Where is the best fish in Cyprus? Head for Moustakallis in Polis, our top pick of the ten, or Vassos in Ayia Napa harbour if you want to eat beside the boats.
Cyprus sits in the middle of the Mediterranean and has been fishing it for several thousand years. The island’s fish taverns, from harbour front institutions to quiet family places on the coast, are where that tradition still lives. These are the ten worth planning a meal around.
Getting there: most of these taverns are on the coast, so a hire car makes the list easy to work through. Compare cars on Auto Europe (affiliate link), book a transfer with KiwiTaxi (affiliate link), or look at boat trips and food tours on Klook (affiliate link).
Where Is the Best Fish in Each City?
- Limassol: BEGE for fine dining, Pyxida Limassol for fish on the marina, and Fat Fish for big portions and good value. See our Limassol guide.
- Nicosia: Pyxida Nicosia. See our Nicosia guide.
- Polis: Moustakallis. See our Paphos guide.
- Ayia Napa and Protaras: Vassos and Kalamies. See our Ayia Napa and Protaras guide.
- Larnaca: Demetrion. See our Larnaca guide.
How Do You Spot a Good Fish Tavern in Cyprus?
A few things are worth knowing before the list, because they will serve you well anywhere on the island. Ask what came in today. A good tavern will tell you without hesitation and will often show you the fish before cooking it.
Price by the kilo is normal for whole fish and is not a sign that you are being taken advantage of, though you should always ask the weight before agreeing. Be slightly cautious of anywhere offering every species on the menu year round, because Cypriot waters are seasonal and an honest kitchen reflects that. Finally, if the place is full of locals on a weekday evening, that tells you more than any review.
Seafood also sits differently in Cypriot cooking than it does in Greece, something we cover in our guide to Greek and Cypriot food. Cyprus leans heavily towards meat, which means its best fish taverns tend to be genuine specialists rather than places doing a bit of everything.
1. Moustakallis Tavern, Polis
Best for: the fish meze. This is our pick of the ten, and the one we have reviewed in full. It is a family run tavern near Latchi on the northwest coast, running since the late 1970s and now into its third generation. The consistency across twenty odd plates is what separates it from almost everywhere else on this list, and the wider area helps. Polis moves slowly, nobody is turning tables, and dinner becomes an evening rather than a meal. Read our full review of Moustakallis. Polis is about 45 minutes from Paphos town, so a hire car or a pre-booked KiwiTaxi (affiliate link) transfer is the way to get there.
2. Vassos Fish Harbour Tavern, Ayia Napa
Best for: eating beside the boats. Vassos is in Ayia Napa harbour, about as close to the boats as you can eat. The range is wide and genuinely landed locally, with whole grilled fish, king prawns and a proper seafood meze all worth ordering. Eating fresh fish while the boats come in is the sort of thing people remember about a trip, and Vassos has been doing it long enough to have nothing to prove.
3. Pyxida Fish Tavern, Nicosia
Best for: seafood in the capital. Nicosia is landlocked, which makes a serious fish tavern there slightly counterintuitive and rather impressive. Pyxida brings coastal quality inland with both grilled and fried seafood, octopus, prawns, calamari and a strong fish meze. The setting is more refined than most taverns on this list, closer to a restaurant than a harbourside shack. Read our full Pyxida Nicosia review, and our guide to living in Nicosia covers the rest of the city’s food scene.
4. Demetrion Fish Tavern, Larnaca
Best for: a beach afternoon that turns into dinner. Demetrion is on the Finikoudes promenade, with the beach in front of it. Seabass, sea bream and lobster are the strengths, and the fish meze gives you a generous run through grilled and fried dishes with salads and dips. Catches come in daily and it shows, and the promenade location makes it easy to combine with time on the sand. It is about 10 minutes from Larnaca Airport, which makes it a natural first or last meal of a trip.
5. Kalamies Fish Tavern, Protaras
Best for: a sunset table on the sand. Kalamies sits directly on the beach in Protaras and is popular with locals as much as visitors, which is always the signal worth watching. Grilled fish and seafood pasta are the standouts, alongside a traditional fish meze. Book ahead in summer, because the good tables go quickly.
6. Koursaros Fish Tavern, Paphos
Best for: a full traditional fish meze in Paphos. Koursaros is in the heart of Paphos and built around small plates of grilled octopus, red mullet, calamari and prawns. The portions are generous even by Cypriot standards, so arrive hungry. The atmosphere is relaxed rather than polished, which suits the food. For a different kind of meal in town, see our Grazie Paphos review.
