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The Best food in Ayia Napa - The classic Cypriot dishes you must try

MAR 24, 2019

Find out the wonderful dishes you should try when visiting the best restaurants in Ayia Napa and how its culinary culture can wow your tastebuds.

Cyprus is a haven of culinary pleasures with many restaurants available. The classics are derived from Greek cuisines yet some have a Cypriot twist. Here are the five dishes you need to try to get the best Cypriot dining experience in Ayia Napa.

Beef Stifado

Beef Stifado is a Cypriot stew that follows the famous rule in cooking, keep it low and slow. The beef cubes are browned to seal in flavour and are then cooked for as long as 12 hours at a low temperature. Added to the beef to make the sauce are onions, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, cloves and a number of other spices. Often red wine is used in the reduction to produce a rich, intense flavour.

Stifado is considered a comfort food in Cyprus, maybe not one for a lunchtime snack but one to definitely fill the belly with sides of bread, pilaf, rice or chips.

Pasticcio

Pasticcio is another favourite with the Cypriot locals. It is a dish that is based around a meat sauce (normally beef or lamb), a long tubular pasta and a béchamel sauce topping. It closest relative is the beef lasagne, of Italian descent, and it is even thought that this dish could be the precursor to the lasagne.

Pasticcio is one for the evening, or to give you a carb overload to power you through day and night.

Meat or Fish Meze

The 'Meze' is a dish that is derived of many small dishes. Its name, Meze, means to taste and has variants that stretch from Spain as far East as the Middle East.

The idea behind the meat or fish meze is to give a taster of a number of dishes. It is particularly good if you want to sample a few different dishes or if you can’t make up your mind.

A typical meze will be eaten until you can’t eat anymore, yet most restaurants will put a limit on the dishes to ensure you get the quality and correct mix of the dishes, in the correct order.

This one is definitely one to try and is a Cypriot as food gets. Arrive with an empty stomach though as you will likely be rolled out of the restaurant if not.

Greek Salad

The Greek Salad is served across the best restaurants in Ayia Napa. It can be taken as a side, a refreshing lunch or the start of an evening meal. The crispness and freshness of the tomatoes, lettuce and onions partners with the saltiness of the olives and feta cheese to give an extremely refreshing bite.

The Cypriots normally fight to dip their bread into the juices that collect at the bottom of the dish, so get in there quick.

Souvla

Souvla is a Cypriot dish derived from Souvlaki, which is common throughout Greece and can be served in restaurants or as street food or snacks. The dish is a grilled meat, cooked on classic barbeques laid with charcoal. The difference between the two is that the Cypriot Souvla has much larger pieces of meat that are cooked further away from the coal, therefore at a slower pace.

The Souvla served in Ayia Napa will generally be either pork, chicken or lamb, and sometimes a mix.

The Souvla is a classic of Cyprus and Ayia Napa and serves as a perfect food for any sitting time or situation. The smokiness of the meat and the herb infused marinades make this an absolute go to for any time.

Ayia Napa many of the best Cypriot foods and this list is by no means the end of it. Try the different dishes and absorb thousands of years of culinary culture. If you are still stuck what to order, ask your waiter and they will recommend the chef’s (or their) favourites to give you the best Ayia Napa restaurant experience.