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Pahit Ice
So many ice-cream flavours, so little time. A local ice-cream maker whose outside tables are always full of kids, families and just about anyone on the hot summer days.
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Plaka Tavern
If you have plenty of time in the city and fancy a change, head west of the centre and dine at this superb little taverna. It's best visited during the summer months when dinner is served on the square. The mezedes are best here but be warned: there are many of them and you'll need a big appetite.
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Swiss Cottage
On the corner of Theokritou close to the Old City, this place is great for late-night coffee and cake. The Swiss-trained pastry chef makes some exquisite European-style tarts and flans, but prices tend to be a little steep.
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Syrian Arab Friendship Club
Apart from being one of the best places to eat in Lefkosia, this is the ideal place for vegetarians. The meze is massive, so approach it with respect, and if you come for lunch, you won't be eating dinner. The large garden is laden with cooling fans and greenery, and children are welcome to play.
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Taverna Axiothea
A little, unassuming joint on the last street before the barricades. It is good for low-priced and tasty mezedes .
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To Steki tis Loxandras
Live traditional music, good quality Greek-style mezedes and lots of people is the standard at Loxandras. Booking is an absolute must on weekends.
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Tziellari
You won't have to look hard to find this place. All you have to do is open your ears as you get to the murky night-time Plateia Achiepiskopou Kyprianou, then follow the sound of the bouzouki down a dark alley and push the heavy doors into Tziellari. There is such a distinct atmosphere in this restaurant that you might feel as if you'd walked onto a film set from the 1930s: dark wooden walls, demure lighting, and often entire families dining and Greek dancing, arms outstretched.
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Zanettos Taverna
This place has a great reputation in the city, as it is allegedly one of the oldest traditional taverns. The locals flock here in their dozens, and it's definitely worth joining them. A great place for meze, it's hidden away in a slightly shady part of town, where the painted ladies sit in their doorways, waiting for business.
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Zoo
Great for romantic dining, the restaurant overlooks the Old City from the 4th floor, and serves a modernistic, Mediterranean menu. Laid out in chrome and steel, it has a reputation for being one of Lefkosia's better places to eat. After dinner, for a bit of indigestion, go dancing in the club downstairs.
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