Cyprus doesn’t just serve food. It tells stories. Tucked away in the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean, with Greece, Turkey and the Middle East within close proximity, the country’s flavours have collided, mingled, and marinated for centuries. The result? A cuisine that is aromatic, unpretentious, and deeply rooted in history.
Against the backdrop of a Cypriot village, I’m reminded of Antony Bourdain who said, “I think food, culture, people and landscape are all absolutely inseparable”. There’s a fragrance that drifts through the air. There’s woodsmoke and lemon, olive oil warming in cast iron, grilled meats and bread baking in a clay oven.
Cyprus isn’t just a place you visit. It’s a place that invites you to sit down, pass the bread, pour another glass, and stay a while. It’s where borders blur – not just between Greece and Turkey, but between past and present, stranger and family. If you enter someone’s home, you can bet there will be food waiting for you, no matter how short your visit.
Before I delve into the flavours of Cyprus, I just want to say a big thank you to Jet2 and Cyprus Tourism Board for the invitation to visit. My trip was a complimentary press trip, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
Cypriot hospitality – it’s in the DNA
You can’t talk about Cypriot food without first paying homage to the hospitality. The two are profoundly linked. It’s sharing a meal with family, neighbours and whoever else might want to join – I doubt even a stranger would be turned away. It’s all about inclusivity.
Testimony to this is Sophia, the unofficial soul of Cyprus. About 15 years ago two travellers stumbled across her place, drawn in by the aroma of fresh food being prepared in her garden, they stopped to watch.
Sophia, being a natural host, invited them in. Slowly, through word of mouth, more and more visitors came to taste her traditional Cypriot dishes, and from this a new business was born – Mrs Sophia’s Traditional House.
If you’re looking for an authentic experience in Cyprus, stopping here ought to be top of your list. Over the course of 90 minutes, Sophia demonstrates how to make bread and halloumi from scratch, before inviting you to sit down for a mouth-watering feast of her most well-loved recipes.
I think more than anything from this day, I will remember Sophia’s warmth. The way she ushered us into her home without any formalities, only open arms. She reminded me that the best food is served with the most love.
The Cypriot Meze
Before going to Cyprus, I always thought that a meze was a small platter of light nibbles to accompany drinks or before a main meal. While in Greece this is usually the case, however, in Cyprus I discovered that a meze is a meal in its own right.
And when I say meal, I mean a full-blown feast deserving of the gods. It’s a traditional way to gather around a table and has been a part of Cypriot culture for centuries.
Take it slow and steady
It’s not uncommon for a meze to involve as many as 20-30 dishes. I know, I know, it sounds more like signing up to an eating competition, but it’s doable when you have time on your side.
You have to be strategic. Just think of Aesop’s fable recounting the race between the tortoise and the hare. Be slow and steady like the tortoise and you’ll get to the finish line, even if you might feel like you’re bursting at the seams by the time the last dish is served.
The beginning
Just like stories, Cypriot mezes have a beginning, middle and end.
Traditionally, the first course of dishes are small, simple and quick to make. Typically, you’ll find dips such as tzatziki (yogurt, mint and cucumber dip), taramasalata (fish roe drip) and Tahini (sesame seed dip), along with a fresh bread basket and crisp village salad.
I’m told that Cypriots often have these dishes on hand at home in case a guest arrives unannounced, they will still have something to offer. Here, food is a love language, and I’m all here for it.
The middle
Make sure to pace yourself as there is still a lot more to come. Next up the portion size increases, but only slightly. The thing to worry about is the sheer amount of dishes. Remember, pace yourself.
Expect to enjoy halloumi (I’ll be talking more about this special cheese later), maybe some koupepia (stuffed vine leaves), lountza (smoked pork loin), and crisp-fried zucchini or wild greens. If you’re having a seafood meze, servings of whitebait, calamari, prawns and crab legs will typically be on offer.
The End
Perhaps calling the end of a meze is misleading as you might be expecting things to wind down, but word of warning: the largest plates are saved for last. Now might be a good time to unbuckle the proverbial belt. We’re arguably saving the best for last, so you better have left some room.
Typically options are either meat or fish. Meat mezes include sheftalia, juicy little sausages, souvlaki skewers, maybe Kleftiko, slow-cooked lamb infused with oregano and lemon. For fish, we’re going grilled octopus, sardines, and whatever came in fresh from the morning boats.
Vegetarian? Don’t worry, you certainly won’t be left out. Typical vegetarian food in Cyprus include a bowl of louvi (black-eyed beans with greens), a slice of moussaka, or a small plate of pastitsio – rich, layered pasta and béchamel, the ultimate comfort dish.
Must-try dishes in Cyprus
Halloumi – the real deal
Halloumi isn’t just cheese – it’s history. It originates from Cyprus, dating back to Byzantine times, made from goat’s and sheep’s milk, you won’t find better halloumi anywhere in the world. Have it raw or grilled. It’s a staple at the table.
Often served with watermelon in the summer or drizzled with honey in the winter. Similar to a sandwich filling, you will also find this squeaky cheese paired with lountza (pork loin slice) stuffed inside pita bread. Yum.
Where to try it: To try it in its purest form, I urge you to go to Sophia’s House, where she makes fresh batches everyday. She keeps it simple, only adding a few mint leaves before folding it in half. It’s worlds apart from anything you could ever hope to buy in the supermarket.
