Paphos

• •The corner entrance is on Charalampou Mouskou, beside Evagora Pallikaride Street.
• •The counter selection changes with the day's cooking.

Cypriot cookshop · Charalampou Mouskou 1, Old Town

Kourides is a small Cypriot cookshop with a changing counter of stews, vegetables and oven dishes. Go for the day's home cooking, and ask whether macaroni tou fournou, Cyprus's baked pasta dish, is available. An earlier lunch gives you more choice before the trays begin to empty.

Suggested: daily ladera and mageirefta, macarounia tou fournou when available, the day's Cypriot special

• •Evening service in a restored Old Town building.
• •Seasonal sharing plates and bread baked in house.

Modern ouzeri · 25 Martiou 8, Old Town

Koutourou turns a restored old-town building into an evening ouzeri for seasonal sharing plates. Owner-chef Dimitris changes the menu with the ingredients, while bread baked in house and Cypriot flavours anchor the meal. Plan it for dinner, order across the table, and expect the choice of plates to shift with the season.

Suggested: halloumi baked in filo with honey, fava, seasonal sharing plates

• •Family-run since 1986.
• •The menu changes daily and seasonally.
• •A meal-and-salad option includes a complimentary dessert.

Family-run Cypriot cookhouse · Votsi 6, Old Town

Laona has served changing trays of Cypriot home cooking since 1986. The family publishes the day's approach clearly: choose a main on its own or pair one with salad and dessert. Its old-town location and long reputation make it a well-known lunch stop, with dishes moving between stews, oven cooking and seasonal vegetables.

Suggested: rabbit stifado, pork marinated in wine and coriander, stuffed vegetables

• •Courtyard dining in the former electricity station.
• •Seasonal Cypriot dishes and seafood.

Seasonal Cypriot restaurant-cafe · Vladimirou Irakleous 8, Old Town

Palia Ilektriki serves seasonal Cypriot cooking in Paphos's restored former electricity station. The sheltered courtyard makes a peaceful stop while exploring the Old Town, with dishes ranging from stuffed vine leaves to seafood. Ask about the day's specials and leave time to enjoy the setting over a leisurely meal.

Suggested: vine leaves, halloumi, the seasonal seafood dish

• •The name comes from the owner's grandfather's nickname.
• •The square is about 3.5 km southeast of Kennedy Square.
• •Outdoor tables keep you away from the compact indoor grill area.

Charcoal souvlaki grill · Geroskipou Square, about 3.5 km southeast of Kennedy Square

Kokoras is a modern souvlaki shop with the bones of a Cypriot kafeneio: charcoal meat, pita, fresh local potatoes and cold beer. Order souvlaki with halloumi or liver for the table. When the weather suits, the square tables are more comfortable than the compact room beside the grill.

Suggested: pork souvlaki, sheftalia, grilled liver with fresh Cypriot potatoes

• •The restaurant is at Georgiou Savva 4 in Geroskipou.
• •It sits about 2.5 km southeast of Kennedy Square.
• •Ask which Cypriot cooked dishes are available that day.

Family Cypriot grill · Georgiou Savva 4, Geroskipou, about 2.5 km southeast of Kennedy Square

Akropolis is a modest family restaurant in Geroskipou, where the cooking leans toward Cypriot grill dishes and daily specialities. Wine-smoked lountza and zalatina show the kitchen's traditional direction. It suits an unfussy meal away from central Paphos, with the day's cooked dishes worth asking about before ordering.

Suggested: wine-smoked lountza, zalatina, pork with kolokasi

• •The dining room is at Ippokratous 11 in the old market area.
• •Meat, seafood, vegetarian and vegan meze formats are available.
• •Ask about upcoming live-music nights.

Cypriot meze tavern · Ippokratous 11, Old Town

Pagkratios brings owner-cook Katerina Ioannidou's family recipes from its earlier Miliou chapter into Paphos's old market. The menu centres on fixed meze choices, with meat, grill, seafood, vegetarian and vegan versions priced per person. Choose it for a shared meal, and ask about upcoming music nights if atmosphere matters.

Suggested: meat meze, beef liver, rabbit in wine

• •The vine-shaded garden is at Neapoleos 37.
• •Meze orders require at least two people.
• •Fish meze must be ordered in advance.

Family Cypriot taverna · Neapoleos 37, inland Paphos

Myrra is an inland family taverna built around traditional meze, charcoal cooking and a vine-shaded garden. Three generations of family continuity give the place a settled character away from the harbour strip. Meze is ordered for at least two people, and the fish version needs to be arranged in advance.

Suggested: traditional meze, pork souvlaki and sheftalia, fish meze by pre-order

• •The exact unit is shops 19–20 at Fellahoglu 21.
• •Seasonal meat and fish meze require a minimum order for two people.
• •The grill menu offers practical options for a smaller order.

Neighbourhood tavern and grill · Fellahoglu 21, shops 19–20, Moutallos

Oulla Halali Sou is a small Moutallos tavern where the grill sits alongside seasonal meat and fish meze. Pork souvlaki, sheftalia, liver and homemade tahini keep the choice direct. Meze requires at least two people, so solo diners can use the grill menu instead of committing to the full spread.

