Park Rest Journal — July 2026 · Food
Three villages above and to the west of Kyrenia (Girne), Bellapais, Lapta and Karşıyaka, are the evening answer to July heat in Northern Cyprus: dinner here starts after seven, on terraces looking out over the sea or the mountains. Below are the places guests have consistently praised in 2025–2026, what to order there and how to book.
Bellapais
A village 6 km above Kyrenia, 15 minutes from the harbour. Kybele has been running since 1985 right by the abbey walls: meze (a long procession of small shared plates), grilled fish, meat; by reviewers' reckoning dinner comes to about £30–35 a head, and in season you book ahead and arrive for sunset. Bellapais Gardens is dearer and dressier, for a special evening; Bella Moon by the Residence hotel is praised for its prices and little garden; Tree of Idleness, under that very tree, serves a lunchtime meze of fifteen or so plates.
Lapta
Lapta's shoreline is fish restaurant country. Calamari is known for its squid, meze and sea panorama; Silver Rocks is called the best meze west of Kyrenia for sheer variety; Alaçatı Fish Restaurant serves an enormous meze and has live music on Fridays and Saturdays; Sea Point sets its tables on glass platforms over the water, and people come for the sunset.
Karşıyaka
The Kozan Experience is not a restaurant in the usual sense but a farmstead in the pines on the mountain above Karşıyaka: you drive up the hairpins for leg of lamb or chicken slow-cooked in the oven with local potatoes and white cheese, and for home-made meze of goat's cheese, yoghurt, hummus and olives. Sundays are especially busy, Mondays it is closed; book a table in advance.
In Northern Cyprus meze is not a starter but the whole dinner: cold and hot plates arrive in waves, so one main course between two is enough, and in July something cold and light to drink alongside.
In season, book the table with a view by day, arrive at sunset, and share the meze.
- Book Kybele and Kozan a day or two ahead: in July the terraces with a view are full by eight.
- Order one meze between two and hold off on the hot dishes until the cold plates have arrived.
- Plan dinner in Lapta for a Friday or Saturday if you want the live music at Alaçatı.
- Tip 5–10% in cash: the card terminals here rarely offer to add it to the bill.