Let's face it, even if you want villas to rent in Northern Cyprus with lovely kitchens, you don't want to spend all your time on holiday cooking, do you! Cypriot cuisine is a wonderful fusion of fresh ingredients and recipes influenced by the many cultures who have occupied Cyprus, from ancient Greeks to Venetians, Ottomans to Romans.

Turkish Cypriot cuisine make an ideal holiday meal; fresh, delicious and with a hint of Eastern promise! You can start your day with strong Turkish coffee, or have a mid morning snack of a cool drink and a slice of sticky baklava cake when exploring North Cyprus towns near your holiday villa.

When hunger strikes, retreat to the cool shade of a local restaurant or beachside café and salivate over the menu. What shall it be today? How about fresh fish of the day, locally caught and simply grilled to perfection, served with a crunchy green salad made with locally grown tomatoes and crisp cool cucumbers. (Avoid exotic fish, which is likely to have been frozen and imported.) Or try a pides, a Turkish-style pizza that kids will love, and simply burst with flavour.

You can't have a villa holiday in Northern Cyprus and not try the two most famous dishes of all, kebabs and meze. These two North Cyprus dishes are definitely worth leaving your holiday villa kitchen for!

Turkish Cypriot kebabs are probably the best in the world (well, we would say that, but it's true!). Kebabs in North Cyprus are made from a delicious blend of minced meat and spices, and often a restaurant will make several variations using beef and lamb, so ask what the waiter recommends. Generally, kebab portions in Northern Cyprus are big, so make sure you have a hearty appetite if ordering.

Meze is a magical meal in itself, a mixture of up to 20 small individual dishes, all bursting with unique flavours. In North Cyprus, you usually choose from a meat or fish meze, but whichever you choose, you'll have a wonderful assortment selected from the best fresh produce the chef liked the look of that morning!

For lovers of more Greek-style food, try the slow-cooked perfection of lamb kleftiko, or the tasty layers of a moussaka, made with locally grown aubergines.

Most restaurant meals in North Cyprus offer you generous portions, so make sure you build up an appetite with some sightseeing or a few lengths of your holiday villa pool before dinner!