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Cypriot Food — What to Eat and What It Costs

Cypriot Food — What to Eat and What It Costs

Halloumi, meze, and what a real Cypriot dinner actually costs.

Cypriot food centers on meze — a rolling, dozen-plus-dish spread of dips, grilled meat or seafood, and halloumi (the island's squeaky, grillable cheese, genuinely one of the best culinary exports in the Mediterranean). A full meze dinner runs roughly €18–28 ($20–30) per person with a glass of local wine; a souvlaki wrap for lunch is €4–6 ($4–7). Portions are large — order for the table, not per person.

If you leave Cyprus without eating halloumi grilled straight off the coals until it squeaks, you've technically missed the point of the trip. This guide covers what to actually order, what a real meze costs versus a tourist-menu version, and how to eat well whether you're vegetarian, vegan, or keeping halal.

Cypriot Food: What to Eat and What It Costs
Food

Cypriot Food: What to Eat and What It Costs

Meze, halloumi, and real prices — not the tourist-menu version.

Where to Eat in Cyprus: Best Restaurants by City
Food

Where to Eat in Cyprus: Best Restaurants by City

Real restaurant picks by city — not just 'try the meze.'

Questions people actually ask

What is Cypriot meze?
A shared, multi-course spread — usually 10 to 20 small dishes over an evening, moving from dips and salads through grilled halloumi and sausages to slow-cooked lamb or fresh fish. It's ordered per person (not per dish) and is meant to be a long, unhurried meal, not a quick bite.
How much does food cost in Cyprus?
A souvlaki wrap or gyros is €4–6 ($4–7). A casual taverna meal is €12–20 ($13–22) per person. A full sit-down meze dinner with wine runs €18–28 ($20–30) per person. Cyprus isn't a cheap destination by Mediterranean standards, but portions are generous.
Is Cyprus good for vegetarian and vegan travelers?
Vegetarians do very well — halloumi, grilled vegetables, and a full vegetarian meze are standard at most tavernas. Vegans need to ask more specifically, since dishes often default to dairy or honey, but traditional bean- and legume-based dishes (fasolada bean soup, black-eyed pea salad) are naturally vegan and easy to find.