Specialties & Delicacies

The ritual of sharing good, fresh local cuisine is an important part of the island's culture, with every social event, family gathering and special occasion market with its own, unique delicacies and recipes.

Cypriot cuisine (the ‘Mediterranean diet’) is an exotic blend of Greek and Middle Eastern cultures, sprinkled with remnants of its ancient civilisations, and widely regarded as one of the healthiest.

Dishes from the Cypriot kitchen include pulses; braised, stewed and clay-cooked meats; local, freshly caught seafood; pulses and legumes in various sauces; specialty cheeses and delicatessen cuts, with the abundant use of olive oil, home-grown herbs, and the freshest fruits and vegetables that are bursting with colour, taste and nutrients.

Dining in Larnaka Region

Larnaka offers a variety of traditional tavernas across the region, from the old city streets to small mountain villages, and each with its own unique signature dish. In these cosy and authentic eateries, you will find the famous ‘meze’ – a variety of small dishes that combine to create a feast, and a good starting point to become acquainted with the local dishes.

And if you are visiting Larnaka during a festival or holiday period you will find an array of unique treats and dishes to mark the occasion, with family recipes passed down from generation to generation.

Larnaka’s contemporary face ensures that aside from local gastronomy, every other taste is catered for with a fusion of modern cuisines found in trendy lounge cafes, bustling restaurants and refined high-end establishments.

Village Traditions

Larnaka region’s rural and mountainous communities are known for their specialties, with each serving something authentically different.

Athienou is famous for its wheat-growing and bread-making tradition and its ‘Athienitiko’ village bread as well as its pastries. The village is also known for its dairy products and slow-cooked meats. These traditions are celebrated at its annual ‘Pancyprian Festival of Athienou Products’.

Lefkara makes the sweetest Cypriot Delight known as ‘Loukoumi’ with the opportunity to tour the factory where the treat is made.

The freshest fish is found in ZYGI village, at the taverns centred around its quaint fishing shelter, and celebrated at the annual 'Zygi Fish Festival'.

Kato Drys & Lefkara are home to two boutique wineries that produce ‘shoushoukos’ - a sticky grape-must sweet and other grape delicacies.

The Rural Larnaka Honey Villages are a cluster of villages in mountainous Larnaka that share a rich beekeeping and honey production tradition.

The Women's Rural Association of Larnaka is a collective of women from the Orini (mountainous) villages who hand-make local delicacies and sell them at various markets and festivals throughout the year. Products include handmade pasta, rusks, dairy, terrebinth biscuits, spoon sweets, and more.

You can discover these traditions and more by taking the Traditional Gastronomy Route or at a local gastronomy workshop.

Taste Cyprus Certification

The authenticity of Larnaka region's food culture, and the rich heritage of recipes passed down for generations is recognised with the awarding of the 'Taste Cyprus Certification' - a quality award that is given only to local, traditional dishes and food products.

The Quality Label for promoting Cypriot Gastronomy is a joint effort between the Deputy Ministry of Tourism (DMT) and the private sector to highlight, promote and safeguard traditional Cypriot gastronomy, with several Larnaka region specialities included in the list.

Handcrafted in Athienou

Known for its wheat growing, bread making and baked goods; eggs and dairy (Halloumi and Anari cheeses), alcohol distillation, nuts, preserves and the ‘kleftiko’ (meat stew) served at its local taverns, Athienou Municipality is participating in the LEADER programme of the EU with a the initiative ‘Athienou Food in Our Diet’ that Larnaka Tourism Board is supporting alongside Athienou Municipality, the Larnaca and Famagusta District Development Company (ANETEL), and Filagro Group.

Activities under the programme include the publication of a new recipe book under the 'Handcrafted in Athienou' branding with 10 recipes for Cyprus breakfast dishes incorporating Athienou’s local products (available here in Greek). The recipe book also introduces the culinary traditions of Athienou and the different food products and ingredients. Chefs from five of Larnaka’s hotels (Lordos Beach Hotel & Spa, Sentido Sandy Beach, Golden Bay Beach Hotel, Radisson Beach Resort Larnaca and LeBay Beach Hotel) were trained during a workshop on how to prepare the recipes so that they could be offered to guests during breakfast in the week of October 11-18, 2023, with Athienou Municipality providing the ingredients.

Other activities under the programme include a promotional video, informative stands at retail outlets, the creation of quality mark for authentic Athienou products, a brand management guide, and student materials, among others.