7 Best Restaurants in Cyprus

In what is surely one of the most convivial atmospheres in Limassol, with a wide patio attached to the Limassol Nautical Club and overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, take your pick from an extensive menu of seafood. The set-menu lunch is always great value, but there are also a handful of catches of the day to choose from. It's the perfect locale for gawking at the scene around you—both the other enthusiastic diners, often celebrating birthdays and other special events, and the beautiful sea. Spend time perusing the fantastic wine list with over 250 labels from wineries both within Cyprus and around the world.

At Ladas, you will enjoy an elegant lunch and dinner in a historic carob factory sitting smack in the center of Limassol's Old Port; where the pleasant waitstaff bring you the freshest fish and seafood on offer that day. You'll always start off with a fresh Greek salad tossed tableside and a selection of dips served with warm pita, followed by an appetizer like grilled calamari with lemon, before reaching the main course of a simply prepared yet succulent fish, such as whole sea bass for two, already deboned. Ladas's sophisticated air and polished presentation provide a welcome break after a morning of shopping and strolling on Agiou Andreou, just a block away.

In an ornate dining room with beautiful filigree metalwork screens and painted walls and ceilings, authentic Syrian cuisine is prepared by a brigade of hard working chefs. Dips such as moutabbal (grilled aubergine with tahini and yogurt), prepare the palate for the stars from the charcoal grill. Shish tawouk, marinated chicken breast, and shukaf, the lamb equivalent, are tender and smoky, infused with spices, while the kebabs are the best in the city. Leave some room for their baklava and mastic-flavored ice cream.

This restaurant has not only the most delicious food in Paphos, but it is also the most charming place to dine. Everyone from locals to tourists in the know come to experience owner George's inventive Cypriot cooking, which includes a preponderance of fresh, seasonal, and often organic ingredients, and lots of options for vegetarians and vegans. St. Georges has no written menu, just a prix-fixe offering of mezedes—a seemingly endless parade of small plates from cheeses to vegetables from the restaurant's own garden to meats smoked in-house, along with tasty homemade wine. The friendly servers will keep bringing the food until you tell them to stop.

Cyprus celebrity TV chef Roddy Damalis serves up small plates of Cypriot fusion cuisine—Ta Piatakia translates as "little plates"—in a lively atmosphere with festive colored tassels dangling from the soaring ceilings and a young, mainly local crowd. Sample house specialties—many featuring local products—like duck in green walnut sauce, grilled halloumi (the local Cyprus cheese) drizzled with honey, and prawn souvlaki. Round out your meal with a Cypriot wine pairing from a well-stocked upstairs cellar.

The pairing of food and wine is a challenging craft to master, but this wine and tapas bar has managed to balance the two perfectly. Inventive, international, and modern, Vino’s array of mouthwatering tapas caters to the fussiest palate. From fish tacos, hearty bruschetta, to tasty tagliata (sliced) steaks, Vino serves up platters that cater to every palate, including vegetarians. A wine selection that perfectly enhances the flavor of each dish is offered by the bottle and by the glass.

A classic meze tavern, which opened in 1938, Zanettos is tucked into a side street in Nicosia's atmospheric Old City and filled with a mix of tourists and old-timers. With no menu the restaurant dishes up plate after plate of fresh and tasty food for a low, fixed price. Pictures of Cypriot celebrities embracing the chef and his son stare down at you from the walls as you devour super-fresh salads, salty halloumi cheese, and tangy olives; hearty veggies like beets, potatoes, and mushrooms; tender meat dishes such as chicken kebabs and veal; and even succulent snails. Be sure to save room for dessert: Lebanese mahalembi, a unique rose-flavored creamy concoction.