Catalköy restaurants are the family grills, fish kitchens, curry houses, and village cafes that serve Catalköy, a quiet villa village on the coast east of Kyrenia (Girne) in North Cyprus. Most build a meal around Cypriot meze and charcoal-grilled meat and fish, with Indian, Chinese, and Italian kitchens filling out the choice.
This guide to restaurants in Catalköy, North Cyprus, covers what the village dining scene is known for and where to eat in Catalköy, from the best places to eat in Catalköy to the fish spots, international kitchens, cafes, and the nearby options in Kyrenia and Bellapais, along with the local food and what a meal costs.
- Catalköy packs Cypriot grills and meze, curry houses, Chinese, Italian, and expat-run bars into a small village of around 17 eateries.
- Eminem Restaurant leads the village as its top all-rounder, rated 4.7 out of 5 across 230 reviews, the highest count in Catalköy.
- Catalköy has 3 well-reviewed Indian restaurants, led by Happy Valley at 4.7 out of 5 across 57 reviews.
- Most village restaurants sit in a mid-range bracket, with a full Cypriot breakfast at Aroma about £6 a head.
- Kyrenia town and Bellapais sit a short drive away, and the wider Kyrenia area lists 336 restaurants averaging 80 out of 100.
What are Catalköy restaurants known for?
Catalköy restaurants are known for variety rather than one local cuisine, packed into a small village of around 17 eateries. Cypriot grills and meze sit beside curry houses, a Chinese kitchen, Italian pizza, and expat-run bars, reflecting the resident families and villa owners who live here year-round.
Catalköy, once known as Agios Epiktitos, sits on the coast about 10 to 15 minutes’ drive east of Kyrenia town, so it trades a tourist seafront for a settled residential feel. That mix shapes the food: honest family kitchens cooking meze and charcoal grills line the Besparmaklar road alongside British-run bistros and curry houses that feed the community across the Catalköy area. Ratings and opening days shift through the seasons, so treat the details below as a guide and confirm before you travel.
Which are the best restaurants in Catalköy?
The best restaurants in Catalköy are Eminem, The Fez, and The Kitchen, 3 highly rated all-rounders, with Ani for fish and Happy Valley for curry rounding out the choice. Eminem leads the village on review volume at 4.7 out of 5 across 230 reviews. The table compares the leading picks, and each is reviewed underneath.
According to TripAdvisor, Catalköy has 17 restaurants, and the picks above lead the village for a sit-down meal.
Eminem Restaurant
Eminem Restaurant is the village’s top all-rounder, a Mediterranean and Turkish grill that carries the highest review count in Catalköy at 230. It rates 4.7 out of 5, serving Cypriot meze, charcoal-grilled meat, and fresh fish in a mid-range price bracket. Its steady popularity with residents and repeat visitors makes booking sensible on weekend evenings.
The Fez
The Fez is a boutique-hotel bar and bistro built around a courtyard garden of fruit trees, rated 4.5 out of 5 across 195 reviews. Its mixed European menu runs from Sunday roasts to Mediterranean and Indian plates, and weekend live music makes it the village choice for a relaxed evening out. Book ahead for the roast on Sundays, when tables fill fast.
The Kitchen
The Kitchen is a Mediterranean grill on Besparmaklar Caddesi with an open charcoal barbecue, rated 4.2 out of 5 over 109 reviews. The menu covers lamb shanks, its Steak Tornado, fish skewers, lamb chops, and mixed meze, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options on hand. It serves breakfast through dinner, so it works for most of the day and takes bookings on its terrace.
Where can you eat fish and seafood in Catalköy?
The main catalköy fish restaurant is Ani Restaurant, a long-running seafood and meze kitchen in the village, with Ocakbasi offering pricier seaside dining and Mr Chippy covering casual fish and chips. For a wider catch, Kyrenia harbour sits a short drive west with dedicated fish tavernas.
Catalköy’s own coast is a run of small coves rather than a restaurant strip, so the fish choice sits mostly in the village, with the coast kept for a swim. The beaches near the village, including Shayna, Lara, and Diana, pair well with a meal, and you can plan a day around the things to do in Catalköy before dinner. For more seafood, the fish tavernas of Kyrenia harbour, such as Grida Balik, are close by.
Ani Restaurant
Ani Restaurant, Catalköy’s established fish specialist, is the village pick for the daily catch, serving fresh fish, fish kebabs, and Turkish fish meze from a dining room or garden terrace with village views. It rates 4.1 out of 5 and has kept regulars for years, some visiting for over 2 decades. Recent reviews note some inconsistency, so order the fresh fish of the day and book a terrace table in summer.
What international restaurants are in Catalköy?
International restaurants in Catalköy are led by a strong Indian cluster, with Happy Valley, Bollywoods, and India Garden joined by Royal China for Chinese and sushi and Alley Kitchen for Italian pizza. The spread of curry houses is unusually wide for a village this size.
That range means residents can eat a different cuisine most nights without leaving the village, and the Catalköy restaurants North Cyprus buyers ask about most are often these everyday kitchens rather than a tourist seafront.
Happy Valley Indian Restaurant
Happy Valley is the top-rated curry house in Catalköy at 4.7 out of 5 across 57 reviews, a British-style Indian serving tandoori dishes and curries cooked to order. Bollywoods, with 52 reviews at 4.3 out of 5, and India Garden at 4.7 out of 5 give the village 3 well-reviewed Indian kitchens, a clear sign of the resident expat community’s appetite for a curry. Royal China adds Chinese plates and sushi, and Alley Kitchen turns out pizza at the budget end.
