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The best restaurants in Cyprus start with Taverna tou Theodosi near Nicosia for the best all round meal, and BEGE in Limassol for the best fine dining. Every restaurant on this list has been visited and reviewed in full.
There are no sponsored entries. The ranking reflects what we would actually book, which is not always the most expensive room. Last updated: 23 October 2026. Currently 18 restaurants.
How Do We Rank the Best Restaurants in Cyprus?
Each restaurant gets a verdict: Recommended, Recommended with caveats, or Not recommended on our latest visit. The order covers the whole evening rather than one dish. Food quality carries the most weight, followed by consistency across visits, then service and value. Setting counts, and it cannot rescue a kitchen.
The list grows as we review more places. Nothing is added without a full visit, and anything that drops has been replaced by something better rather than removed quietly. This page is the only place where positions are given, so it always reflects our current view.
1. Taverna tou Theodosi, Pano Deftera
Recommended. Traditional Cypriot, near Nicosia. At least 25 visits and every visit has been exceptional. The best souvlaki we have eaten anywhere in Cyprus, a pork and mushroom stew that would carry a restaurant on its own, owners who greet every table, and prices that feel like a pleasant surprise for what arrives. Seasonal cooking, a blazing fire in winter and live music at weekends complete it. Read the full review.
2. BEGE, St Raphael Marina, Limassol
Recommended. Fine dining seafood, Limassol. The best fish in Cyprus, and the only fine dining room on this list without a qualification attached. Exceptional halibut and sea bass, a serious wine list, and table spacing generous enough to hold a conversation. The owner comes out to talk about the food and the wine, which almost nobody else here does. Read the full review.
3. Beefbar, Amara Hotel, Limassol
Recommended. Steakhouse, Limassol. The best steak on the island and priced accordingly, at around 300 to 350 euro for two. Exceptional beef, a wine list built around it and service that holds up, and the value is not all at the top of the menu. Read the full review.
4. Prime Steakhouse, City of Dreams, Limassol
Recommended. Steakhouse, Limassol. Overlooked because it sits inside a casino resort, which is a mistake. The most consistent high end kitchen in Limassol, with sides that have actually been thought about and a Sarawak pepper sauce worth the trip. Read the full review.
5. Moustakallis Tavern, Polis
Recommended. Seafood and traditional, northwest coast. Family run since the late 1970s and now into its third generation. The fish meze is the thing to order, and the consistency across twenty odd plates is what separates it from most of the coast. Read the full review.
6. Meze Taverna, Limassol Old Town
Recommended. Traditional meze, Limassol. The most recommended meze in Cyprus and it earns it. It felt like about 12 to 15 plates over three hours, changing with the season, with no filler, which is considerably harder than it sounds. It is the place to take someone visiting Cyprus for the first time. Read the full review.
7. Grazie, Kato Paphos
Recommended. Italian and steakhouse, Paphos. Our favourite table in Paphos. Excellent meat, gratinated oysters worth the trip alone, one of the best wine lists in town and an owner who comes out to say hello. Only the bill holds it back. Read the full review.
8. LPM, Limassol
Recommended. French Mediterranean brunch, Limassol. Around 120 euro a head for free flowing brunch, and worth it if you have the afternoon. The escargot and a green salad you will order twice are the highlights, which tells you how good the starters are. Read the full review.
9. 7 Linoi Tavern
Recommended. Village taverna, mountains. A traditional tavern making small deliberate departures from the formula. The kolokithokeftedes are the best we have had anywhere, and the chicken is handled with unusual care. Ask for an indoor table in winter. Read the full review.
10. Dionysus Mansion, Limassol
Recommended. Modern Cypriot, Limassol. An old villa in the centre of the city serving modern Cypriot food at an unhurried pace. The pork tomahawk is the dish, the building does a great deal of the work, and it is best in winter. Read the full review.
11. Pyxida Limassol, Limassol Marina
Recommended. Fish tavern, Limassol. The marina sister of the Nicosia original, and the better of the two. Fresh fish, great sardines and a waterside room, with prices that feel fairer for the setting. Read the full review.
12. Henry’s, Nicosia
Recommended with caveats. All day dining and drinks, central Nicosia. One of the few places we recommend in the middle of the capital. A great venue and drinks list, though quality control has slipped a little. Read the full review.
