Some other top-class restaurants can be found at the foot of the medieval castle’s hill as well as at Saranta Kolones. If you are after a light bite, Bar street boasts a number of eateries offering meze and other light meals.
The most famous Cypriot dish worldwide is meze. This is actually a number of mini samples of traditional Cypriot cuisine, with up to 30 individual plates being offered in one meze. It is perfect for grazing and is a very social way to eat as it can last all night. It is also a great way to try local dishes and see if you like them before ordering a full size dish. Meze is usually eaten as a starter or as a snack for a group of people.
Popular main courses include: koupepia, a meat and rice dish wrapped in grape leaves; loukanika, sausages seasoned and cooked in wine; stiphado, a stew made from either beef or rabbit; lountza and afelia, a smoked pork and marinated pork dish; ofto kleftiko, a tender lamb dish, and barbouni, red mullet cooked in wine. These are usually served with locally grown vegetables such as potatoes, beetroot, courgettes, asparagus and cauliflower.
