Food in Cyprus will certainly please the gourmand types and thrill their palates, with flavors that they have not tried before. In Cyprus people know how to eat and, at the same time, enjoy themselves with their company. This, of course, is assisted by the Cypriot Mezedes. But what exactly is this? The Cypriot Mezedes (appetizers) are present in almost every shop of the country and they are specific dishes of medium size with many local appetizers, local dishes and local sauces! The minimum number of persons is two and the number of dishes ranges between 12 and 20!! They only thing you have to say is… “Mezedes for two” and they will get it!
Restaurants on the island are many, with most serving quality food in reasonable prices. For a two-person meal you will pay 40-50€, accompanied by the wonderful local wine ksinisteri, while the cost for the mezedes starts at 15€ and can be as high as 22€ per person. But in Cyprus you will also find plenty of fast food options, with the most known being the souvlaki with Cypriot pita and the Cypriot koupes, a kind of crispy snack with bulgur and winced meat or mushrooms. It is worth mentioning that on the island they love legumes in all their forms (soup, baked, sauce and in salads). All of the above are accompanied by the Commandaria PDO wine!
Do not make the mistake of leaving Cyprus without having tried the amazing Seftalia, our beloved halloumi, (fresh-boiled-baked-dried…), Ofto kleftiko (lamb) that melts in your mouth, warm or cold koupepia (dolmas-stuffed leaves with rice and minced meat), pourgouri with tomato, aphelia (pork) and fried poules. Finally, try the kolokassi (taro vegetable, kind of potato) ragout or with pork and sweeten up with the delicious bananas from Paphos or with warm anari (unsalted cheese used for desserts) sprinkled with cinnamon.
Food in Cyprus
Notes: a) You will find Cypriot Mezedes in grill-tavern, in fish taverns as well as in vegetarian restaurants. b) Cypriot Mezedes (for two or more persons) are more than sufficient, if you are thinking of ordering anything else!