Nestled in a small shop between McDonalds and Karvounomageiremata on Ledras Street, Street Bites is the old town’s newest entry and promises to make our strolls through the paved city even more pleasant. With a menu that its owner describes as ‘the healthy kind of fast food’, it serves wraps,...

Charcoal-grilled sensations

Located among the shops along Ledra Street Nicosia, Karvounomageiremata has plenty of competition from other restaurants but entering the cosy and warm eatery with a romantic little outdoor back yard is a breath of fresh air. The blend of...

An ideal spot for special occasions

If there’s one thing that characterises the four Navarino Group restaurants in Nicosia, it is their impeccable sense of style. They have opted against revamping their interiors into the modern edgy décor we often see in new eateries...

Experience Great Flavours

I was recently invited to a well-established restaurant in Nicosia that had served up one of the worst dishes I have ever tasted. Presuming it couldn’t possibly have survived without some level of improvement I went again, and while the food had improved...

A bistro with a long history in old Nicosia, Caraffa Bastione has recently undergone a transformation to become one of the trendiest bar/restaurants in town. The resident chef has added his own flavours to a Mediterranean menu based on seasonal ingredients, while the mixologist has created an...

From Thessaloniki, the owner of this recently opened bakery has created a small cosy eatery, reminiscent of those places in the old days where regular customers also became good friends. With the opening of Giagia Victoria, the owner aspires to bring locals together in a warm atmosphere, while...

Now there is one more reason to visit the all-time favourite Flocafé. Every morning before 12, get a free cheese pie with your coffee, and with every order of a dessert after 12 get a free coffee. Apart from the enticing range of coffees available, Flocafé also offers a range of salads, snacks as...

cypriot cuisine

Live music and good food

We discovered Erodos tucked in the old Nicosia streets near the 14th century Hamam baths, and since then it has become a regular haunt when we are in the mood for good quality live Greek music.
Open since 1999, what...

Clinical dietician Aliki Economidou believes that people’s unhealthy food choices in the capital were down not having enough time to eat properly, so she set her mind to creating her own healthy café to prove that taste and healthy food can be combined successfully and efficiently. Using...

Probably the finest burgers in Cyprus

There's always an element of doubt before eating at a new restaurant. Practicalities like what to wear, and how to get there form part of it, but the majority concerns the quality of the food. The last time we'd gone out for dinner was something...

Steaks and so much more

By Barbara Panayidou


I have a confession to make: I don’t eat meat, and when a friend called to invite us to a dinner at this place, I was hesitant to say the least. I mean, ‘Butcher’s Grill’ – the name just says it all really, doesn’t...

Greek and Mediterranean cuisine

In good taste

 
Navarino Wine Lodge has been around for 30 years, housed in a landmark all-white neo-classical residence built in 1927 in the Nicosia neighbourhood Ayios Dometios. Stepping inside, the rustic styling...

From the outside this tavern looks a bit like a doll house with miniature curtains, step inside and one of the first things you notice is the mirror over the fireplace decorated with small red pegs and candles. The atmospheric setting is completed with the delightful aromas emananting from the...

It was a rainy Saturday night and we were wandering among the old Nicosia’s wet streets looking for a cosy spot to take refuge in and fill our empty bellies. We’d seen the all-white luminous place across from the OXI roundabout in Nicosia a few times when passing by and had always planned to visit...

The chef at this new tapas restaurant in Nicosia, has no limits when it comes to his culinary creations. He prepares a wide variety of dishes from salmon marinated with thyme to ‘kleftiko’ with caramelised quince, served with a shot of Mojito. The menu changes every 15 days depending on the season,...

It’s been around for more than 10 years and has a long-standing reputation as one of the finest Greek taverns in the area.  However, when we were searching for Greek restaurants last Saturday night, wondering where to take our visiting friends from out of town, admittedly it wasn’t the first...

It opened its doors in 1991 in Nicosia, and provided an attractive setting with a design that reminds you of a Mexican village square. When it first opened, it was the first restaurant to introduce authentic Mexican food to the capital. El Pueblo, after 20 years of catering experience and a love...

