Photo by Antonio Fajardo i López. Cypriot cuisine cleverly takes its cues from Greek and Turkish dishes to bring real delicacies to the table. A normal meal starts with lots of appetisers and leads to the main course, often consisting of meat and rice, and ends with a strong coffee. Street food is also very good, which is also quietly served in restaurants. Here are 10 specialities to try in Cyprus.
1 - Mezedes
This is a traditional selection of hot and cold starters, which may include Mediterranean specialities such as Tzatziki - a sauce made from yoghurt, garlic, cucumber and olive oil; Tahini - a paste of crushed sesame seeds, olive oil, lemon and garlic; Taramosalata - cream of fish (usually mullet) mixed with potatoes, olive oil, lemon juice and onions; Hummus - a cream of chickpea; and Haloumi - grilled goat cheese.
Recommended for: lunch
Average cost: €8
Main ingredients: meat, fish and dairy products
2 - Kebab or gyro
Photo by Antonio Fajardo i López.
Kebab or gyro consists of lamb or pork or chicken meat, cooked on a rotisserie spit and seasoned with olive oil, oregano and lemon. It is generally served with tzatziki, pita chips and salad. In the 'street' version it is served directly inside the pita.
Recommended for: lunch or dinner
Average cost: €3
Main ingredients: meat
3 - Souvlaki
Souvlaki are skewers of lamb, pork or chicken meat, which are served with pita, salad, hummus and tzatziki.
Recommended for: lunch or dinner
Average cost: €3
Main ingredients: meat
4 - Kleftiko
Photo by Lord Mountbatten.
Kleftiko is a traditional lamb dish cooked for 24 hours in a clay oven and marinated in a mixture of lemon juice and cinnamon.
Recommended for: lunch or dinner
Average cost: €12
Main ingredients: lamb
5 - Stifado
This traditional and fragrant stew is made with rabbit (and sometimes beef) boiled in wine, vinegar, onions and spices such as garlic and oregano.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €12
Main ingredients: rabbit meat
6 - Moussaka
Moussaka consists of layers of aubergine, meat sauce, potatoes and béchamel. Like a lasagna, it is baked in the oven and served steaming hot. Despite being an aubergine dish, it is very heavy.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €8
Main ingredients: aubergines
7 - Koupepia
Typical appetisers made of minced lamb or pork meat and white rice, all wrapped in vine leaves and steamed. Very often they are washed down with lemon juice.
Recommended for: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €5
Main ingredients: vine leaves
8 - Ekmek Kadayif
Photo by E4024. A traditional dessert, served in the family at Christmas but available all year round in any restaurant, consisting of a very thin, stringy pastry, rolled together with honey and nuts. A real gooey delicacy!
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €3
Main ingredients: honey
9 - Ouzo
Ouzo is a high alcohol drink made from a mixture of fresh and dried grape must and aniseed. It is drunk during meals by diluting it with fresh water or as an aperitif with ice.
Recommended at: lunch and dinner
Average cost: €2.50
Main ingredients: must and aniseed
10 - Cypriot coffee
The local coffee is made by boiling coffee beans in water using a traditional pot. The resulting coffee is very strong and has a layer of creamy foam called Kaimaki. It is drunk in normal moka cups, with or without sugar, and is the one used to read the future in the grounds.
Recommended for: always
Average cost: €2
Main ingredients: coffee
Where to eat in Cyprus: best restaurants, typical places and street food
A splendid example of pure Mediterraneanism, Cypriot cuisine is based on the use of genuine local ingredients, herbs, vegetables and olive oil, and makes extensive use of fresh Mediterranean fish, although there is no shortage of succulent meat dishes in Cypriot recipes. Cypriots use to eat three meals a day, starting with a few appetisers and ending with the main course and a strong coffee.
There are two important specialities:haloumi, goat and sheep's cheese dipped in mint and brine, and meze, a delicious agglomeration of mezedes, or'small courses', served in all traditional taverns and filled with olives, sauces such as tzatziki or hummus, fresh bread, vegetables, meat and even fruit, and even sweets.
Here are the best places to eat in Cyprus:
1 - Artima Bistro
Description: the restaurant is located next to the medieval castle, and has an elegant and refined style
Speciality: fresh fish
Average price: from €35.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Website
2 - Viklari Peyia
Description: Set in the Akamas nature park, the restaurant offers informal ambience and barbecue-style meals against a backdrop of terraces and hills.
Speciality: meat cooked on a spit
Average price: from €15.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
3 - Do Wine and Dine
Description: the restaurant is one of the most popular in Limassol and offers fine cuisine and dishes from the Cypriot gastronomy
Speciality: marinated octopus, Mediterranean cuisine
Average price: from €30,00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
4 - Apollo Tavern
Description: the restaurant offers traditional Cypriot cuisine by local chefs, overlooking the sea
Speciality: Cypriot and Greek cuisine, excellent wines
Average price: from €30,00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
5 - Piatsa Gourounaki
Description: hearty dishes and modest prices, with several options for vegetarians and vegans
Speciality: meze and meat, but also vegetarian dishes
Average price: from €10.00 per person
Address: Get directions - Facebook page
