Cyprus sells itself on winter sun, but the island's real hook is what lands on your plate. Its cooking leans on slow charcoal grilling, shared meze spreads and seafood caught that morning — a legacy of Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern influences all sitting at the same table. Nicky Marston, who runs Jet2holidays' Cyprus operation, has named the four restaurants she sends people to, and her list skips the glitzy resort dining rooms entirely.
For seafood, her top pick is Vassos Fish Tavern in Ayia Napa. It started in the 1960s as a shack by the harbour where a fisherman named Vassos and his mates gathered for coffee and fresh catch after their mornings at sea. As Ayia Napa grew into one of Cyprus's biggest beach resorts, the shack grew with it — but it still sources from local fishermen and sits right on the waterfront, so you're eating the day's catch with a harbour view.
Further up the coast in Protaras, Marston recommends Spartiatis, which she rates as one of the best seafood restaurants on the entire island, not just the resort strip. It's where locals go rather than tour groups, and her tip is to order the fish meze — a succession of small seafood dishes that lets you try a bit of everything. One caveat: its reputation has travelled, so book well ahead.
Head inland to the village of Tochni for what Marston calls her favourite hidden gem on the island. Tochni Tavern does the classic Cypriot meze properly: a long, slow lunch of freshly cooked dishes alongside an assortment of dips, washed down with wines from wineries in the surrounding hills. If you want the island's food culture away from the coast, this is the one.
Finally, the dish that might as well be Cyprus's national dish: souvla — big chunks of meat slow-cooked over charcoal. The place to eat it is Viklari, which throws out the usual restaurant playbook altogether. There is no menu. You choose chicken, pork, or both, and a generous platter of charcoal-grilled meat arrives with chunky homemade fried potatoes, Cypriot salad, local dips and village bread. Rustic, simple and famously good.
Why it matters: Cyprus is one of the shortest flights from the UK to reliable winter warmth, and this list gives you a ready-made eating itinerary — seafood on the coast, village meze inland and the definitive souvla lunch — whether you're staying in Ayia Napa, Protaras or basing yourself further afield. Food-focused travellers get the most out of mixing resort days with a couple of inland lunches, so consider hiring a car for at least the Tochni and Viklari legs.
Credit: The Independent Travel
