Sample the spoils of Paphos’ sun-drenched pocket of history, culture and local charm, where the Med meets the flavours of the Middle East on a plate and where local chefs, bakers and winemakers will share their delicious secrets of Cypriot food with you.
Banquet for Breakfast
Family-style breakfasts in Cyprus, these joyful gatherings feel like Bacchanalian banquets enjoyed around a table laden with spoils of the region: just-picked fruit like juicy watermelon, sweet grapes, citrus from local orchards and plump figs from hedgerows, perfect with dollops of thick Greek yoghurt topped with crushed walnuts are amongst the Cypriot food on offer. The golden wonder that is Akamas honey made from wildflower nectar by busy bees in nearby apiaries is poured over pan-fried halloumi. Twists of sesame-sprinkled bread are dipped into silky Anari cheese drizzled with carob syrup. Then there’s warm and more-ish spinach and cheese pies, sweet flaky baklava and loukaniko, mountain village sausages cured with red wine and coriander, served charred from the grill. Strong black coffee and loaf cake finish off the feast.
Savour ‘Black Gold’
Venture outside Paphos through hills popping with brightly-coloured wildflowers in summertime and you’ll spot towering carob trees. Its fruits, the flat-podded legumes harvested since medieval times are still revered as the island’s ‘black gold’, precious carob pods a valuable export sustaining generations of farming families. This delicious alternative to chocolate and ancient superfood is still a local favourite. Sticky, dark carob syrup’s made by boiling and straining the pods and is perfect in traditional toffee-like pastelli. Packed with heart-healthy minerals vitamins A, B and D and anti-inflammatory properties, carob’s also a nutritional powerhouse. Taste homemade syrup at Spring of Life Restaurant, where owner Costas known as ‘Mastros’ (meaning “boss” in Greek), also makes local IPA beer and olive oil and is considered honorary mayor of Amargeti village.
Linger Longer with Lunch by the Sea
Walk around Paphos’ picturesque Fishing Harbour harbour and lunch at one of its atmospheric seafront cafes. At Theo’s restaurant on the Marina, the seafood mezze is a leisurely affair with a steady stream of prawns, mussels and just-grilled fish served in quick succession. Simple fare is the order of the day, with olives and dips and pita bread to start, flowing into plates of tender grilled octopus and crispy calamari. The main event is whole baked fish with vegetables. You’ll likely spot the resident pelican eye-ing up the possibility of leftovers.
Make Halloumi and Bake Bread
You can hear a pin drop in the hilltop village of Letymbou where cherry, almond, orange and lemon trees grow in abundance. Local, Adriana, tells us four varieties of citrus trees including pomelo grow in her garden as we pass on our way to Sophia House for a cooking class. On arrival Sophia shows us how to knead and bake bread, finished with a traditional stamp. Her husband (so-called ‘apprentice’) lends a hand.
As is often the way in Cyprus, halloumi steals the show. Guide Alexia Christodoulou will tell you that Cypriots eat halloumi, “for breakfast, lunch and dinner and at any time in between”. But forget the packet version here. Sofia’s just-cooked, soft squeaky cheese made with goats’ milk, tastes completely different, all warm and milky. She walks us through every step, from boiling whey in a large pot to squeezing out the residue and serving fresh with just the right amount of wobble; like you’ve never tasted. Strong coffee is brewed to go with warm halloumi and just-baked bread smothered in homemade orange marmalade in her shady garden.
Roll up Your Sleeves to Make Kleftiko
Don an apron to learn how Cypriots make kleftiko, the melt-in-the-mouth lamb dish historically named after the practice of stealing meat, covering it in leaves and cooking it underground overnight. Executive chef Panagiotou Panagiotis says the secret is to rub the lamb with herbs such as oregano and thyme, season with sea salt, and sprinkle liberally with rosemary, which grows wild all over the island, before drizzling with olive oil and leaving it to marinate for 24 hours. It’s then slow-cooked in a clay oven on low anywhere from three to 24 hours.
Chef’s equally delicious salt-crusted fish dish takes a whole fish, such as snapper or mullet, stuffs the cavity with celery, thyme, lemon and onion, covers it in a layer of whisked egg white and sea salt before baking for around 45 minutes. Served with Cypriot potatoes baked underneath the fish or lamb, soaking up all those cooking juices. Asimina Suite’s resident cat slinks around the table leg looking hopeful.
Snack on a Sweet Sensation
Loukoumades or lokmades (pronounced lock-MAH-dhess), are small Cypriot doughnuts taking their name from the Arabic words “luqma(t) meaning morsel or mouthful. This sweet treat is made of a simple batter made with yeast, flour and water but without milk in the traditional recipe. Fried in extra mild olive oil and shaped into small round balls Loukoumades are dipped in sugar and served hot.
Savour Wine with Mountain Vineyard Views
Drink in the fruits of the region at tiny family-run wineries, like Kolios Winery found in Statos village on a mountaintop 3,000-feet above sea level where mouflon sheep roam. A tour and tasting reveals the chalky white limestone terroir and lack of irrigation which means small fruit that brings concentrated flavour to the grapes making this area one of the best for winemaking. Marios Kolios explains the grapes are handpicked in Autumn and their small production wines are pressed and fermented before maturing in-bottle, in the cellar. Also, the largest organic vineyard of local grape variety maratheftiko in Cyprus, Kolios wines are aged in oak barrels, the delicious results combining red fruit raspberry and cherry notes with spices, smoke and chocolate flavours.
Sip a Sundowner at a Rooftop Bar
With sunsets that blaze in marmalade shades, sundowners in Paphos are a must-do. Along the Paphos walkway there’s a steel structure that snakes into the sky at Antasia Beach Club perfect for a cocktail as the sun melts over the sea, while back at the hotel Asimina Suites, the new coveted sunset spot, St Andrews Rooftop Bar also has panoramic sea views, perfect for sipping cocktails and staying late to wonder at the starlit sky. Discover the botanicals behind the bottle in a guided gin tasting by effervescent Bar Manager George, exploring a curated selection of gins with a view that makes every sip sublime.
Dine with Cypriot Food at a Trad Taverna
With Cypriot mezze dinners seemingly lasting to infinity, it’s a good thing live music plays a big part in Cypriot evenings, with dancing to deal with the calorie intake. At traditional tavernas like Pagkratios Tavern in the Paphos Old Town, wild asparagus is the pick of the bunch among a rolling feast of dishes, including squeaky grilled halloumi, seasoned village sausages, and flame-licked pork souvlaki. The historic heart of Paphos has recently been beautifully restored and it’s the perfect place to find sophisticated tastes of Cyprus food dishes like at Honey Restaurant, its terrace elegantly shaded by a historic olive tree or the very glamorous Onar restaurant and bar for something more elevated.
WHY GO TO CYPRUS?
For sun-drenched coastline, year-round warm weather, mountain villages, amazing Cypriot food, delicious local wine, mythical history and jaw-dropping ancient tombs and remains like the mosaics at Nea Paphos (UNESCO-listed heritage with major 2026 projects include upgrading the Tomb of Kings.
Renate Ruge flew to Cyprus with Jet2 from Manchester to discover the food in Cyprus and was a guest of the Paphos Tourist Board and Constantinou Bros Asimina Suites Hotel.
Book online through Jet2Holidays www.jet2holidays.com, call 01924 380 160 or visit https://www.asimina-cbh.com. All photos by Renate Ruge.
