Gastronomic review. We study the national Cypriot cuisine and find out what is definitely worth trying. We talk about prices in Cyprus in 2024 for food and drinks in cafes and restaurants, as well as for groceries in stores.
Food in Cyprus: traditions of national cuisine
The national cuisine of Cyprus was formed under the influence of Greek, Turkish and British cultures. People here like vegetables, oils, yogurt, lemon, garlic, parsley, coriander, basil, oregano and other spices. Desserts with honey and nuts are reminiscent of oriental sweets.
Food in Cyprus is not as spicy as in Turkish cuisine. Food is prepared in vegetable oil or lamb fat, salads are seasoned with olive oil. Soups are prepared from chicken, thyme, lentils, egg yolks with herbs and lemon. Traditional salad ingredients: vegetables, chicken, cheese, olives, seafood. Rice, legumes, vegetables, bulgur, and pasta are used as a side dish.
Poultry, lamb, pork, beef and fish are prepared here, but the choice of meat dishes is much larger. The meat is fried, stewed in pots in the oven or grilled. Residents of Northern Cyprus do not eat pork.
The fish is fried or grilled. Shrimp and mussels are usually frozen, while local fish, small squid and crabs are fresh. Sometimes the catch is put on display so that the client can choose the fish he likes.
In taverns, salad, potatoes, bread and sauce are served along with the main course. All this is sprinkled with lemon juice before serving, or a lemon cut into quarters is brought to the visitor.
What to try in Cyprus
To get the best idea of the national cuisine of Cyprus, you need to try meze . If in Greece this is an appetizer, then in Cyprus a whole lunch is served, consisting of various dishes and snacks: garlic-cucumber salad in yoghurt filling (tallaturi), pea mousse (hummi kopanisti), vegetable salad with cheese and olives, eggplant appetizer, meat or fish dishes.
Moussaka is well prepared on the island – eggplants baked with cheese and eggs with meat and vegetables. Rice is prepared in an interesting way – it is fried in olive oil with spices, and then wrapped in grape leaves, a dish called dolmades . Very often, locals order giant beans stewed with vegetables.
The locals prepare especially delicious meat dishes – tawas (meat with vegetables in pots), kebab – here it is served on flatbread with red pepper, onions and herbs. In almost any tavern in Cyprus you can try lamb, chicken or pork kebab – souvlaki . And pork kebab marinated in wine and coriander is called krasato .
Lamb lovers will be able to appreciate the taste of kleftiko that melts in your mouth : young meat is simmered in the oven, served with tomatoes, garlic, sweet peppers and onions. Stewed meat dishes are no less tasty – to prepare stifado , roasted beef is stewed in wine and spices. There is stifado made from rabbit, poultry and pork. Spicy grilled sausages – lukanika or basturma – go perfectly with beer .
What else to try in Cyprus? You should definitely try the halloumi sheep cheese ; locals love to add it to other dishes or grill it. A popular hot appetizer is feta cheese, which is baked with vegetables and olives in a pot.
Separately, it is worth mentioning Cypriot drinks and sweets. The island has an excellent selection of white and red wines; the Crusader drink, Commandaria wine, is still produced here . Country grape vodka ” Zivania” is especially good if you freeze it slightly before drinking. Tourists also recommend Ouzo and local beer KEO. In addition, other alcohol is inexpensive here – liqueurs, gin, whiskey. The coffee is very tasty – with cardamom and cinnamon. For dessert you can order baklava, Turkish delight or glyco – fruits boiled in syrup.
Prices for food and drinks in Cyprus in 2024
Prices for food in Cyprus differ slightly from place to place: for example, in Paphos and Ayia Napa, which are popular resorts, eating in taverns is slightly more expensive. Average cost: soup costs 3-6 euros, omelet with additional ingredients 4-6 euros, salads 3-9 euros, fish dishes 10-15 euros, meat dishes 6-15 euros, kebab 12-16 euros, meze from about 15 to 20 euro (fish is usually more expensive).
Pathos
Salads from 4 euros, moussaka – 9 euros, pasta – 9 euros, fish up to 15 euros. Soft drinks from 2 euros, cocktails 5-7 euros, frappe 1.5-2 euros, coffee 2-2.5 euros, glass of wine from 3 euros. Dinner for two costs 40 euros, lunch costs 30.
