Order meze if you are two or more: a long run of small dishes is the best single introduction to Cypriot cooking. Beyond that, look for halloumi, kleftiko (slow-baked lamb), souvla (charcoal-grilled meat), afelia (pork in red wine and coriander) and village specialities, and finish with a coffee and a spoon sweet.
Cypriot food overlaps with Greek and Turkish cooking and with the wider eastern Mediterranean, but it has its own character: halloumi, slow-cooked meats, abundant vegetables and herbs, and a habit of sharing. The best advice is to eat where locals eat, and to order by dish, not by menu description.
A meze is a set menu of many small dishes brought in waves. A good taverna offers meat, fish or vegetarian versions. Expect dips, salad, halloumi, grilled meats, village sausages, stews and finally sweets and fruit. Pace yourself: the first dishes are not the main event. Ask what the meze includes and how many people it serves.
Cyprus's famous cheese, grilled or fried, has protected designation of origin status. Try it fresh and also aged. Grilled halloumi is a classic starter.
Worth it?Worth ordering more than once and comparing, because fresh and aged halloumi taste different.
Lamb slow-baked in a sealed oven, traditionally in a clay oven, so the meat falls off the bone.
Worth it?A good choice if you like slow-cooked lamb. Ask whether it is baked in a clay oven if that matters to you.
Skip ifYou do not eat lamb.
Large pieces of meat cooked slowly on a spit over charcoal.
Worth it?Suits a group, since it is cooked in large pieces for sharing.
A grilled sausage-like parcel of minced meat, onion and herbs wrapped in caul fat.
Worth it?A reasonable starter if you like grilled meat.
Pork cooked with red wine and crushed coriander seeds.
Worth it?Worth ordering if you want pork cooked with red wine and coriander, a traditional Cypriot dish.
A slow-cooked stew, typically with beef or rabbit and onions.
Worth it?Suits cooler months, since it is a slow-cooked stew.
Vine leaves stuffed with rice and herbs, sometimes with meat.
Worth it?Order within a meze to taste it without committing to a full plate.
Smoked or cured pork products, often served as part of a meze.
Worth it?Try a few slices if you eat pork; skip them if you avoid it.
At harbour tavernas, ask what is fresh and how it is priced (often by weight).
Worth it?Worth it on the coast. Ask the price first, since fish is often priced by weight.
If a full meze is too much, order a smaller spread yourself: a couple of dips with bread, grilled halloumi, a salad, one grilled meat dish to share and one slow-cooked dish (kleftiko or a stew). Add a vegetable side and stop there. You can always order more; sending food back is awkward.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Meze | A sequence of small shared dishes |
| Haloumi / halloumi | The grilling cheese |
| Tahini and tzatziki | Common dips |
| Souvlaki | Grilled meat skewers or a wrap |
| Souvla | Large spit-roasted pieces of meat |
| Kleftiko | Slow-baked lamb |
| Glyko | A spoon sweet, preserved fruit |
To pair food with a trip, see things to do in Cyprus and Cyprus wine.
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