Food & drink
The part of the trip we are most confident recommending. Order the meze at least once.
What to eat
- Meze
- A long run of small dishes brought out one after another: dips, salads, grilled meat, seafood and cheese. Order it once and you'll have tried most of this list.
- Halloumi
- Grilled, or fresh with cold watermelon, and good in a warm pita.
- Souvlakia and sheftalia (vegan versions also available!)
- Grilled skewers, and spiced sausage parcels, in warm pita.
- Kleftiko
- Lamb slow-roasted with bay and potatoes in a sealed clay oven until it falls apart.
- Koupepia
- Vine leaves rolled around rice, herbs and mince. Vegetarian versions are easy to find.
- Koupes
- Crisp-fried shells of cracked wheat, filled with spiced mince, or with mushrooms if you want them meat-free.
- From the bakery
- Eliopita, an olive and coriander bread, plus kolokotes, halloumotes, and tahinopittes, which are Kim's favourite.
Where to eat
A few places to try for a meze in the area.
- Τταππής (Ttappis)
- Μουσικός (Mousikos)
- Old Simos
Something sweet
- Loukoumades
- Hot doughnuts in honey syrup.
- Soutzoukos
- Almonds on a string, dipped in grape must over and over until it sets chewy.
- Mahalepi
- A cold milk pudding with rose syrup and crushed ice. Best on a hot afternoon.
- Spoon sweets
- Fruit preserved in syrup, served a spoonful at a time with coffee.
To drink
- Coffee
- Cyprus coffee is strong and unfiltered. Thomas maintains that freddo espresso is the only correct order.
- Lemonada
- Fresh lemonade, and the right thing after a day on the beach. Try it with sparkling water.
- Commandaria
- One of the oldest named wines in the world. Sweet, and for after dinner.
- Zivania
- Grape spirit, served very cold. Stronger than it tastes.