Cypriot Food
Cypriot cuisine blends influences from the eastern Mediterranean, especially Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Levantine cooking traditions. Food culture in Cyprus is deeply social: meals are long, shared, and centered around seasonal ingredients like olive oil, herbs, citrus, grains, legumes, sheep/goat dairy, seafood, and grilled meats.
Cypriot food refects centuries of cultural exchange
- Greek Orthodox traditions influence fasting dishes and holiday foods.
- Turkish Cypriot cuisine contributes kebabs, pastries, and spice combinations.
- Levantine influence appears in herbs, dips, stuffed vegetables, and sweets.
- British colonial history even left traces like local adaptations of sandwiches and bakery culture.
One of the most iconic dining styles in Cyprus is meze — a long sequence of small dishes shared at the table, served with a fresh village salad with feta.
Halloumi is probably Cyprus’s best-known export and is a semi-hard cheese traditionally made from sheep and goat milk (sometimes mixed with cow’s milk). Its high melting point makes it ideal for grilling or frying. Delicious served with watermelon in the summer, with eggs for breakfast and in sandwiches
Other dishes that are particular to Cyprus include
- Souvla and Sheftalia served from the BBQ
- Kleftiko - slow baked lamb
- Makaronia Tou Forno - Pasta dish similar to the Greek Pastisio
- Koupepia - Stuffed vine leaves
- Seafood - Calamari, Sea Bass, Octopus, Red Mullet
Cypriot cuisine overall is rustic, ingredient-focused, and strongly Mediterranean.
Wine & Drinks
Drinking culture in Cyprus is closely tied to village traditions, hospitality, and long social meals. Wine has been produced on the island for thousands of years, and Cyprus today combines ancient wine traditions with modern wineries, craft breweries, and strong local spirits.
Cyprus has several native grapes that are increasingly respected internationally.
White grapes
- Xynisteri — fresh, citrusy, mineral-driven
- Spourtiko — rarer and aromatic
Red Grapes
- Maratheftiko — deep color, spicy, structured
- Yiannoudi — revived heritage variety
Most vineyards are in the Troodos mountain foothills, where altitude helps maintain acidity despite the hot climate. The imporatnt wine villages are Omodos, Koilani, Vouni and Platres
The local "Firewater" is called Zivania. This has a very strong alcohol content and is not for the faint hearted
However, central to social life in Cyprus is coffee. You will find a coffee shop on most street corners, serving a cool frappe on a summers day.
On a hot day much better to stick with a bottle of water which can be bought from kiosks, mini markets or shops and is thirst quenching and cheap.