Desdemona Restaurant

This is the place to come to if you are looking for good, home-made specialities in a warm, friendly atmosphere. In fact, this is the place to come if you want to eat where the locals eat and drink; the bar is also a favourite place with the regulars. The kebabs and grills all come accompanied with an impressive spread of meze which is where this restaurant really stands out from the rest. Ayla, originally from Izmir, reigns in the kitchen and the meze are made up of both Cypriot and Aegean dishes: classical meze like roasted aubergines, stuffed peppers and humus and then surprising additions like Circassian chicken, pickled samphire or crab's legs. Dishes vary daily depending on the season and on what Ayla has decided to prepare.

Halil welcomes you to the restaurant which in is an old Venetian building attached to the city walls; the inside is adorned with old photos of Famagusta, musical instruments and old farming tools among other fascinating bric-a-brac. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, and in the summer you can eat outside in the garden area. On Friday evenings, live music with traditional music and local bands playing.