: Orfeas, Nicosia

Orfeas, Nicosia

I often think that I’m not really enjoying the best that Cyprus has to offer in terms of living arrangements. Nothing wrong with my house, of course. It’s ...
image Restaurant review: Mayiopoula, Nicosia

Mayiopoula, Nicosia

I’ve said it already and I will say it again. I love witnessing the evolution of Nicosia’s culinary scene. I can’t claim to know what the capital ...
image Restaurant review: I Kardia tou Manga, Nicosia

I Kardia tou Manga, Nicosia

The thing I like the most about taverns – or shall we say tavernas to make it proper? – is that, no matter how similar they might all appear, there will always ...
image Restaurant review: Nomyia, Nicosia

Nomyia, Nicosia

I love writing reviews about fusion restaurants. Compared to other places, the subjects of discussion are almost endless. One can focus on the multiple layers of flavours of the dishes, ...
image Restaurant review: Stou Oresti, Nicosia

Stou Oresti, Nicosia

After a short hiatus and a temporary love affair with brunch places – which might come back during Cyprus’ short but amazing spring – I returned to the island’s queen of ...
image Restaurant review: DOT, Nicosia

DOT, Nicosia

There is something rather bohemian about brunch. As far as I’m concerned, a meal that does not qualify either as breakfast or as lunch needs to be surrounded by ...
image Restaurant review: Por Favor, Nicosia

Por Favor, Nicosia

For a while I’ve had the distinct feeling there is a growing thirst among the people of Nicosia for more quality and choice when it comes to international cuisine ...
image Restaurant review: B.R. Hub, Nicosia

B.R. Hub, Nicosia

Yes, yet another review of a pub. Don’t mistake it as a sign of repetitiveness or lack of effort. It’s just that Nicosia is incredibly flush with choices ...
image Restaurant review: Au Bon Plaisir, Nicosia

Au Bon Plaisir, Nicosia

By Jonathan Shkurko The concept of family-run restaurants tends to be inappropriately exploited and used way too lightly. Not trying to be too pedantic but a family-run restaurant is one ...
image Restaurant review: Box-T, Nicosia

Box-T, Nicosia

When it comes to eating out, I have come to the realisation that I am becoming less and less lenient as far as service is concerned. Food is very subjective, ...
image Restaurant review: ESOBGA tavern, Nicosia

ESOBGA tavern, Nicosia

There’s something wonderfully refreshing and liberating about eating surrounded by green. Even just thinking about a meal enjoyed in a garden fills me with positive vibes. That said, the ...
image Restaurant review: Artisan’s Burgerbar, Nicosia

Artisan’s Burgerbar, Nicosia

The concept of gourmet burger has long been explored and exploited by restaurants and pubs all over the world. What was once the simplest of dishes – two buns, a beef ...
image Restaurant review: Ocean Basket, Mall of Cyprus

Ocean Basket, Mall of Cyprus

The laws on lockdown might have been written with Ocean Basket in mind. They not only run the most successful fish restaurant in Nicosia, they present their dishes in a ...