The Fans Inn Snack Bar is a famous restaurant, sports bar and alleged fish and chip shop that is kind of in Cyprus – expat its not in Cyprus, neither Northern Cyprus, nor Southern Cyprus. It is in fact in the British Military Base of Dhekelia, one of two bases the UK holds in the country along with Akrotiri.
So if you are neither in Cyprus, Northern Cyprus, or the UK, where exactly are you? We are glad you asked!
Dhekelia and Akrotiri – what’s the story?
Cyr us was British and the British wanted to keep it British because of its strategic location. The Greeks on the island waned to be with Greece through enosis.
The Turks less so and this ended up with there finally being the unrecognized country of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Cyprus and Dhekelia and Akrotiri. Four countries one island? Sure does beat two girls one cup. I digress.
As part of giving independence the UK kept these two places as Britsh Military bases with their own law and essentially akin to UK colonies such as the Cayman Islands, or Gibraltar.
Which country are you in if you visit Dhekelia and Akrotiri?
Some would say Cyprus, some would say the UK, some would say neither. We would say you have been to Dhekelia and Akrotiri, which by the YPT rules of engagement count as a country.
To read the YPT list of what counts as a country click here .
Fans Inn Snack Bar Dhekelia
There was famously a fish and chip shop on the military base, but now there is just the Fans Inn Snack Bar Dhekelia an English style football pun that serves English fare, as well as shows football matches, mostly catering to the squads that live there. This is not Aya Napa.
Sadly he menu was distinctly lacking in fish and chips, but you could get fish fingers and chips. Really aside from fish and chips nothing is more quintessentially English than fish fingers and chips. One only hopes they were Birdseye.
To read about how to eat fish and chips click here
And that is the story of the Fans Inn Snack Bar Dhekelia, not Cypriot, on British soil, but not in Britain. An ultimate place for a pint for the country collector out there.
Wanna see it for yourself? Come with YPT for our Northern Cyprus National Day Tour.