Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

I have spent my life in the food and restaurant industry, my wife and I have lived here for 9 years and have tried most restaurants aspiring to serve good food. There are only two we would want to eat at again, The Ambiance in Karaoglanoglu and El Sabor in Lefkosa.
Perhaps the Roof restaurant at the Colony but do not extend the chef and go for simple dishes.
Yet to be tried is the new Hur Denis place, also in Karaoglanoglu but its main road position lessens its appeal.


Who is to blame for the abysmal standards of restaurant food in N. Cyprus ?
1. The Cuisine Magazine and Res Bir, and its head in sand attitude towards input from European and even Turkish chefs.
2. The Government for the restrictions it places on food imports; why can we not have the high quality vegetables, fruits and meats easily found in the South and in Turkey.
The food producers here will not get any better when there is no competition .
3. The Minister for Tourism who obviously knows and cares little about food and good living, or has other more profitable priorities ???
4. Who ever is responsible for training chefs.
( It used to be Mustapha Sah, I knew him and hope he is now enjoying retirement.)
His replacement is apparently not very effective.

Are you saying we cannot grow high-quality fruits and vegetables here in the North of the island?

Meanwhile, try Pasabahce Restaurant (also called Kyrenia Tavern). Check it out on Trip Advisor - it's no.1 in Kyrenia.

Who is to blame? It is a matter of supply and demand.

THere used to be mainly establishments sellling local/Turkish meals of varying standards of sophistication, expertise and costs, perhaps half a dozen specialising in good home made English restaurants/cafes and perhaps two or three Pakistani. People accepted the "when in Rome" principle and understood the effect of embargoes on ingredients.

With the British invasion there was a demand for English style food (whatever that may be) and fast food. Most of the good local eating places where one could spend an evening enjoying local food served Med. fashion, closed or were taken over and a rash of indifferent English pubs and restaurants selling food of indeterminate origin at inflated prices took over.

As for veg, I infinitely prefer to fresh fruit and veg available here seasonally rather than the old, artifically preserved stuff available in Supermarkets in the UK. Take a look at the Wednesday Market.

PS Or maybe the standard of cuisine is affected by the fact that everyone is so busy worrying about which (usually amateur) musician can or cannot accompany the meal that the qualityof food and service is overlooked and the chef has a migraine.

Personally I prefer to digest a meal, converse with my friends in peace and quiet without raucous background noise - and it actually helps if the waiter can hear what one is ordering.

Rambling Rose,

While I doubt that "worrying about the musician " would have any effect on food quality, I agree 100% with the rest of your observations.

Keith.

I am more than happy with the selection and choice of food available in N Cyprus. I do not class myself as food guru and to be honest do not want to eat the finest cuisine every evening, but we do want a good meal, well cooked and good value for money...service with a smile also goes a long way.

As for the choice of vegetables - again I really do much prefer the variety and seasonal vegetables and fruit that can be found in N Cyprus....far more taste compared to the forced, pristine shaped and artificially grown items often found here in UK supermarkets.

I agree with most that have posted so far, the TRNC is not a widely recognised state and will always struggle not only with the basics i.e. import/export of goods but also to bring in top talent and expertise whether that be a chef or something else. So it is horses for courses...I dont think anyone who professes to enjoy fine food would put N Cyprus very high up the list of must do places to visit.

The growth of the British pub doing the UK pub grub option in the TRNC is understandable and there will always be those who think they can drag the punters in and make a bit of money - often they eventually fall to the wayside, but its not for us......if we have to have our pint of John Smiths accompanies by steak and chips then we know it is always available in every town in the UK.

We much prefer to seek out and find those hidden gems that are out there in N Cyprus....and also keep them a secret!

Clearly, like PoshinDevon, I am also not a connoisseur of good food, because I'm quite content with the food I find in most restaurants here. Yes, when friends come to visit us in Lefkoşa we like to take them to your favourite, Sabor ... mainly though for the surroundings, can't say the food is that super special I'm equally happy eating at our local lahmacuncu in Lefkoşa

Spending about half our time in Mağusa we often eat at the Eziç here, where all the food seems very good to me.

Maybe I've got simple tastes, but I'm happy

'Simple but Happy'

Reminds me of 'Tim Nice but Dim' - one of Harry Enfield's characters, although perhaps you've been away for too long to have seen that...

Keith,
The only Harry Enfield character I can remember is "Loadsamoney"
Rgds,
iancrumpy

Here you go Crumpy! - just for you...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tekXxB6dosQ

I remember the character now thanks Keith But, I'm a Comprehensive boy ... with a west-country accent
In any case, if we don't watch out we'll be accused of taking the thread off-topic
So, getting back to the topic on this thread ... it would seem that many are actually content with the quality of food in most of the restaurants here ...

