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Cyprus Cuisine
One of the most popular occupations of the Cypriots is to dine. The
tables have to be loaded with food and there is no rush during mealtimes. The local
cuisine reflects the influence of the many different cultures that conquered the island
over the centuries. Gourmets will particularly appreciate what Cyprus has to offer, as
Cyprus cuisine consists of dishes very rich in taste, and unique in specialities.
There are many very delicious and tasty specialities on Cyprus and with
all the strange names, it is difficult to choose. To experience the whole variety of the
Cyprus cuisine at once, one should order a Meze in one of the rustic taverns. A Meze is a
collection of 20 to 35 different dishes served in small portions, freshly prepared. Salads
and dips are served first, followed by appetizers. Then the main dishes and after that the
sweets and fruits are served.
Dips and Appetizers
| Taramosalata |
a creamy, pink sauce from fish roe, mashed
potatoes and olive oil |
| Humus |
a sauce from crushed peas |
| Tachini |
a sauce from crushed sesame |
| Talatouri (Tzatziki) |
a sauce from yoghurt, cucumbers, garlic and mint leaves |
| Patatosalata |
Potato salad |
| Omeletta |
omelettes with artichokes, asparagus, spinach or marrow as per season |
| Koubepia (Dolmades) |
stuffed vine leaves |
| Halloumi |
Cyprus cheese from goat or sheep milk, usually served grilled with
lountza |
| Lounza |
smoked ham, served grilled |
| Keftedes |
little minced meatballs |
| Salatina |
jellied pork |
| Htapodi Xydato |
octopus in vinegar |
Meat Dishes
| Afelia |
in red wine, coriander and spices marinated
and roasted pork |
| Kleftiko |
juicy lamb baked together with potatoes in a
clay oven |
| Yemista |
green pepper, tomato, eggplant or squash
filled with rice, herbs and minced meat |
| Stifado |
a stew of beef or hare, cooked with wine,
vinegar, onion and spices |
| Tava |
a lamb stew with plenty of onions and tomatoes |
| Moussaka |
pie with eggplants, potatoes, minced meat and
bechamel sauce |
| Pastitsio |
pie with macaroni, minced meat and bechamel
sauce |
| Souvlaki |
cubed pork or lamb meat grilled over charcoal |
| Sheftalia |
minced meat rolls |
| Kebab |
souvlaki or sheftalia in flat cake bread, the
"pitta" with salad |
| Youvetsi |
lamb with rice or barley macaroni in the oven |
| Kolokasi |
Taro with pork or lamb |
Fish
| Barbounia |
red mullet |
| Tsipoura |
seabream |
| Lavraki |
seabuss |
| Garides |
prawns |
| Marides |
smelts |
|
sword fish |
| Kalamari |
flour coated squid, fried in oil |
| Htapodi |
octopus, grilled or in wine |
| Soupies |
cuttlefish, grilled or in wine |
Cheese and Dairy Products
| Halloumi |
salty goat or sheep cheese
mild taste, soft, rubbery and of white colour when fresh
strong taste, hard and yellowish when matured |
| Fetta |
goat cheese |
| Anari |
cottage cheese |
| Kefalotyri |
often pressed into the shape of a skull giving it the name
"head cheese" |
| Airani |
ice-cold buttermilk from sheep milk with salt, pepper and
mint, very refreshing |
Wines & Spirits
More than 120 varieties of grapes are grown on the island's vine yards
producing excellent wines and other spirits for over 3000 years.
Four major wineries supply around 75% of the wines on the island.
| White Wines |
|
| Palamino |
very dry |
Aphrodite, Arsinoe,
Ayios Andronicos |
dry |
Blonde Lady, Santa Marina,
St. Hilarion, Thisbe |
medium dry to sweet |
| Rose Wines |
|
Amorosa Coeur de Lion,
Rosella, Sodap Rose |
dry |
| Hirondelle Rose |
medium dry |
| Pink Lady |
sweet |
| Red Wines |
|
| Hermes Negro, Othello |
dry |
| Afames, Semeli |
medium dry |
| Champagnes |
|
| Duc de Nicosie |
medium dry |
| Commandaria |
port wine |
| Brandy |
the Cyprus Brandy is famous all over the world, i.e. Five
Kings |
| Ouzo |
anice spirit |
| Zivania |
"Cyprus whisky" - the island's national drink
similar to the Italian "Grappa" officially not to be served but can be found in
every tavern and household in unlabelled bottles, containing 60-90% alcohol, distilled in
the villages and used not only as a drink during cold winter months but also as a medicine
against colds and tooth-ache and used for small spirit burners. |
| Filfar |
bitter orange liqueur |
| Beers |
there is the choice between the local Keo
beer, the locally produced Carlsberg beer and or imported beers |
| Brandy Sour |
longdrink from Cyprus brandy, lemon syrup, soda and angostura |
Coffee &
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Juices, soft-drinks and mineral water are bottled on the island.
