Esentepe restaurants are the tavernas, seafront grills, resort dining rooms, and expat cafes that serve the hillside village of Esentepe on the Kyrenia (Girne) coast of North Cyprus. Most build a meal around Cypriot meze, chargrilled fish, and charcoal kebabs, with Italian, Indian, and international kitchens filling out the choice.
This guide to restaurants in Esentepe, North Cyprus, covers the best village tavernas, where to eat by the sea, the international kitchens nearby, dining at the Korineum golf resort, the cafes and bars, and what a meal costs.
- Esentepe restaurants are known for generous Cypriot meze, chargrilled fish, and charcoal kebabs, served in family tavernas across a quiet hillside village.
- The best village restaurants are Remzi’s, Hati Cafe, and Esentepe Restaurant, with The Old Barn and Antique Restaurant rounding out the choice.
- Seafront dining is best at Stone Castle and the Esentepe Beach Cafe, both on the coast below the village with Mediterranean views.
- Golf and resort guests dine at Korineum Golf & Beach Resort, whose clubhouse holds 3 restaurants plus seasonal pool and beach bars.
- Eating out is inexpensive, with a two-course meal and drinks at Stone Castle coming to under £20 per head.
What are Esentepe restaurants known for?
Esentepe restaurants are known for generous Cypriot meze, chargrilled fish, and charcoal kebabs, served in family tavernas across a quiet hillside village rather than a tourist strip. The Sluurpy directory lists 27 eateries here, spanning Turkish, Mediterranean, Italian, Indian, and international kitchens, so the choice is wider than the small village suggests.
Esentepe sits on the coast below the Besparmak (Five-Finger) mountains, east of Kyrenia town, and has grown fast with foreign property buyers. That mix shapes the food: honest village kitchens cooking meze to order sit alongside British-run pubs, an Italian brasserie, and curry houses that serve the resident community across the Esentepe area. Ratings and opening hours shift through the seasons, so treat the details below as a guide and confirm before you travel.
Tip
Book ahead, because the special nights are cooked to order.
Which are the best restaurants in Esentepe village?
The best restaurants in Esentepe village are Remzi’s, Hati Cafe, and Esentepe Restaurant, family-run tavernas serving Cypriot meze and chargrilled meat and fish, with The Old Barn and Antique Restaurant rounding out the local choice. The table below compares the leading esentepe village restaurants, and each is reviewed underneath.
According to the Sluurpy restaurant directory, Esentepe has 27 eateries averaging 82 out of 100, and the 5 picks above lead the village for a sit-down meal.
Remzi’s Restaurant
Remzi’s Restaurant is the village’s best-loved family taverna, run in the centre of Esentepe with rustic decor and a roof terrace that catches the sunset. It rates 4.4 out of 5 and ranks #3 of 28 Esentepe restaurants on TripAdvisor. Mains come with cold and hot meze, and the Friday clay-pot night brings slow-cooked lamb, beef, or chicken with 8 to 9 meze dishes and bread. Book ahead, because the special nights are cooked to order.
Hati Cafe Restaurant & Bar
Hati Cafe Restaurant & Bar is the highest-rated kitchen in the village, at 4.7 out of 5 and ranked #5 of 29 Esentepe restaurants. It sits in a quiet garden on Kayseri Sokak, on the eastern edge of the village. The cook chargrills fresh sea bass and sea bream to order and serves them with homemade meze, alongside lamb chops and chicken or lamb molehiya, a traditional Cypriot green-leaf stew. Food is prepared fresh, so booking a day ahead widens the menu.
Esentepe Restaurant
Esentepe Restaurant is the hilltop meze specialist, set at the top of the hill before you enter the village, with wide views over the coast toward Kyrenia. It ranks #6 of 28 Esentepe restaurants and looks basic, but reviewers return for the fresh, plentiful Cypriot meze and charcoal barbecue. The kitchen serves a broad choice of traditional Cypriot dishes, and the terrace suits a long, unhurried dinner as the sun drops. It sits a short drive up from the village centre.
