An Afternoon in Old Town Nicosia
This is a guest post by Hugo Davison.
So you’re in Cyprus and you’re in search of a classic Mediterranean feast. Eating out in Cyprus is all about the Greek ‘meze’ – the endless platters of freshest local produce, sat over for hours with a few jars of local wine. For the best quality, it pays to get away from the crowds, and that means leaving the overrun consumerism of Cyprus’s beaches behind. Try Nicosia, the islands capital, which borders the Turkish side of the island and is separated by an old roman wall and the capital’s old town. It’s into the intriguing old town where many local tavernas await, so loose yourselves in its bohemian backstreets for an afternoons indulgence in the real Mediterranean Cypriot dining.
Always start with fresh bread with olive oil and olives. Then pile on the typical Greek dips, tahini, tzatziki, taramosalata, houmous and greek yoghurt. Cram in some basic fresh salad, some grilled halloumi cheese and jar of local wine and you’re already an hour in. Ah, but wait. That’s just the entree.
The Cypriots are incredibly keen on meat. Round two comes from the two local favourites, Lamb and Pork. These come in your normal skewer kebab, the ‘souvlaki’, or there’s the sassy grilled sausage called ‘sheftalia’, or perhaps try the ‘gyros’ – a mischievous little pita curled up with pork or chicken with fresh tomato and red onion, tzatziki and chips. Add some ‘keftethes’, the little fried meatballs of mince and potatoes and herbs, some ‘stifado’, a rustic rabbit or lamb stew, and top it off with a plate of ‘koupepia’, those classically stuffed vine leaves.
Another jar of wine and old town Nicosia is doing well. Yes it is here where the classic tastes are found, like in Tziellari, one of the more traditional tavernas, but its also where the local set jam up with bouzouki’s (an acoustic guitar of sorts) and strum the hours lazily by. Another favourite is Aigaio, a cafe/taverna in the old Greek terrace style with an artsy scene where browsing books or sucking on a late afternoon shiesha is the norm. And the best till last? Head to Heraklis Garden Cafe for a great outdoor setting, the best in old fashioned Nicosian ice cream and a natter with the owner’s parrot.
After a full afternoon, with the sun firmly set, you wander back through the old streets and marvel at the local stamina, the elderly Greek Cypriots sitting at taverna tables, sucking on frappes and cigars and chuckling at the merriment and madness of the bohemian beats their old haunts still play.
Check out my destination Cyprus for more local knowledge and places to tempt you in for the day.