The locals drink the Cyprus coffee, served in small cups
gliko=sweet, metrio=slightly sweet, sketto=without sugar, diplo=double portion
Pastries & Sweets
| Flaouna |
salty cheese cakes prepared originally only
during easter, but now available all year |
| Eliopitta |
olive pie |
| Tiropitta |
cheese pie |
| Kolokopitta |
pastry filled with sweet pumpkin, crushed
wheat and raisins |
| Spanachopitta |
spinach pie |
| Bogatsa |
pastry filled with sweet semolina |
| Kubes |
ground wheat paste stuffed with minced meat
and herbs |
| Bourekia |
small pastry filled with anari cheese or
minced meat, |
| Lokmades |
honey puffs |
| Siamishi |
pasty puffs |
| Halvas |
Ground sesame mixed with sugar (plain or with nuts inside) |
| Mahallepi |
rice flour cream |
| Baklava |
baked pastry filled with almonds and soaked
with syrup |
| Kataifi |
thread pastry rolls filled with almonds and
soaked with syrup |
| Galatobourekko |
pastry pie filled with custard cream |
| Daktyla |
ladie's fingers - pastry rolls, filled with
almonds and soaked with syrup |
| Kourapieres |
Greek shortbread prepared mainly during
Christmas - filled with almonds and sprinkled with icing sugar |
| Melomakarona |
Greek shortbread prepared mainly during
Christmas - same as kourapieres but soaked in honey |
| Glyka |
fruits in syrup (preserves) i.e. walnuts,
orange peels, bitter orange peel, cherries, etc. served on a tiny plate, one piece at a
time with a glass of water |
| Palouze |
Grape juice and flour poured in plates, sprinkled with rose water and crushed almonds |
| Soutzouko |
Threaded almonds, dipped in grape juice with flour |
| Haroupomelo |
Carob Honey |
| Masticha |
Paste of sugar, ground almonds and gum of the pistachio bush |
Fruits & Vegetables
Most of the fruits and vegetables grow on the island. The variety is enormous and all is
very fresh
| Pomegranate |
The symbol for luck and fertility since the ancient times. |
| Carob |
The carob fruit is used to produce the carob syrup |
| Citrus |
All kinds of citrus like oranges, bitter oranges, lemons,
grapefruit and lime grow everywhere in yards, in the roads in front of the houses.
Enormous citrus plantations are located in the west of Limassol. |
| Bananas |
Grow unprotected in plantations west of Pafos. |
| Dates |
|
| Grapes |
|
| Nuts |
In the Troodos mountain region can all kinds of nuts be
found, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and the, in Europe not so common, pekan nut |
| Apples, Pears, Apricots, Peaches, Cherries,
Plums, Kiwis |
The Troodos mountain region is the
"orchard of the island" |
| Olives |
Olive trees grow everywhere for the olives and the popular
olive oil |
| Potatoes |
In the area between Larnaca and Ayia Napa the famous Cyprus
potatoes are growing in the nutritious red earth. |
Catering Establishments
There are catering establishments such as restaurants, taverns,
cafeterias and snack-bars to suit every taste and every pocket.
Beside the local cuisine, exists a wide choice of French, Italian,
Chinese, Indian , Lebanese, Arabic, Thai, Mexican, Russian and Armenian and other
specialised restaurants in all cities.. In all restaurants, the quality of the food is
excellent and prices are reasonable.
Approximate charges for:
- Meze for two persons in a tavern with a bottle of local wine: from
C£15,00
- Meal for two persons in a restaurant with a bottle of local wine: from
C£18,00.
All food and drink prices are inclusive of the 10% service charge and 8%
VAT.
An extra tip is not obligatory but always welcome and appreciated.
The price-lists of the catering and entertainment establishments are
approved by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation.
Lunch is served in restaurants between 12:00 and 14:30 hrs and dinner
from 19:00 hrs till late in the evening.
Cypriots have lunch at around 13:00 hrs and dinner at around 20:30hrs.
Recommended Restaurants and Taverns
Nicosia
To Aegeo Tavern
40, Ektoros Str., 1016 Nicosia
Tel: 02-347522
Estiades Restaurant
good for business lunch
9, Prevezis Str., 1065 Nicosia
Tel: 02-366233
Bagatelle Restaurant - French Cuisine
16, Kyriakou Matsi Str., Ay. Omologitae, Nicosia
Tel: 02-317870
Scorpios
3, Stasinou, 2404 Nicosia - Engomi
Tel: 02-351850
New Yorker - International Cuisine
Piano Entertainment on Saturday evenings
1, Verenikis Str., Nicosia
Tel: 02-452753
Scaraveos - Fish Tavern
4, Nikokreontos Str., 1066 Nicosia
Tel: 02-464995 / 455190
Kavouri - Fish Tavern
125, Strovolos Avenue, Nicosia
Tel: 02-425153 / 496090
To Paragadi - Fish Tavern
ideal for business lunch and dinner
3, Niovis, Ay. Omologitae, Nicosia
Tel: 02-491310
Limassol
Vasilikos Tavern - Greek Tavern
every evening life guitar music
252, St. Andrew Str., 3036 Limassol
Tel: 05-375972
Edo Lemesos Taverna - Greek Tavern
every evening life guitar music
111, Irinis Str., 3041 Limssol
Tel: 05-367981
Ta Kokkalakia - African Restaurant
239, St. Andrew Str., 3036 Limassol
Tel: 05-340015
Maison Fleurie Restaurant - French Cuisine
Christaki Kranon, River Side, 4041 Limassol - Potamos Germasogeias
Tel: 05-320680 / 312363
Lefteris Tavern - old style Cypriot Tavern
4, Ayias Christinis, Germasogeia Village - Limassol
Tel: 05-325211
Semiramis Restaurant - Lebanese Cuisine
17, Voltariou Str., 4040 Limassol - Potamos Germasogeias
Tel: 05-322060 / 327937
Ladas Old Harbour - Fish Tavern
1, Saadi, 3042 Limassol
Tel: 05-365760
Xydas - Fish Restaurant
22, Anthemidos Str., Panthea Area - Limassol
Tel: 05-728336
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Cuisine