13. Taverna Agios Epiktitos, Limassol
Recommended with caveats. Traditional taverna with a view, above Limassol. One of the best dining views in Cyprus and a kitchen that does not match it. The pork and lamb are good, the chicken is not, and the meze is effectively compulsory, so come for the sunset. Read the full review.
14. ORIS Fire Kitchen, Trilogy, Limassol
Recommended with caveats. Modern Mediterranean, Limassol. The best cocktails in the city and a beautiful room, held back by a kitchen that drowns good ingredients in sauce. Go for drinks and the atmosphere, because there is enormous potential if the food catches up. Read the full review.
15. Golden Monkey, St Raphael Resort, Limassol
Recommended with caveats. Thai fine dining, Limassol. Cyprus’ first dedicated Thai fine dining room, and still the best Thai on the island. The cooking is genuinely good and the service is reliable, but the bill is the problem, at around 140 euro for two courses, a side and two drinks. Read the full review.
16. Pyxida Nicosia
Recommended with caveats. Fish tavern, Nicosia. The original of the Pyxida pair. Great fresh fish and cured sardines, but pricey for the capital and the service lags. Read the full review.
17. Matsuhisa, Amara Hotel, Limassol
Recommended with caveats. Japanese fusion, Limassol. The most beautiful dining room on the island and the least consistent kitchen in it. Scattered service, underwhelming sushi and pricing that is difficult to justify against Beefbar in the same building, so go for the atmosphere, not the food. Read the full review.
18. Salt and Fire, Agios Ioannis, Nicosia
Not recommended on our latest visit. Steakhouse, outskirts of Nicosia. The most overrated restaurant on this list. A beautiful room and a good wine list, undone by a tomahawk that was about 90 percent fat and that we could not eat. Book Henry’s or Pyxida in the city instead. Read the full review.
Which Restaurant Is Best for What?
- Best overall: Taverna tou Theodosi, for consistency, quality and value across at least 25 visits.
- Best fine dining: BEGE, the one high end room where food, service and setting all move in the same direction.
- Best steak: Beefbar for the beef itself, Prime for the most consistent evening.
- Best seafood tavern: Moustakallis in Polis, where the fish meze is the reason to make the drive.
- Best meze: Meze Taverna in Limassol Old Town for a first time visitor, Theodosi for the real village version.
- Best in Paphos: Grazie.
- Best brunch: LPM, if you have a whole afternoon to give it.
- Best view: Taverna Agios Epiktitos at sunset.
- Best cocktails: ORIS at Trilogy.
- Most overrated: Salt and Fire, where the room is far better than the steak.
Where Is the Best Place to Eat in Limassol?
Limassol has the most restaurants on this list. BEGE is the best fine dining, Beefbar and Prime are the steaks, Meze Taverna is the old town meze, Pyxida Limassol is the marina fish tavern and Dionysus Mansion is the modern Cypriot choice. If you are moving to the city rather than visiting, our guide to living in Limassol covers what eating out there costs.
How to get to Limassol: it is about an hour by road from both Larnaca and Paphos airports. The official taxi fare from Larnaca Airport to Limassol centre (70 km) is €54.52 by day and €63.86 at night, or you can pre-book a private transfer.
Where to stay: to compare hotel prices, use the map below.
Hotels across Cyprus
Booking a table and a bed? Check Limassol rooms on Booking.com and compare the price on Vio.
Where Is the Best Place to Eat in Nicosia?
For traditional food, Taverna tou Theodosi in Pano Deftera, a short drive outside the capital. Inside the city, Henry’s is the polished all rounder and Pyxida Nicosia is the one for fish. For steak, skip Salt and Fire, which looks the part but disappointed us badly. Our Nicosia guide and our guide to living in Nicosia cover the rest.
How to get to Nicosia: it is roughly 40 to 50 minutes by road from Larnaca airport.
Where Is the Best Place to Eat in Paphos and the Northwest?
Grazie in Kato Paphos is our favourite table in the town. Further up the coast, Moustakallis in Polis is the standout, and the drive is part of the experience. Paphos airport is about 15 to 20 minutes from Kato Paphos, and Polis is around an hour from the airport.