It’s pasta lunch time at Presse Café. Pasta, a staple of traditional Italian cuisine, is now a favourite dish for children as well as for adults the world over. Presse Café has just updated its modern cuisine gourmet menu to include a Pasta Menu offering a range of delicious pasta dishes....

It has a menu with the largest variety imaginable of good quality crepes with the unique taste of Thessaloniki’s famed crepes. This is a culinary experience unlike any you have enjoyed to date in Cyprus. Made of crunchy thin dough and generous fillings, we highly recommend the mouth-watering sweet...

Even if it is one of the highest rooftops in Nicosia (located on the 7th floor of Holiday Inn), you won’t be going to the renewed restaurant and lounge music bar Marco Polo just to marvel the wonderful view of the city. Your attention will be captivated by live bands from Latin singers and dancers...

Ten years after its opening, Marzano continues to show its appreciation to its customers who are dedicated to its mouth-watering dishes by adding new flavours to its menu! Marzano’s trademark Italian finesse combined with unique international recipes, promises an unforgettable culinary experience...

If you believe that genuine Italian cuisine can only be found in the country itself, think again. A trip to Nicosia’s ‘Just Italian’ restaurant will satisfy the most discerning taste buds. ‘Just Italian’, with its ‘new concept for Italian food in Cyprus all year round’ as its slogan proclaims, was...

A warm, atmospheric setting in the old part of Nicosia which takes you to Latin America with Latino sounds, Cuban rum and authentic mojitos. Wherever you sit, be it at the bar, restaurant, or the garden, you can ask for a menu and choose between a range of salads, pasta, finger food and a host of...

Amid the scattered cafes, bars, art galleries and old stone houses of old Nicosia is the sight of Spanish restaurant Casa Vieja in an architectural marvel of a house with a quaint little back garden perfect for idyllic summer dining. Casa Vieja has been a hit since opening in 2003. The design is...

When it comes to Cypriot specialties, Mezostrati in the heart of Nicosia, is one of the best tavernas I have ever been to. I’d been to Mezostrati before and remembered how much I’d enjoyed the meal even though it was a little while ago. On this occasion I was going as part of a wedding...

Greco’s Nest is a new arrival on Nicosia’s dining scene, offering a fresh alternative in Greek-inspired flavours. While its cuisine draws on traditional influences, many of the dishes are very modern, making use of the latest techniques and ingredients, with exceptional gastronomic results. The...

Located on Ledra street in Nicosia, the hub of the capital’s bar and restaurant scene, Il Forno has become a landmark for its quality Italian cuisine and affordable prices. It’s small, it’s popular and nearly always busy due to its dedicated local clientele. With a backdrop the bustling...

You often see tavernas advertising themselves as ‘traditional’, making claims of tapping into the culinary culture of the past and decking themselves out with ‘old’ paraphernalia like village chairs and baskets hanging from the walls. Undeniably though, Zanettos is the real deal: an authentic...

greek and mediterranean cuisine

All-time favourite seafood tavern

Have you seen ‘Nights in Rodanthe’ with a grey-haired Richard Gere and a charming Diane Lane? An isolated house on the beach front proves fertile ground for thier love to grow, much like the...

A new entry in Larnaca, Six Café is a café-bar-restaurant found in a renovated two-storey house that dates back to the 50s. The buildings exterior has maintained its character; however the interior has been transformed to a modern high-tech space. On the ground floor there are large screens ideal...

If you are a fan of Asian cuisine and enjoy variety but also quantity when you eat out, note that Sushi La in Larnaca is now offering the All You Can Eat Buffet at weekends, following its great success on weekdays. From 1 pm to 6 pm, enjoy sushi for just €15. There are a variety of sushi rolls,...

Since we have been writing restaurant reviews for years now, we have ended up – as my colleague Lena Tsoukala and I have concluded – entering each restaurant as a critic. So while the dining experience is a relaxing outing for most, we sit down, take out our writing pads and start taking notes. We...