7. To Steki Tis Lias, Limassol
Best for: simple charcoal grilled fish. This family owned tavern is tucked away in Limassol and is the most homely place on this list. The sea bream and the calamari are the reason to come, served with fresh salads and local vegetables. Nothing here is trying to impress you, and that simplicity is a useful contrast to the more polished seafood options in the city.
8. Kyrenia Fish Tavern, Paphos
Best for: a quiet evening away from the tourist strip. Kyrenia is in the quieter part of Kato Paphos. Whole grilled fish, octopus and seafood platters come with local salads and sides, and the kitchen leans on traditional recipes rather than trying to modernise them. The setting is intimate and the welcome is warm.
9. Limanaki Fish Tavern, Limassol
Best for: a special occasion. Limanaki is inside the Amathus Beach Hotel and is the most refined entry here. Grilled red mullet, swordfish and seabass are the pick of the menu, served in an elegant room looking out over the Mediterranean. Expect to pay accordingly, and expect the service to match. For fine dining fish in Limassol, BEGE at the St Raphael Marina is the best on the island, and we have also reviewed ORIS at Trilogy and Matsuhisa at the Amara.
10. Molos Fish Tavern, Limassol
Best for: a quick, good seafood stop on the seafront. Molos is in the central Molos area and deliberately casual. Grilled prawns, calamari and sea bream are the reliable orders, and the atmosphere is lively rather than refined. If you are walking the seafront and want good seafood without planning an expedition, this is the practical answer.
Several of these taverns are a long way apart, so plan the route before you book. A hire car from Auto Europe (affiliate link) makes a coastal food trip simple, and a private transfer from KiwiTaxi (affiliate link) means nobody has to drive after the wine.
What Should You Order at a Cypriot Fish Tavern?
Whole grilled fish, priced by weight, is almost always the best thing on the menu. Grilled octopus, when it has been tenderised properly, is exceptional and very hard to find done well outside the Mediterranean.
Calamari should be tender rather than rubbery, which is a quick test of any kitchen. Fresh red mullet is a local favourite and worth ordering when it is on. If you have three hours and a serious appetite, the fish meze gives you the full range in one sitting, and a glass of local white wine is the natural partner. Our guide to Cyprus wine explains what to ask for.
Where Should You Stay for a Fish Tavern Trip?
Limassol is the best base, because it has the most places to stay and eat within a short drive, and it is 45 to 60 minutes from Larnaca Airport. Our hotel reviews of Amara, The GrandResort and St Raphael will help you choose, and where to stay in Cyprus covers the other regions. Stay in Paphos for Polis and Latchi, and in Ayia Napa for Vassos and Kalamies, where Adams Beach is our reviewed option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where Is the Best Seafood in Cyprus?
The northwest coast around Polis and Latchi has the strongest concentration of traditional fish taverns, because the boats land within walking distance of the tables. Ayia Napa harbour and the Protaras coast are close behind, and for fine dining BEGE in Limassol is the best.
Where Is the Best Place to Eat Fish in Limassol?
BEGE for fine dining, Pyxida on the marina and Fat Fish for value. See our Limassol guide.
How Much Does a Fish Meze Cost in Cyprus?
It varies by tavern and region, and is generally priced per person with a minimum of two people. Whole fish is usually priced separately by weight, so always ask before ordering.
Is the Fish in Cyprus Locally Caught?
Some of it. Cyprus imports a proportion of its seafood, so it is always worth asking what is local and what came in today, and the better taverns will answer straight away.
When Is the Best Season for Seafood in Cyprus?
Spring and autumn generally give the best range and the most comfortable conditions for eating outdoors. Summer is busy everywhere on the coast, so book ahead.
Do I Need to Book?
For the coastal taverns in summer, yes. Moustakallis, Vassos and Kalamies all fill early in season.
How Do I Get Around to the Fish Taverns?
A hire car is the easiest way, and you can compare prices on Auto Europe (affiliate link). If you plan to drink, book a private transfer with KiwiTaxi (affiliate link), or join a food tour listed on Klook (affiliate link). An Airalo (affiliate link) eSIM keeps your maps working on the coast roads. See also getting around Cyprus.
Where Should I Stay Near the Best Fish Taverns?
Limassol is the easiest base for most people. See where to stay in Cyprus.
Final Thoughts
Whether you want a whole grilled sea bream, charcoal octopus or a fish meze that runs to twenty plates, Cyprus has no shortage of places doing it properly. The best of them are not the ones with the biggest signs on the tourist strip. They are the family run places near the harbours, where the fish came in that morning and the recipes have not changed in forty years.
If meat is more your thing, our guide to the best meat taverns in Cyprus covers the other half of the island’s tavern tradition, and our ranked guide to the best restaurants in Cyprus covers every place we have reviewed in full.