In Kyrenia, food is never rushed. Meals here unfold slowly, one small plate at a time, often with the sea in view and the Five Finger Mountains rising behind the town. Turkish Cypriot cooking draws on centuries of trade and island life. The result is generous, seasonal and full of flavour. For anyone who travels to eat, this little harbour town on the north coast of Cyprus is a delight.

The best place to begin is with meze. A proper meze is less a starter than a whole evening. Plates arrive in waves: creamy hummus, smoky aubergine, yoghurt with herbs, local olives, beetroot, pickled caper leaves and warm bread. Then come the hot dishes, from grilled hellim and stuffed vine leaves to small fried fish and meatballs. The secret is pacing. Order the meze for the table, share everything and save a little room, because the waiter will almost certainly keep bringing more. Vegetarians eat especially well here too, since so much of a meze spread is built around vegetables, dips, salads and cheese.

No dish says Cyprus quite like hellim, the island's own cheese. Hellim is its Turkish name and halloumi its Greek one, but it is the same cheese. It has been made here for centuries from a mix of sheep's, goat's and cow's milk, often scented with dried mint. Grilled until golden, it turns soft inside and squeaky outside. Locals eat it at breakfast with tomatoes and cucumber, fold it into pastries and pair it with watermelon on hot summer days. Look out for hellimli, a savoury bake with hellim, onion and mint, and pilavuna, a cheese-filled pastry that is a favourite at local bakeries.

Kyrenia's horseshoe harbour is where the town comes alive in the evening. Fishing boats bob below the Venetian castle, and tables spill onto the quayside as the sun goes down. This is the place for seafood. Grilled octopus, king prawns, calamari and whole fresh fish are the stars, usually served simply with lemon, olive oil and a crisp salad. Ask what came in that day and let the kitchen guide you. Harbourside tables fill quickly in high season, so it is worth booking ahead for sunset.

Beyond the harbour, the island's home cooking deserves just as much attention and it is what Kyrenia is quietly famous for. Şeftali kebab is a North Cyprus speciality: minced meat with onion and herbs, wrapped in caul fat and grilled until juicy. Despite the name, there is no peach inside. Molehiya, a slow-cooked stew of a local leafy green with chicken or lamb, is comfort food at its best. Kleftiko, lamb baked slowly in a sealed clay oven, falls off the bone. Finish with a strong Turkish coffee or a glass of raki, the anise spirit locals call lion's milk.

For a more romantic evening, head up the hill to Bellapais. The village restaurants look down over the coast, and dinner beside the 13th-century abbey is one of the most memorable meals in the north. Back in town, the backstreets of the old quarter hide small cafes and family bakeries selling sweets, pastries and jars of macun, the island's fruit and walnut preserves.

Kyrenia also makes an easy day out from the quieter coast to the east. Centara Hill Town Hotel & Residences in Esentepe offers a calm hillside base, with sea views and space to slow down. Guests can spend the day by the beach, then drive along the coast for a harbour dinner, or explore the village tavernas closer to home. However you plan it, come hungry. In Kyrenia, the table is where the best stories begin.