It’s one of Larnaca’s most attractive seaside hotspots and Galu is back again for another summer of fun. Recently updated (it’s now run by the well known PHC Franchised Restaurants Public Ltd), it promises some truly unique and fun evenings by the sea. If you’re looking for somewhere to relax...

Sitting under the shade of a giant tree in the charming back garden of the restaurant with retro Greek music in the background, we enjoyed a range of delicious plates ranging from fresh oven-baked bread, baked rabbit with lemon, cooked snails and in-house wine. Zinon offers outstanding service and...

When Ammos opened up its first restaurant in Larnaca, it readily adopted the Greek philosophy of beachfront chic from the Athenian restaurant scene. Its overall décor provides the ultimate summer haunt: white sofas, comfortable chairs, recliners with white divans, hammocks. It came as no surprise...

“A brasserie which you could easily find in Paris or Milan can now be found in Andrea Themistocleous Street in Limassol,” one of its owners Theodoros proudly says for the new eatery. After several trips abroad, a groups of friends decided to introduce the culture of ‘casual dining’ to Cypriots....

On the walls you will find old photos and on the tables freshly cooked meat is served in aluminum cookware lined with greaseproof paper ‘just like the old days’, as owner Agis Agisilaou says, who created Proto Kalamaki, a kebab house in a restored building near the Mediaeval Castle square in...

Owners of famed French restaurant ‘La Maison Fleurie’ in Limassol have opened a ‘Boutique Patisserie’ next to the restaurant. In a warm and cosy atmosphere the patisserie serves coffee, tea and hot chocolate accompanied by authentic French sweets and pastries, fresh chocolates and croissants which...

Open for over three months now, Archontoloi is an authentic Greek tavern in Limassol. The atmosphere reminds that of any small tavern in Psiri, Athens, with old photographs of folk singers adorning the walls, Greek cuisine inspired meze and a five-member band playing live music that takes you back...

Where style and food share the same taste

Tucked away in the narrow streets of the old stone-built part of Limassol, Π café has emerged as one of the most stylish places to be seen in.
Seating is spacious with the few tables available all looking out to the...

Where food is an art

I wasn’t sure if I had walked in an art gallery, a café, or a fine restaurant when we first visited Dino Art Café in Limassol last week. Dino Art Café manages to combine all three successfully providing an intimate yet relaxing venue to dine in.
...

International cuisine

Cosy spot in the city

Carob Mill’s Stretto café, bar and restaurant is a lovely, calm space, in tones of red and cream, with both retro and modernist touches defying the venue's formality. An atmospheric space, Stretto is tailored for those who...

Draught bar and grill house in Limassol seems to be on everyone’s list of favourite eateries



Draught’s unrivalled combination of food and atmosphere is what makes it one of the busiest restaurants in town. Draught Microbrewery, the only microbrewery restaurant-bar in...

Located next to the soon-to-be-constructed Olympic Residence building, Benzai is a sushi bar that stands out from all the others on the island. Apart from its wide range of Japanese dishes offered, the great sushi variety served, and the unobstructed sea view, it also operates as an art gallery,...

As soon as it opened up, it became one of Limassol’s hot spots. Library is easily a place you could have walked in for a drink if you were in New York, or any other cosmopolitan city. Located in what used to be an old warehouse that date back more than a century it has been transformed into a...

Refresh is the embodiment of gourmet fast food. Since its opening it has become a new favourite meeting place for locals, with its fast- but healthy –food concept. It prepares mouth-watering fresh meals, with a focus on healthy taste. It offers a great selection of French croissants, Greek cheese...

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of eating lunch sitting on the outer patio at Pralina Blu just a few metres from sand and the turquoise sea, we felt as if we were on one of the exotic Greek islands with the all white theme starring throughout the restaurant and cafι area. There’s no denying that...

The philosophy at La Boca is a simple one: ‘food that’s fresh, fast and fun’ which makes it an ideal choice to fit into our ever-busy schedule. It’s found atColumbia Plaza, a complex that includes 7 Seas live music bar, Columbia Steak House and Venue Centre, which is now firmly established...

If you’ve given up the idea of dining at beach front restaurants because we’re well into autumn, take note that the top beach bars here are never off season, and Puesta is living proof. In winter those that are still open, are the ones that manage to transform their aesthetic and tune in to winter...