The Old Barn and Antique Restaurant
The Old Barn Restaurant is a relaxed multi-cuisine spot in Esentepe village, scoring 90 out of 100 across its reviews on the Sluurpy directory. It suits diners who want a varied menu rather than a set-meze taverna, mixing Cypriot plates with international dishes. Antique Restaurant, on Ismet Inonu Caddesi, offers a similar traditional Turkish menu nearby, so the village centre alone gives you 5 sit-down options within a short walk.
Where can you eat by the sea in Esentepe?
The best seafront dining in Esentepe is Stone Castle and the Esentepe Beach Cafe, both on the coast below the village with open views of the Mediterranean. Stone Castle serves an a la carte menu of steaks and kebabs in a stone castle-style building, while the beach cafe covers casual all-day meals beside the sand.
Both sit a short drive from the village, close to the coves and swimming spots along Esentepe beaches. Sea Wise Restaurant & Bar adds a French-Mediterranean menu near the coast, and Cafe Paris Caesar Cliff serves coffee and light plates from a clifftop with panoramic sea views. Further west toward Kyrenia, the Turtle Paradise restaurant at Alagadi Turtle Beach is a relaxed spot for meze and seafood by the sand.
Stone Castle
Stone Castle is the standout seafront restaurant in Esentepe, built to look like a small stone castle right at the water’s edge on the main coast road. It serves an a la carte menu of fillet steaks, kebabs, and Mediterranean dishes with a wine list, and a live singer-guitarist plays on selected evenings. Reviewers call it good value: a two-course meal with drinks comes to under £20 per head. It carries 227 reviews on the Sluurpy directory, and the seaside terrace suits a sundowner before dinner.
Esentepe Beach Cafe
Esentepe Beach Cafe is the municipal beach restaurant on Esentepe’s public cove, set behind the Tempo market with a large terrace over the sand. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 9am to midnight every day, with Mediterranean plates, seafood, and grills. The beach has sun loungers, parasols, and a volleyball court, so a meal pairs with a swim. It is the easy choice for a casual all-day Esentepe beach restaurant beside the water.
What international restaurants are near Esentepe?
International restaurants near Esentepe are led by Taro for Italian and Spice Garden for Indian, joined by Balti House, Wok N’ Roll for Asian food, and Fine Dining Restaurant. Together they give the area Italian pasta, British-style curry, and Chinese, Japanese, and Thai plates alongside the Cypriot tavernas.
Taro sits on the Sun Valley development and Spice Garden in the neighbouring village of Bahceli, a short drive out, so a car helps. The spread means residents and visitors can eat a different cuisine most nights of the week without leaving the wider Esentepe, Cyprus dining scene.
Taro Ristorante & Bar
Taro Ristorante & Bar is the area’s Italian brasserie, sitting on the Sun Valley Resort & Residency, a 5-minute drive west of the village, with the Mediterranean spread out below. It serves handmade pasta and seafood plates with an extensive wine list, indoors or on a terrace built for the sunset. Live music, sunset parties, and a Sunday brunch fill the calendar, and it carries 183 reviews on the Sluurpy directory. The sea and mountain views are as much a draw as the food.
Spice Garden Indian Restaurant and Bar
Spice Garden Indian Restaurant and Bar is the best curry house near Esentepe, a British-style Indian at Glass Bay View in Bahceli, roughly 6.8 km west along the coast. It ranks #1 of 4 restaurants in Bahceli with a 4.5 rating across 115 reviews. A tandoori oven turns out tandoori chicken and jalfrezi cooked from scratch, you choose the spice level, and tables sit around an open-air pool bar. Prices are reasonable, which keeps regulars coming back.
Where do golf and resort guests dine near Esentepe?
Golf and resort guests near Esentepe dine at the Korineum Golf & Beach Resort, whose clubhouse holds 3 restaurants plus seasonal pool and beach bars. The Valley Restaurant and Carob Island cover a la carte and buffet dining, while the Sandal bars handle lunch and cocktails by the water.
The resort sits on the coast at Karaagac, west of Esentepe village. Its kitchens grow much of what they serve: the grounds team harvests the estate’s own olives and carobs to make extra virgin olive oil and carob syrup, used across the Korineum resort dining menus. For a special evening, a Korineum restaurant table pairs a la carte dining with sea and mountain views.