What are the best cafes in Catalköy?
The best Catalköy cafes are Aroma Cafe and Food Lodge Bakery, both on the Besparmaklar road through the village. Aroma is known for a generous Cypriot breakfast at around £6 a head, while Food Lodge Bakery covers coffee, tea, and fresh bakes at 4.6 out of 5 for a quick daytime stop.
Aroma Catalköy regulars praise the warm welcome and a small but high-quality menu, and the standout is the Cypriot breakfast, a spread of cheeses, eggs, olives, tomatoes, and warm bread that easily stretches to a shared meal. Both cafes suit a coffee or light lunch between a swim and dinner.
Where can you eat near Catalköy?
The best dining near Catalköy is in Kyrenia town and hillside Bellapais, both a short drive away. Kyrenia harbour has fish tavernas and the veteran Niazi’s, open since 1974, while Bellapais offers Kybele in the abbey grounds and the Salt & Pepper steakhouse on Bellapais Road.
Kyrenia town widens the choice sharply, from harbourside seafood at Grida Balik to contemporary dining at Nima in the Old Town and authentic Chinese at Chinese House. In the hills behind the coast, Bellapais pairs Turkish Cypriot cooking with views over the abbey and the sea. According to the Sluurpy directory, the wider Kyrenia area lists 336 restaurants averaging 80 out of 100, so a Catalköy base puts a large dining scene within reach.
“Warm bread and olives anchor the table throughout.”
What food and drink will you find in Catalköy?
Catalköy’s kitchens cook the Turkish Cypriot classics, and a meal here starts with meze, a spread of hot and cold sharing plates of salads, dips, halloumi, and vegetables, before charcoal-grilled kebabs or the catch of the day, washed down with a local Efes beer. Warm bread and olives anchor the table throughout.
Signature plates across North Cyprus reach the village menus, including seftali kebab (a caul-wrapped mince grill), sis kebab, slow-baked kleftiko lamb, kofte, moussaka, lahmacun, and molohiya, a green-leaf stew. To drink, the local pour is an Efes beer, a Cankaya or Kavaklidere wine, aniseed raki, or a Turkish coffee ordered by sweetness, from sade (plain) to orta (medium) and sekerli (sweet). Sigara borek and baklava round off the meal.
Warning
A full Cypriot breakfast at Aroma runs about £6 a head, and prices are set in Turkish Lira (TL), which moves fast with inflation, so treat any quoted figure as a snapshot.
How much does it cost to eat out in Catalköy?
Eating out in Catalköy is affordable by UK standards, with most village restaurants in a mid-range bracket and cafes cheaper again. A full Cypriot breakfast at Aroma runs about £6 a head, and prices are set in Turkish Lira (TL), which moves fast with inflation, so treat any quoted figure as a snapshot.
Across the Catalköy restaurants North Cyprus residents rely on, the everyday value is a big part of the appeal, and a good dinner out costs a fraction of the Western European equivalent. That value is one reason buyers weigh homes for sale in Catalköy alongside the village’s quiet, family feel. Confirm prices and opening days in low season, and check current ratings before you travel.
The verdict: where to eat in Catalköy
Start with Eminem or The Kitchen for a Cypriot grill, The Fez for a roast or a night out, Ani for fish, and Happy Valley when you want a curry, and you will eat well across Catalköy. The village trades a tourist strip for honest kitchens serving families and villa owners, with Kyrenia town and Bellapais a short drive away for more choice. Pick where to eat in Catalköy by the occasion, book the popular places at weekends, and confirm the details first, because a village this size sees venues open and change hands often. For the range on offer, the best places to eat in Catalköy reward a resident who eats out often more than a one-night visitor.
FAQ
Eminem Restaurant is the best all-round restaurant in Catalköy, a Mediterranean and Turkish grill rated 4.7 out of 5 across 230 reviews, the highest count in the village. The Fez wins for a roast or a night out with live music, and Ani is the pick for fresh fish, so the best choice depends on the occasion.
Yes, Catalköy has a dedicated fish restaurant, Ani Restaurant, serving the daily catch, fish kebabs, and Turkish fish meze from a village terrace. Ocakbasi adds pricier seaside dining and Mr Chippy covers casual fish and chips, while the fish tavernas of Kyrenia harbour sit a short drive west for a wider catch.
Yes, Catalköy has 3 well-reviewed Indian restaurants, led by Happy Valley at 4.7 out of 5 across 57 reviews. Bollywoods and India Garden add more tandoori and curry choice, an unusually strong cluster for a small village and a sign of the resident British community.
The place for breakfast in Catalköy is Aroma Cafe on the Besparmaklar road, known for a generous Cypriot breakfast at around £6 a head. Food Lodge Bakery nearby covers coffee, tea, and fresh bakes, and village restaurants like The Kitchen serve breakfast through the morning.
A meal in Catalköy is affordable by UK standards, priced in Turkish Lira. Most village restaurants sit in a mid-range bracket, a Cypriot breakfast at Aroma runs about £6 a head, and cafes and casual spots cost less again. Prices move fast with inflation, so confirm them before you travel.
Yes, booking ahead is advised at the busiest village restaurants, because places like Eminem and The Fez fill on weekend evenings and for the Sunday roast. Walk-ins are usually fine at the cafes and quieter kitchens, but reserve a day ahead in summer and for special nights.