Nicosia travel guide

Meze

The full Cypriot feast experience—30+ small dishes arriving in waves over 2-3 hours: dips, grilled halloumi, calamari, kleftiko, lamb chops, stews and desserts; a social ritual requiring no rush and great appetite

Halloumi

Cyprus's globally famous semi-firm cheese—grilled until golden-brown with a distinctive satisfying squeak; made from sheep and goat milk on the island since Byzantine times; eaten with watermelon as the iconic summer pairing

Souvlaki

Pork, chicken or lamb marinated and grilled on skewers then wrapped in warm pita with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki; Cyprus's street food staple available at every taverna; the pork version is a Nicosia institution

Kleftiko

Slow-cooked lamb sealed in a clay oven for 4-6 hours until the meat falls effortlessly from the bone; the name means stolen meat from shepherds who cooked it overnight in pits during Ottoman times; legendary tenderness

Commandaria wine

The world's oldest named wine still in continuous production—made near Limassol from sun-dried Xynisteri and Mavro grapes since the era of the Crusades; amber, sweet and complex with flavors of dried fruit and caramel

Turkish coffee (in North)

Thick sediment coffee made in a cezve briki and served in small cups with grounds settling at the bottom; the north's coffee shop culture produces it sweet (tatlı) or medium (orta); never stir the sediment