Suggested: pork souvlaki and sheftalia pita, mixed grill, beef liver with homemade tahini

• •The experience is a fixed procession of dishes, not an à-la-carte menu.
• •Allow time for a long, paced meze meal.
• •The taverna is about 2.5 km southeast of Kennedy Square.

Set-meze Cypriot taverna · Geroskipou, about 2.5 km southeast of Kennedy Square

Seven St. George's is a Geroskipou taverna where the meal arrives as a procession of seasonal, home-cooked small dishes rather than an à-la-carte order. The kitchen sets the sequence, so it works best for an unhurried group willing to share and follow the pace of a long traditional meze.

Suggested: seasonal fixed meze, home-cooked small dishes, house wine

• •First-floor dining room at Kennedy Square 6.
• •Meze is priced per person, with a minimum of two people.

Greek-Cypriot mezedopoleio · Kennedy Square 6, first floor

Ta Pinakia sits on the first floor above Kennedy Square, with a menu built for sharing. Choose meat or fish meze for two or more, or order dishes such as veal cheeks with orzo and zucchini fritters individually. Its central Old Town location makes it a convenient dinner stop after exploring the surrounding streets.

Suggested: mother-in-law's pork, veal cheeks with orzo, octopus stew

• •The Kathitziotes family has run the restaurant for more than 45 years.
• •Its Kato Paphos location is convenient from the harbour area.

Long-running family restaurant · Pafias Afroditis 19, Kato Paphos, about 2 km south of Kennedy Square

The Windmill is a long-running family restaurant in Kato Paphos serving Cypriot cooking near the harbour. Lamb kleftiko, lentils with rice and small plates offer plenty to share, alongside seafood choices. It suits a full evening meal with family or friends after a day around the waterfront and archaeological sites.

Suggested: lamb kleftiko, lentils with rice, feta baklava

• •The rotating tap list shows current beer styles and pour sizes.
• •The tasting flight contains four 150 ml glasses.
• •Pizza, nachos and platters make it usable for a casual meal.

Independent craft-beer pub · Alfredou 4, Old Town

Beeroom is the old town's practical stop for comparing Cypriot and imported craft beer without committing to a full pint. The tap list moves through lager, IPA, stout and sour styles, while pizza and simple bar food cover dinner. Start with the four-glass flight, then use the live tap list to choose a larger pour.

Suggested: four-beer tasting flight, a rotating Cypriot tap beer, Lyssa pizza

• •A specialist selection of beers and ciders.
• •Ask owner Athos for help choosing a style.

Specialist ale and cider house · Tefkrou, Margarita Gardens, Kato Paphos

The Old Fishing Shack is a specialist beer and cider bar where owner Athos helps you explore the selection. IPAs, stouts, Belgian styles and sour beers sit alongside ciders, making it a good place to try a style you rarely order. Settle in for conversation and ask for a recommendation to suit your taste.

Suggested: an IPA recommended by Athos, a sour beer, a dry cider

• •Self-service, with no fixed food menu.
• •Daily homemade items are sold until they run out.
• •The garden sits beside the municipal-market car park and lift.

Garden coffee stop · Ichsan Ali, beside the Old Town market car park and lift

Avli tis Nefelis is a small self-service café in a grandmother's garden, using homegrown herbs, fruit and vegetables where the day's preparation allows. There is no fixed food menu: cakes, pies and sandwiches change and can sell out early. Come for Cypriot coffee, lemonade and a quiet daytime pause, with flexibility about the counter.

Suggested: Cypriot coffee, homemade lemonade, the day's cake or savoury pie

• •Coffee is roasted on site for espresso, filter and retail bags.
• •Seating is limited compared with a full café.

Specialty coffee roastery · Nikou Antoniadi 16

Beanhaus is a working Paphos roastery and retail coffee shop with a small seating area rather than a full café setup. Go for freshly roasted espresso or filter coffee, compare single origins and house blends, or pick up beans and brewing gear. The limited seating makes it best for a focused coffee stop.

Suggested: fresh-roasted espresso, single-origin filter coffee, a bag of house-roasted beans

• •Entry is restricted to ages 21 and over.
• •The current menu combines cocktails and spirits with pintxos, pinza and sharing boards.
• •DJ nights can be loud.

Cocktail bar, ages 21+ · Kosta Georgiou 3, Old Town

Mr Tippler is a polished old-town cocktail bar created by a Paphos team, pairing mixed drinks with compact street-food plates and boards. It suits a later, louder evening more than a quiet aperitif, especially when a DJ is playing. The venue is 21+, so everyone in the group should bring suitable identification.

Suggested: Fig Leaf Sour, House Paloma, house-smoked olives

• •The sharing platter combines halloumi, cheeses, lountza and tsamarella.
• •Live-music dates are announced individually rather than tied to a fixed weekday.

Modern Cypriot kafeneio · Pallados 4

Veranda carries the social rhythm of a Cypriot kafeneio into a newer room on Pallados Street. Cypriot coffee suits a short stop, while ouzo, house wine and a sharing platter of halloumi, lountza and tsamarella work for a longer table. Live-music dates vary, so check the next announcement before planning around them.

Suggested: Cypriot coffee, house wine, halloumi, lountza and tsamarella sharing platter