Cyprus 365
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Cyprus Cuisine
Explore the rich flavors of Cyprus cuisine, a Mediterranean table shaped by Greek, Middle Eastern, and centuries of Levantine and Venetian influences, built around the shared meze.
A Culinary Journey Through Cyprus Flavors
From slow-baked kleftiko and fresh-grilled fish to charcoal souvla and a long meze spread, Cyprus cuisine reflects the island's Mediterranean heritage and Greek-Cypriot character.
Explore Food ToursPopular Cyprus Dishes
Afelia
Pork marinated and braised in red wine with crushed coriander seed, a pairing at the heart of Cypriot cooking. Served with bulgur and yoghurt.
Main Ingredients:
porkred winecoriander seedolive oilsaltpepper
Region: Cooked across Cyprus
Commandaria
An amber sweet dessert wine from villages near Limassol, made from sun-dried Xynisteri and Mavro grapes. Described as the world's oldest named wine still in production.
Main Ingredients:
sun-dried Xynisteri grapessun-dried Mavro grapes
Region: Commandaria villages, Limassol District
Flaounes
A cheese-filled Easter pastry, the dough wrapped around a sheep and goat cheese filling, often raisins, and topped with sesame. Baked for Orthodox Easter.
Main Ingredients:
flourflaouna cheesehalloumieggsmintraisinssesame seedsmasticmahleb
Region: Made across Cyprus; cheese traditionally from Paphos
Halloumi
Cyprus's semi-hard, springy cheese that grills and fries without melting. A protected designation of origin product, eaten fresh, fried or on the barbecue.
Main Ingredients:
sheep milkgoat milkcow milk (optional)rennetsaltmint
Region: Made across Cyprus
Kleftiko
Lamb or goat sealed in an oven and slow-baked for hours until it falls off the bone. A Cypriot signature, traditionally cooked in a clay oven with potatoes.
Main Ingredients:
lambgoat (alternative)garliclemonbay leavesoreganopotatoes
Region: Cooked across Cyprus
Koupepia
Vine leaves rolled around rice, minced pork and herbs, simmered in a tomato sauce. The Cypriot dolmades, served warm or at room temperature on meze.
Main Ingredients:
vine leavesriceminced porkonionparsleyminttomatocinnamon
Region: Made across Cyprus
Explore by Category
Dairy & Cured
Cyprus halloumi and the cured pork loin lountza, the island's best-known dairy and charcuterie products.
Grills
Charcoal-cooked meat, from slow-turned souvla to caul-wrapped sheftalia, the centre of a Cypriot family table.
Mains
Slow-baked and braised dishes such as kleftiko, afelia, stifado and tava, built on wine, herbs and patience.
Meze
The Cypriot way of eating: a long run of small shared plates, from dips and vegetables to stuffed vine leaves and pastries.
Sweets & Drinks
Honey-soaked loukoumades and the historic sweet wine Commandaria, the sweet end of a Cypriot meal.
Detailed category pages are not live yet. Use the full dishes library to browse everything we have published.
Featured Restaurants
Culinary Experiences
Immerse yourself in the flavors of Cyprus with these authentic food experiences
Cooking Classes
Learn how to prepare traditional Cyprus dishes like halloumi, koupepia, and kleftiko from expert local cooks.
Find a Class →Food Tours
Explore village tavernas, the covered municipal markets, and family-run bakeries on a guided food tour around Nicosia and Limassol.
Browse Tours →Farm to Table
Visit hillside vineyards and olive groves to see where Cyprus ingredients are grown, followed by a fresh farm-to-table meal.
Discover Experiences →Cyprus Flavors: Recipe Collection
Take a piece of Cyprus home with you! Our exclusive recipe book features 50 authentic Cypriot recipes that you can recreate in your own kitchen. From breakfast to dinner and everything in between.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the national dish of Cyprus?
Cyprus is best known for the meze, a long table of small plates rather than a single dish. The most iconic items are souvla, large chunks of pork or lamb slow-roasted over charcoal, and kleftiko, lamb marinated with garlic, lemon and herbs and baked slowly so it falls off the bone. Grilled halloumi, the island's squeaky brined cheese, appears on almost every table.
Is Cyprus food spicy?
Cyprus food is savory rather than fiery, built on olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, lemon and warm spices like cumin, coriander and cinnamon. Dishes such as afelia (pork in red wine and crushed coriander) are aromatic rather than hot. If you want extra kick, a squeeze of lemon or a side of pickled vegetables is far more common than chilli.
What are some traditional Cyprus drinks?
For something soft, try a frappé (iced instant coffee) or fresh-pressed orange juice from the island's citrus groves. For something stronger, Cyprus is known for Commandaria, a sweet amber dessert wine made here since antiquity, and zivania, a clear grape spirit distilled only on the island. The everyday local lager is KEO, brewed in Limassol.
Are there options for vegetarians and vegans?
While traditional Cyprus cuisine features plenty of meat and fish, there are good vegetarian options, especially in Limassol, Paphos and the resort towns. A vegetable meze alone can fill a table: grilled halloumi, koupepia (stuffed vine leaves), louvi (black-eyed beans), tahini, hummus, fava, olives, and fresh village salad. For vegans it takes a little more care, but the larger towns have a growing number of restaurants catering to different diets. It's always a good idea to specify your dietary needs when ordering.