Limassol
Lunch consisting of a fish main course with juice and dessert will cost 25-30 euros for two, dinner with meat, salad and wine – 40 euros. Salads from 4 euros, meat dishes from 9 to 15 euros, fish from 15 euros. Coffee with dessert – 8 euros, glass of wine or beer – 2-3 euros.
Larnaca
You can have lunch for two for 15-20 euros, dinner for 40 euros: a fish dish with shrimp and mussels costs 20 euros, kebab, potatoes and salad – 15 euros. Dinner in an elite establishment 60-70 euros.
Ayia Napa
You can have lunch for two for 25-40 euros, dinner for 50 euros. A sandwich costs from 6 to 8 euros, a meat dish – 9-15 euros, salad with cheese and chicken – 8 euros, mussels with octopus – 18 euros, beer – 3 euros, coffee from 3 euros, fresh juices – 3-4 euros, wine from 7 euros.
Protaras
In taverns, meat and fish dishes start from 7 euros, salads from 5 euros, meze costs 15 euros, sweets – 5 euros. A hearty lunch for two costs 15-20 euros, with wine – 25 euros.
Grocery prices in Cyprus in 2024
In stores in Cyprus, prices for products may vary – it depends on the city and the size of the store. Large chain supermarkets (for example, Papantoniou) often have discounts and promotions, so it’s cheaper to shop there. Tourists also recommend buying food at markets, where you can bargain.
According to reviews, seafood and dairy products are expensive in Cyprus: 1 kg of dorado – 9 euros, cod – 12 euros, 1 liter of milk – 1.5 euros, half a liter of kefir – about 2.5 euros. Cheap alcohol, meat, cheese, seasonal vegetables and fruits: chicken (kg) – 5 euros, olive oil (0.5 l) – 5 euros, ice cream (kg) – 3 euros, cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes (kg) – 0 .35-0.5 euros, melon (kg) – 0.7 euros, apricots and peaches (kg) – from 1 euro, cherries and strawberries (kg) – 6.5 euros.
Prices for groceries in Paphos stores are approximately as follows:
- water (1.5 l) – from 0.5 euros;
- wine (bottle) – from 3 euros;
- juice (1 l) – 2 euros;
- cheese (300 g) – from 4 euros;
- bread – from 1 euro;
- milk (1 l) – from 1 euro;
- bananas (kg) – 0.5 euros;
- grapes (kg) – up to 2 euros;
- desserts (pieces) – 0.8 to 4 euros.
Cost of products in Limassol stores:
- yogurt (300 g) – 3.2 euros;
- cheese (500 g) – 4.2 euros;
- sausage (kg) – 5 euros;
- bacon (200 g) – 1.9 euros;
- tomatoes (kg) – 0.85 euros;
- oranges (kg) – 0.75 euros;
- watermelons (kg) – 1.3 euros;
- sweet pastries (pieces) – 2-6 euros.
Cuisine and prices in Northern Cyprus
If the cuisine of the southern part of the island clearly inherits Greek traditions in the preparation of dishes, then Turkish motifs are clearly visible in the cuisine of Northern Cyprus. The menu includes kebab, meze, hummus and dzhadzhik, sheftalia, dolma. For dessert you can order coffee with pirohu or ekmek kadaif. It is recommended to try grape vodka (raki), local wines are not popular. Soup costs 5-6 liras, meat up to 20 liras, fish up to 30 liras, set lunch – 8 liras.
According to reviews, food prices in the north of Cyprus are lower. Here is the approximate cost of products in Turkish lira (2023):
- milk (1 l) – 3 lira;
- bread – 0.65-4 liras;
- olive oil (0.75 ml) – 15-20 liras;
- tomatoes, potatoes (kg) – 2-3 lira;
- apples, bananas (kg) – 3-5 liras;
- cheese (300 gr) 6-8 liras;
- chicken fillet (kg) – 28-30 liras;
- beef (kg) – 20-40 liras;
- fish (kg) – from 20 liras.
Tips and reviews from tourists
Food prices in Cyprus seemed high to some, while other tourists consider them to be average in Europe. But no one has yet complained about the taste of the dishes, and the generosity of the Cypriots, manifested in their huge portions and compliments from the chef, invariably lifts the spirits.
To choose a good tavern, you need to look for those where the locals eat. You can also just walk around and take a closer look at the visitors. The food in tourist cafes is also delicious, but the prices are high, so move away from the coast.
The portions are such that one dish is enough for two people, especially the meze. Otherwise, no recommendations – just try and enjoy the amazing taste of the national Cypriot cuisine.
