5 Cyprus taverns to satisfy big appetites
It’s the weekend and you will surely want to leave the city and head to the village for a great night of traditional dining and comfort next to the fireplace with your favourite people.
The following five villages have some of the most ideal taverns to spend a great night out, enjoying Cypriot cuisine.
Lazania, Nicosia District – Mageia Lazania
Once the school of the village, the space has been turned into a quaint tavern that serves traditional delights, just the way grandma used to make. The cosy atmosphere and the friendly service are one more reason to visit this tavern. It’s the ideal place to experience ‘Cypriot hospitality’.
The tavern also serves ‘music’, with special requests being taken during dinner.
Mageia Lazania serves a traditional buffet on Sundays which includes makaronia tou fournou and kleftiko. The rest of the week you will find freshly prepared daily foods, which can be enjoyed next to the warmth of their fireplace. Groups and private parties can be hosted in every evening except Sundays.
Specialty
People enjoy the tavern’s kleftiko, which is served with potatoes and bulgur wheat. It is cooked in the wood-burning stove, which lend to the dish maintaining the scent of all the spices added to it.
For more information call +357 96 530129. Open Tuesday-Sunday in the afternoons only and from Friday to Saturday in the evenings as well.
Gourri, Nicosia District – To Gouriotiko
If you venture to the mountains for a day out, make sure you stop by the new quaint tavern To Gouriotiko in the village of Gourri. The chefs love to cook fresh, delicious meals that are all served with a smile. There is something different prepared every day, and the cuisine is seasonal.
Aside from the traditional meze, you will want to try their pork chop served with chips, salad and tzatziki sauce. Vegetarians don’t need to fret, because the restaurant also serves a veggie platter, which has all sorts of vegetables.
Speciality
The tavern serves traditional Cypriot cuisine. You can enjoy an authentic island breakfast on the weekends, as well as lunch and dinner. Meze is €16 per person and is served traditionally or in platters, meeting the needs of meat-lovers and vegetarians.
For more information call +357 22 633789 or +357 96 64919. Open Tuesday-Friday 18:00-23:00. Breakfast is Saturday and Sunday 10:00-12:00. On the weekend the tavern closes at 22:30.
Ayios Theodoros, Larnaca District – Paliomouchtaros
This place is a dream! There are spacious rooms, a fireplace, and it is a mix of modern and traditional design. They are known for their traditional meze, which is prepared fresh and with the best ingredients. The traditional pasta is prepared by hand by the owner’s grandmother, while the rest of the delicious dishes for the meze are prepared by Melios Paliomouchtaros, the chef.
Guests will also be able to enjoy live music by Vasilis and Filippos, who entertain with their traditional Greek music on Friday nights, and Sunday afternoon.
Events can also be hosted at the tavern.
Specialty
Dessert is served at the end of each meal, and the one at Paliomouchtaros surely can’t be missed. They serve fresh ‘kalo prama’ a type of Cypriot cake, which is prepared by the chef.
For more information call +357 24 323323. Open Tuesday to Saturday evenings. Sundays and holidays in the afternoon. It is closed on Mondays.
Miliou, Paphos Disrict – Pagkratios
During a stay in Paphos, you should head to the village of Miliou to enjoy a great night out at Pagkratios tavern. It blends great traditional food, with the unique environment of the village.
Doors open in the afternoon, and the beautiful scents waft from its kitchen through the streets of the village. The name comes from the owner’s grandfather’s name. Chrysoula, Pagkratios’ granddaughter, and her husband Charalambos passed the business on to their son Neophytos and his wife Katerina, who renovated the space and created an award-winning tavern in December 2010. The whole family still helps in the tavern, and they are known for their delicious food and their excellent hospitality.
Specialty
Well-known dishes at the tavern include the rabbit cooked in wine, and their homemade soups, as well as their grilled items, made from local meats.
For more information call 70 003757. Open Tuesday-Friday 15:30-00:00 and Saturday-Sunday 13:00-00:00.
Sotira, Famagusta District – Mousikos
The Mousikos brothers and their chef Giorgos Papamichael made their dreams come true with the renovation of an old structure used to house animals from 1934 in the village. They created a quaint tavern, which is well-known all over the island. Mousikos serves traditional food, including a great meze and other homemade dishes.
Specialty
The warm halloumi, which is freshly prepared by the owners’ family, the sheftalies, the rabbit, and the kleftiko are all some reasons to visit this tavern.
For more information call +357 23 828833. Open Monday-Saturday 18:30-23:00 and in the summer Monday-Sunday 18:30-23:00.