The energy of Asia
By Maria Th. Masoura

Chi means ‘energy’. And when you apply it to taste, you get the wonderful flavours at Asiachi found in the Amathus hotel in Limassol. The hotel has been recently renovated and is truly superb. Modern spaces, discreet luxury design and clever...

LIMASSOL

 

French cuisine

La Maison Fleurie18 Christaki Kranou street, Potamos Germasogeias, ...

On your walk down Anexartisias street, make sure you stop at Bono Bar Restaurant and take in the colourful paintings  while enjoying a morning coffee, a lunchtime ‘snack’ – which include salads, pasta dishes, sandwiches, a choice of grilled food including fish – or an evening out with...

italian cuisine
It can be frustrating when you are in another city in Cyprus and looking for a decent place to eat but don’t know which are the good places in town. And even if you know a few by name recommended by friends of friends who’ve been there, you are still never sure which is the...

A fine dining retreat

There’s nothing like sea-side hotel dining. It offers tranquillity and that impeccable aura of luxury that boutique hotels are so good at emanating, and that reassure you that no matter what, you are in good hands. There’s also the sense, for locals, especially...

Looking for a sophisticated restaurant to celebrate that very special occasion? Leander restaurant in the five-star Intercontinental hotel at the Aphrodite Hills resort is the answer.

The resort’s most elegant restaurant, Leander is a fine dining establishment located in front of the...

Don’t let the name mislead you, apart from its sumptuous range of well-cooked juicy steaks Meat Academy offers a range of fish dishes accompanied with salad and sweet-tasting wine. Its philosophy is that everything is char-grilled with a menu inspired by a selection of the finest choices Cypriot...

Kato Paphos is enhancing Cyprus’ gastronomical offerings with Koi Thai & Japanese restaurant: The first super modern Japanese and Thai restaurant that is bound to impress anyone that visits. Those who have already been initiated into the world of Asian culinary love this type of restaurant. Now...

The latest news regarding night life is definitely positive and refreshing and it comes from the beautiful town ofPaphos. The first café of Fashion TV chain is now a reality in Cyprus, adding more quality to the island’s nightlife options.

The café attracts a high-class crowd, aged...

My journey of taste this summer took me to the village of Miliou, to the dreamlike Ayioi Anargyroi Natural Healing Spa Resort to try the wonderful menu which boasts gourmet meze.

It is served daily from 7:30pm except Monday and Tuesday, on the terrace just above the resort’s pool...

This restaurant takes its name from the well known street in Barcelona where visitors are offered endless culinary possibilities, the eatery at Intercontinental Aphrodite Hills Resort Hotel is an area which mirrors that kaleidoscope of tastes.

Upon arrival we were greeted by...

For quality dining with a friendly smile, it’s hard to beat The Knight’s Pub restaurant in Protaras. The Knight’s Pub opened in 1988, however it only started serving food six years ago. And for the last 4 years it has been voted the number one Pub restaurant in Protaras. It’s not hard to see why....

Located on Ayia Napa’s sandy Nissi Bay, the Adams Hotel offers excellent accommodation and a stunning new restaurant on the fifth floor. Apart from a panoramic view of the bay and Makronissos Beach, here you’ll find Mediterranean-inspired dishes skilfully prepared with flair and imagination by...

We’ve all been there. It’s peak season in Ayia Napa and you’re seduced by tourist traps claiming the frozen fish is actually freshly caught and the ready made pasta sauce is actually an authentic Italian recipe. It’s enough to make even the most laid back of people see red. And though we all want a...

A stylish restaurant with modern white design with turquoise splashes and quality food is exactly what was missing from the Protaras restaurant scene. Although it took some time to launch, it’s now here to re-establish the restaurant scene by significantly raising the standards. On a Friday...

In addition to its curious name the facia reads 'Since 1980'. So my first question to my friends that brought me here was to ask if the tables and chairs were the original ones when the place first opened over 30 years ago. It was mostly in jest, but the first impression is that refurbishing and...