There are plenty of good, local establishments here if you know where to look.
There are also so real rubbish ones catering usually for foreigners only. Only tourists go around the harbour for a meal as they are over priced and of doubtful quality. And as for those offering so called entertainment, keep away as we do then you cannot complain. I must try the new place opened by Angela who operates the para gliding place.

As for the comment above regarding the fact that Hur Deniz is maybe a no go because it is near the main road is rather crass. Have been and the food and service are excellent and like all these places near a road offer entertainment as well!!!! This is often part of the charm in eating at these establisments.

I am delighted that Keith agrees with me and that generally there are still people who are prepared to accept North Cyprus for what it has to offer instead of demanding things it cannot provide.

I rarely eat out, and my tastes are simple so I can usually find something acceptable. I do regret, however, the passing of the so many of the good local establishments. It occurs to me reading the other posts that this may be because I live/spend mostof my time in the Girne tourist/expat catchment area and I might do better in other towns - trouble is I dont want to spend half my evening travelliing. Any views on this?

I love finding small , out of the way places, where someone's Mum does the cooking...

Recommendations anyone?

If you are in Lefkosa try Rustan Bookshop opposite Saray Hotel.

If you have not been it is a real treasure trove. They have about 24,000 books on the shelves. Nothing is catalogued but if you ask for something specific the owner will tell you if he has it. There are some books that may well be valuable. Friend bought a book written around 1950 on etiquette and it was hilarious reading it now. Worth just spending time browsing.

The books leads you to the newly opened cafe upstairs where the owners wife does the cooking. There is no menu you just ask what she has cooked today. The day we were there place was busy with "city" professionals taking lunch, I think a choice of 4 items. There are only about 8 tables so be warned it may be full if you go at wrong time. Sorry do not remember actual opening hours but I think it is only shop hours.

After lunch you can have coffee there or go downstairs where there is a beautiful courtyard and Gloria Jeans.

A real gem not to be missed.

Thanks for that one - if nothing else, I'll be able to impress visitors with my 'Local Knowledge'

I'm sure everyone would have found the bookshop with the name given, and so I apologise for sounding pedantic, but for the record it is the Rüstem Bookshop
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/cyprus/nort ... m-kitabevi
... apparently "ranked #23 of 31 things to do in Lefkoşa by Lonely Planet travellers"

I wasn't aware of the "newly-opened cafe upstairs" but then again I wouldn't go looking for such an establishment with the family house being so close to there.

Crumpy,

Don't apologise, you can't help being pedantic.

Then again, it depends on how, exactly, you define 'pedantic'

KeithCaley

Try Ikimiz Restaurant as well as Pasabahce - as far as I know, the "mums" do the cooking in both!

Keith, would agree with magalan re: Ikimiz. Quaint place set in a lovely courtyard and Mum's cooking is very good indeed. Highly recommended, at least by us. I think I would decribe is as "eclectic", but, of course, that's just me!

J
x

Sorry - should read "I would describe IT as eclectic".

Not that I'm being a pedant, of course; that's not my way at all.

J

Oh NO Jean, you haven't got a pedantic bone in your body!

I'l just get my coat...

From, who is to blame, to bookish, then a pedantic pandemic. Are you trying to wake up Dutch Crusader ? After years of the culinary delights of instant indigestion foist upon me by the Wildebeest (bless her) my yardstick for good food is "for anything more than beans on toast, thank Holy Father, Son and Ghost" ............buuuurrrrrrrp !

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Are you suggestion the London Borough of Barking as a venue for good home cooking, Keith? Isnt it rather a long way to go for an evening?

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Must put in my two pence worth. Don 't know about 'blame'. I have been here long enough now to have favourite restaurants in every part of N orth Cyprus - restaurants that serve the food I like at the prices Ilike with staff that I like and ambiance that I like. Maybe I am a simple soul too, but I am a happy simple soul and my bank balance is happy too!!! (oops, and so is his dfownstairs!)

Keith, not only are you a font of knowledge but, along with Rambling Rose, psychic too. Apart from Barking, Essex, there is a Barking in Suffolk. Nearby is a village called Battisford. I lived for some years between the too villages, adjacent to Delia Smith's cottage. Thus there is good food in Barking where Batty Brian went Barking mad (in the Punchbowl village pub and not at Delia's cottage !)

Most of the restaurants we have visited over the last 30 years have been perfectly acceptable.
Try Bellapais Gardens for example and many of the cheaper ones are just as good!!