Where Are the Best Mountain Restaurants?
7 Linoi is the pick, and our guide to the Troodos mountain taverns lists more. Theodosi, Moustakallis and 7 Linoi all need a car or a pre booked transfer, so compare hire cars on DiscoverCars, or arrange a private transfer so nobody has to drive after the wine.
Fancy a day between meals? Find food tours and island excursions on Viator or GetYourGuide.
What Have We Learned Reviewing These?
Two patterns keep repeating. The best food in Cyprus is rarely in the most expensive room, and the village taverns consistently outperform the coastal restaurants at a fraction of the price.
The other is that setting and kitchen frequently move in opposite directions. Several of the entries lower down the list have the best rooms, the best views or the best cocktails, and all are held back by the food. Salt and Fire is the clearest case. BEGE is the exception that proves the point, because it is the one high end room where everything moves in the same direction.
If you are eating your way around the island, our guides to the best meat taverns, the best fish taverns and the Troodos mountain taverns cover the wider picture. For what to order once you sit down, see our guide to the Cypriot dishes worth ordering, and for how the island’s food differs from its neighbour’s, our guide to Greek and Cypriot food.
Booking Tips
- Book ahead almost everywhere: this applies particularly at weekends and through the summer. The village tavernas fill with locals, and the Limassol restaurants fill with everyone else.
- Allow time at tavernas: arrive hungry and allow at least two to three hours, because meze is a slow meal by design.
- Budget realistically in Limassol: dinner for two at the top hotel restaurants can easily reach three to four hundred euro with wine.
- Plan the ride home: if the wine list is part of the plan, book a taxi or transfer in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Are the Best Restaurants in Cyprus?
Taverna tou Theodosi near Nicosia ranks first, followed by BEGE, Beefbar, Prime Steakhouse and Moustakallis. All 18 have been visited and reviewed in full.
Are the Best Restaurants in Cyprus Expensive?
Not always. The village tavernas consistently outperform the coastal restaurants at a fraction of the price, while dinner for two at the top Limassol hotel restaurants can reach three to four hundred euro with wine.
What Is the Best Restaurant in Cyprus?
Taverna tou Theodosi near Nicosia, for consistency, quality and value across at least 25 visits. BEGE is the best fine dining room.
Where Is the Best Place to Eat in Limassol?
BEGE for fine dining and fish, Beefbar or Prime for steak, and Meze Taverna in the old town for a full meze.
Where Is the Best Place to Eat in Nicosia?
Taverna tou Theodosi just outside the city for traditional food. In the city centre, Henry’s and Pyxida Nicosia.
Where Is the Best Place to Eat in Paphos?
Grazie in Kato Paphos. Moustakallis in Polis is the pick further up the coast.
Where Is the Best Fish in Cyprus?
BEGE at the St Raphael Marina for fine dining. Moustakallis in Polis is the pick for a traditional fish meze, and Pyxida Limassol for fish on the marina.
Where Is the Best Steak in Cyprus?
Beefbar at the Amara for the best beef. Prime at City of Dreams gives the most consistent evening.
Where Should I Eat for Traditional Cypriot Food?
Theodosi for souvlaki and Meze Taverna for a full meze. Moustakallis is the one for seafood.
Is There Good Asian Food in Cyprus?
Options are limited. Golden Monkey is the best Thai on the island, and Matsuhisa is the best known Japanese but not the best value.
How Do I Get to the Restaurants Outside the Cities?
By car or private transfer. Theodosi, Moustakallis and 7 Linoi all need one or the other.
How Much Is a Taxi From Larnaca Airport to Limassol?
The official regulated fare to Limassol centre (70 km) is €54.52 by day and €63.86 at night.
Where Should I Stay for a Food Trip in Cyprus?
Limassol has the most restaurants and the widest choice of hotels.
Are These Reviews Sponsored?
No. No restaurant pays for a place on this list, and nothing here affects a verdict.
How Often Is the List Updated?
Whenever we review somewhere that earns a place on it. The date at the top reflects the last change.
Final Thoughts
The most useful thing on this list is not the top entry. It is that a family tavern outside Nicosia beats every fine dining room in Limassol, and costs a fraction of what they charge. Eat inland, eat where the locals eat, and book ahead.