Address: Letymbou, 8546, Letymbou, Paphos
Sheftalia – not your average sausage
A sausage, but not a sausage. Sheftalia is what happens when minced pork or lamb meets fresh herbs, gets wrapped in caul fat, and grilled to perfection. The fat crisps, the juices stay locked in, and the result is a smoky, savoury bite of pure satisfaction. Eat it with a dollop of tzatziki or squeeze over a lemon for a bit of extra tanginess.
Where to go: Located around 30 minutes’ drive from the centre of Paphos, Yiannis Taverna Kathikas is the place to go if you’re looking for the best cooked meats. The setting is incredibly charming and worth the drive out of town.
Address: 11 Georgiou Kleanthous, Kathikas.
Kolokythokeftedes – the snack of all snacks
Honestly, these deep fried zucchini balls are like crack to me. I could eat plates full of them if I had no one to stop me.
The filling is simple: grated zucchini (courgette) mixed with herbs, cheese, and sometimes onion or garlic from the base. Rolled into balls and lightly fried to a crispy golden brown, they offer a delightful contrast of textures. Crunchy on the outside and warm and mushy on the inside. Eat as they are, or put them on the side with Pourgouri (cracked bulgar wheat with tomatoes and onions).
Where to try them: If you’re planing to drive to Yiannis Taverna Kathikas for the meats, don’t forget to order a side of Kolokythokeftedes. If you’d prefer to stay somewhere more central, you should try out The Windmill (address: Pafias Afroditis 19, Paphos 8041).
Moussaka – a slice of comfort
A carefully built masterpiece of layered eggplant, potatoes, and rich, velvety béchamel sauce. Every bite is a warm, nostalgic hug – savoury, creamy, just the right amount of indulgent. It often comes with mince meat but vegetarian moussaka is just as popular.
It’s not a light dish. It doesn’t pretend to be. It’s comfort in the way only real, old-school food can be – meant to feed a big family, or the broken-hearted, or both – the essence of what comfort food is all about.
Where to try it: Don’t miss Laona restaurant in Paphos. All the dishes I tried were excellent. Super authentic, with no expense spared on taste or quality. Don’t take my word for it, check out their rave reviews on Tripadvisor.
Address: Votsi, Paphos 8010
Louvi me lahana – Goodness in a bowl
While Cyprus might love its lamb, pork, and grilled everything, veggie options are still aplenty. If, like me, you’re bean obsessed, be sure to order this dish of black-eyed peas stewed gently with Swiss chard or wild greens, olive oil, and lemon. Earthy, clean, and the kind of thing that feeds the soul after a hike along the coast.
Where to try it: Laona restaurant takes the win again.
Geminsta – I like my veggies stuffed
Another vegetarian favourite in Cyprus is Gemista – tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini – hollowed out like tiny edible urns and stuffed with rice, herbs, and whatever else the cook felt like adding that day.
The dish is slow-cooked until the edges blister and the tray is sizzling with olive oil. It’s the kind of dish that you would expect a Cypriot nan to make for their growing grand-children. Not everyone loves their veg so this is the way to do it to ensure everyone is getting their daily dose of vitamins and fibre.
Where to try them: Laona restaurant (again). To mix things up a bit, I also recommend Antigo Mezedopoleio if you fancy listening to some live Cypriot music (address: Mitropolitou Pafou Chrysanthou 46, Paphos 8010.
Kleftiko – rebellious by nature
The name means “stolen,” a nod to the legend of Cypriot rebels who would cook stolen meat in underground pits to avoid detection. Today, the only thing you’ll need to steal is the recipe – lamb, slow-cooked for hours in a clay oven, infused with garlic, lemon, and oregano until it collapses at the mere suggestion of a fork.
Where to try it: Want a table with view? Tsiakkas Tavern have been serving up traditional Cypriot dishes since 1985. The sea view is just as popular with guest as their kleftiko!
Food as a love language
Cypriot food is slow, generous, and made to be shared – with people, with history, with memory. You trade plates across the table while trading stories. It’s a love language. Whatever you do, don’t rush it. Food in Cyprus is meant to be savoured.
| Planning your trip to Cyprus |
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| Best time to go: Cyprus has great weather all-year round, however, it can get very hot in the summer so bear this in mind if you’re a shade-seeker rather than a sun-seeker. I visited at the end of March and the weather was perfect and there were very few tourists. So if you want to avoid the crowds, and see the explosion of wildflowers before they disappear in the summer, I recommend visiting from March to the end of June. |
| Flights: If you want to experience a taste of Cyprus, Jet2 offers flights to Cyprus from a large variety of UK airports. Their services range from just the flights to all-inclusive holidays to Cyprus. |
| Where to stay: I stayed in Paphos, a coastal city on the southwest edge of Cyprus. Big enough for ruins, legends, and late nights. Small enough that you won’t need to be glued to GoogleMaps. |
| Recommended hotel: For somewhere that pulls out all the stops, Cali Resort & Spa by Louis Hotels takes their attention to comfort and detail seriously. For its size, it feels and operates much more like a small boutique hotel. Watching the sunset over the sea from the balcony is a sight to behold, the only thing that surpasses the view is the enormous buffet breakfast. Yes, you really can create your own meze for breakfast. Go on… you’re on holiday. |
| Further reading: Tease your taste buds by delving into my other food guides from around the around the world. |
