It seems that the gourmet burger trend, after its boom years in London and New York, is taking over the world! We didn’t take long to respond as the burger mania is, slowly but surely, taking over our little island. I am not talking about the “fast food” burger that has been around for ages (Big Boy, Fat Boy, Wimpy’s and so on), but the well-prepared, home-made, high-quality-meat burger with hand-cut gourmet fries.
Wondering where you can get good burgers? Read below.
Taste disclaimer: Burgers are like Cypriot kebab, each person has its own preference and his own special combination. I personally like the minced meat to have an aromatic flavour, with lots of herbs and spices. I prefer the patty to be thick, medium ground served in a brioche bun. I like it served with tomato, lettuce, onions and ketchup, even though I am usually willing to try house sauces. I do not like caramelised onions and BBQ sauces.
Artisan’s BurgerBar
The name of the place says it all: it is the first and only restaurant that specialises in burgers. It is, in my opinion, one of the reasons why the food is so good: it focuses on one area and masters it. The Black Angus beef is imported chilled from USA and it is never frozen. The patty is of average thickness and then minced meat medium ground, just as I like it. Some may say that there are a bit too many herbs but I prefer it this way as I think it enhances the entire burger flavour. The fact that there are so many ways to enjoy it and so many types of cheese and accompaniments make it hard for anyone to leave disappointed! My personal favourites are No.1 (cheddar sauce without the caramelised onions), No.2 (melted gruyere cheese without the BBQ sauce) and my guilty pleasure: the one with the fried egg and extra bacon! Read the full review
Stasandrou 20, 22759300, NICOSIA
The Good Food Co
It might seem like a small take-away place but it has managed to become famous for its burgers. The burger itself has a lot of herbs and it is quite flavoursome (overbearing for some), but served with a home-made tomato based sauce, I thought it was good. It is home-made by the English-Cypriot owner and chef with carefully selected local meat. It might not be a Black Angus gourmet burger but it is definitely value for money at a lower-than-5€ price! Open only for lunch. Read the full review
28th October, Engomi, 70009111, NICOSIA
Limoncello Deli Bar
When talking about gourmet burgers it is impossible to overlook Limoncello’s burger. The owner (who is also a major foodie), did afterall drive across US searching for the best burger. This is for the fans of the pure, high-quality beef burger. It is less aromatic with a full, clean taste of beef, also one of the reasons why it is served only with the bun. It also comes with home-made coleslaw on the side and fantastic fries! Read the full review
Agios Antonis Market, Evgenias & Antoniou Theodotou 1, 70009787, NICOSIA
D.O.T.
It might be a recent arrival in the rest
aurant business but it didn’t take long for its burgers to establish themselves in the burger market. The D.O.T. combination constists of extra thick, extra flavoursome and extra tasty patty of beef, served with lettuce and tomato. The soft and semi-sweet bun and country fries that come with it are a good modification. Enjoy it at a value-for-money price of 11-13€. Read the full review
Athinas 6A, 22101228, NICOSIA
Brickyard
A pub without a burger is like a taverna without “souvlaki”. The Brickyard burger even looks like a pub burger served in a large plate, with a lot of fries and side salad. It 
might not be a Black Angus burger with beef from abroad but it is definitely tasty and a good choice for food over a sports match.
Evripidou 25, Engomi, 22593030, NICOSIA
Andreas Take-Away
If you don’t live in Strovolos you probably don’t know it, but since it was my favourite burger as a teenager I feel I cannot overlook it. It is indeed, the definition of a Cypriot home-made burger. In fact, I think if you close your eyes it might remind you of a “sieftali” burger with ketchup! Extra onion and extra spices are what make it tasty, and so is the extra ketchup and soft bun. Part of the pleasure is the aluminium foil it is served in! Take my word and order it once! (available only for Take-Away)
Prodromou, 22429420, Strovolos, NICOSIA
There are a few restaurants which I don’t consider to be “burger” venues but nevertheless, as they do offer good burgers I thought I would mention them: Bastione, apart from a proper burger it offers an excellent beef patty without the bread, with potatoes and mini chicken burgers during its weekend brunch. Market Company has recently added a full-sized burger in the place of its mini beef burgers while T.G.I. Fridays has a proper American burger as well (another memory from my childhood). Finally in a more up-market environment, Café Mercedes has a gourmet burger worth trying.
Burger Mania Part II (Limassol) coming soon!!!
