Food & Drink

Places to eat in Ayia Napa & Protaras
Eating out has become a local habit and is part of entertainment in Cyprus. There is a wide variety of restaurants, catering for all tastes. Along with taverns, which provide local and Greek dishes, there are restaurants that offer international cuisine such as French, Chinese, Italian, Indian, Lebanese, Japanese, Russian, Mexican and others.

The old staples of Greek cuisine – moussaka, stifado, kebab and Greek salad – will be much in evidence. The meze is perhaps a good way to get an insight into Cypriot food. Meze, or mezedhes, is a series of small different dishes that are provided throughout an evening, and may cover absolutely everything or pursue a fish or a meat theme. In a good restaurant the meze can contain up to 30 different dishes and it is important to pace yourself throughout the meal.

Kebab (souvlaki) appears in all menus and lamb is another common dish, either lamb chops or the more traditional kleftiko, which consists of large pieces of lamb baked slowly in traditional kleftiko ovens. Cypriots also have a taste for smoked meats, most notably the traditional loukanika sausage.

Fish is expensive, although kalamari – squid cooked in batter – is good value and widely available. Other fish options include swordfish, red mullet (Barbouni in Greek), whitebait and sea bass. Alternatively, fresh farmed trout is on the menu in some of the mountain villages.

Halloumi cheese is the main dairy product distinctive to the island. It is made from goat’s milk and is often served grilled. The cheese is now available in most supermarkets.

Visitors should seek out some of the cake shops that attract local custom. The traditional Greek desserts such as baklava and cadefi may be too sweet for some tastes, but the wide range of custard bakes should appeal to us all, as will the biscuits, which can be bought by weight in these shops.

Ayia Napa has all the usual eateries such as McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut so you are never far away from a cheap meal during your stay. However, there are also some traditional restaurants offering meze and Cypriot foods. These restaurants include:

Los Bandidos – Ayia Napa Square - www.losbandidosmexican.com
A lovely, fresh and authentic Mexican restaurant with a lively yet romantic ambience. This child-friendly restaurant has outdoor seating. It’s recommended that you make reservations.

Limanaki – Ayia Napa Harbour
A waterside eatery specialising in fish. This restaurant offers Cypriot and International dishes and you can dine alfresco on the terrace.

Esperia – Ayia Napa Harbour
Another waterside location but with slightly nicer décor. Here you get enormous meat and fish dishes for similar prices to Limanaki. Esperia is open for lunch and dinner.

Taverna Napa - 15 Democratias Street, Ayia Napa
This Taverna is perfect for a family dinner. North of the main action it offers a broad range of dishes at mid range prices. Open evenings only.

Arcadia – 1 Odos Belogianna
Family run taverna on a side street uphill from the centre of Ayia Napa which serves good meze, steaks and grills.

Hokkaido – 35 Odos Agias Mavris
Distinctly Traditional Japanese food of high standard, well designed interior with dishes such as Sushi, Tempura, Chicken Teriaki, Saki wine and other popular Japanese combinations. More importantly the personal contact between the customer, cooks and staff through the traditional Teppanyaki make the dinning at Hokkaido an unforgettable experience.

Limelight Taverna – Odos Liperti
Another taverna but not ideal for vegetarians! A high rep for Greek dishes and grills, steak, lobster, fish and chicken as well as succulent lamb and pork.

Vassos Fish Harbour Tavern – Makariou 51, Ayia Napa
Popular with locals and visitors, Vassos is located right at the harbour. The menu offers fresh caught lobsters which you can choose from the tanks and well as seafood meze. Open for lunch and dinner, Vassos offers good service and is very romantic in the evening.

Odyssos – Nissi Avenue, Ayia Napa
Menu offers burgers and grilled meat dishes, fish including swordfish, halloumi and meze. A hive of activity.

Maistralia Beach Restaurant – Kyrou Nerou 42, Ayia Napa
Serves local Cypriot dishes such as afelia and souvlaki along with international fare. Emphasis here is mainly on fish and seafood but with plenty of meat choices. Close to all attractions in the heart of Ayia Napa

Sage restaurant and wine bar – Kyrou Nerou 10, Ayia Napa
Beautifully presented dishes such as smoked salmon with avocado or prawns, prime steak, fresh fish or pasta and tempting desserts. Upmarket restaurant ideal for a romantic meal or special event.

Tsambra - Dionysiou Solomou 9, Ayia Napa
A Lebanese-Cypriot restaurant serving good shish kebabs, barbecued lamb and tablouleh (bulger-wheat and parsley salad).

Potopoieion to Elliniko - Theodosi Pieridi 2, Ayia Napa
A small, evenings-only Greek-style mezedopolio (a small restaurant specialising in mezedes) with grilled-meat meze, and zivania (local firewater), ouzo or wine as accompaniment. There's usually some live music too.

Protaras

Anemos - Highly popular with the locals is this restaurant overlooking Fig Tree Bay with a cool breezy atmosphere and wonderful views from the outdoor terrace making it an ideal place to dine. The fish is always fresh and highly recommended! Tel: 23 831488

Blue Spice - Combining a restaurant and an art gallery, Blue Spice is something a little bit different! Our team of chefs can be seen working at providing freshhomemade foods in our openkitchen. Tel: 23 832088

Divas - This flambe steak house offers a great menu with a large variety of foods to suit everyones tastes. The first to introduce the idea of preparing and cooking a flambe meal in the dining area, thereby allowing diners to enjoy this very visual experience. Tel: 23 831950

Eden Square Plaza - Excellence in wining, dining and entertainment can be found at Eden Square, home to an exotic Japanese restaurant, traditional Greek tavern, colourful Mexican restaurant, cosmoplitan wine bar and trendy cocktail bar. Tel: 23 819444

Wine, brandy and beer
Cypriot wine is plentiful and inexpensive, and it is claimed that is has been made in Cyprus since 2000BC. The main wineries are at Limassol, but, increasingly, smaller producers are developing and some of the villages and monasteries now produce their own wines. It is an important business that is now worth €20 million a year in exports.

Commandaria sweet wine is one of Cyprus’s best known wines and it is said that is was drunk during the ancient festivals of Aphrodite. However its origins can only be definitively traced back to the estate of the Knights Hospitaller at Kolossi, 700 years ago.