The resort’s dining venues include:
- The Valley Restaurant: a la carte international and Cypriot dishes in the clubhouse.
- Carob Island Restaurant: a buffet with hot cooking stations for breakfast and dinner.
- Clubbers Lounge: fusion light bites and hearty meals, open 7am to 11pm daily.
- The Sandal beach and pool bars: seasonal seafood, grills, and cocktails by the water.
What are the best cafes and bars in Esentepe?
The best cafes and bars in Esentepe are Cafe Paris Caesar Cliff for clifftop coffee and the Turtle Bay Village pubs for an evening drink. Cafe Paris scores 98 out of 100 on the Sluurpy directory, and the village’s British-run bars give the resident expat community a relaxed social scene.
Esentepe cafes and bars cluster around the resident community rather than a tourist seafront. Village Bistro Bar and the Old Shakespeare Pub & Restaurant at Turtle Bay Village serve pub food and European plates, Tawnys at Crystal Bay View adds a British-style menu, and Magic Bar and the Hilltown Beach Club round out the casual drinking spots. Most keep longer hours in summer, so an evening out is easy to plan.
“The best food in Esentepe is often the simplest: a plate of fresh meze and charcoal-grilled fish or meat at a family taverna, ordered ahead so it arrives cooked fresh.”
How much does it cost to eat out in Esentepe?
Eating out in Esentepe is inexpensive by UK standards, with a two-course meal and drinks at Stone Castle coming to under £20 per head and village meze tavernas cheaper still. Prices are set in Turkish Lira (TL), which moves fast with inflation, so treat any quoted figure as a snapshot.
The best food in Esentepe is often the simplest: a plate of fresh meze and charcoal-grilled fish or meat at a family taverna, ordered ahead so it arrives cooked fresh. That everyday value is part of the draw for buyers weighing homes for sale in Esentepe, where a good dinner out costs a fraction of the Western European equivalent. Book the popular tavernas a day ahead, confirm prices and opening days in low season, and check current ratings before you travel.
The verdict: where to eat in Esentepe
Start with Remzi’s or Hati Cafe for a proper Cypriot meze, Stone Castle for a seafront dinner, and Taro or Spice Garden when you want Italian or Indian, and you will eat well across Esentepe. The village trades a tourist strip for honest family kitchens, sea-view terraces, and resort dining at Korineum, most of it strong value. Decide where to eat in Esentepe by the occasion, book the popular tavernas ahead, and confirm the details before you go.
FAQ
Remzi’s Restaurant is the best all-round restaurant in Esentepe, a family taverna rated 4.4 out of 5 and ranked #3 of 28 on TripAdvisor. Hati Cafe scores higher at 4.7 out of 5 for fresh chargrilled fish, and Stone Castle wins for a seafront dinner, so the best choice depends on the occasion.
Yes, Esentepe has a beach restaurant on its public cove, the Esentepe Beach Cafe, set behind the Tempo market with a terrace over the sand. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner from 9am to midnight, and Stone Castle offers a smarter seafront option on the main coast road nearby.
Yes, booking ahead is advised at the family tavernas, because places like Remzi’s and Hati Cafe cook fresh to order and run pre-booked special nights. Walk-ins are usually fine at the beach cafes and pubs, but reserve a day ahead in summer and for the clay-pot and chicken nights.
Esentepe is known for Cypriot meze and charcoal-grilled fish and meat, served in its family tavernas as a spread of cold and hot dishes. Signature plates at spots like Remzi’s and Hati Cafe include chargrilled sea bass and sea bream, lamb chops, kebabs, molehiya, and slow-cooked clay-pot meat, alongside Italian and Indian menus nearby.
Yes, there are Indian restaurants near Esentepe, led by Spice Garden in Bahceli, about 6.8 km west, ranked #1 of 4 restaurants there with a 4.5 rating. Balti House and Fine Dining Restaurant add Indian and Asian options within Esentepe itself, so a curry is easy to find.