By Wiz Guide
Every summer brings a new crop of culinary hotspots. There are exciting openings, much-talked-about arrivals, familiar restaurants with fresh concepts and places that seem to take over our social media feeds almost overnight.
We have rounded up 13 restaurants currently attracting the attention of food lovers across Cyprus. Some stand out for their beautiful surroundings, others for their creative menus or unbeatable locations. What they all have in common is simple: these are the tables everyone wants to book this summer.
NICOSIA
Balza
Perched on the seventh floor of the Hadjisavvas Mansion, Balza combines sweeping views of Nicosia with one of the capital’s most inviting rooftop settings.
Expect carefully crafted cocktails by Vakis Stavris, creative Mediterranean dishes by Chef Angelos Bakopoulos, and laid-back music that suits the atmosphere perfectly. It is stylish without feeling stiff and easily ranks among Nicosia’s ultimate summer dining destinations.
In the Courtyard of Mia Milia (Stin Avli tis Mia Milia)
This restaurant feels a little like stepping into your grandmother’s courtyard. Guests dine beneath lemon and cypress trees, beside colorful bougainvillea and a small church.
The menu celebrates familiar traditional dishes, including ofto kleftiko, antikristo, roast pork, and baked pasta. Everything is handmade, based on authentic recipes and cooked in a wood-fired oven. Takeaway and delivery are also available.
SUMOSAN
The arrival of Cyprus’ first Sumosan has brought one of contemporary Japanese cuisine’s most recognizable international names to Nicosia.
The menu blends Japanese tradition with modern techniques and includes signature dishes such as Black Cod, Wagyu Sando, and Taquitos. The drinks selection is just as carefully considered, featuring wine, Japanese whisky, and sake.
An open kitchen, elegant bar, leafy terrace, and well-chosen music create the polished, cosmopolitan atmosphere expected from the Sumosan name.
LIMASSOL
Mazema
Mazema brings together two talented chefs and former MasterChef teammates, Christina Christofi and Angel Sachpazis.
The restaurant has a Mediterranean soul with a playful Japanese influence. Its seasonal menu is designed for sharing and is paired with a selection of Cypriot craft beers and wines.
Highlights include tres leches with halloumi crumble, tomato salad with halitzi cheese and spinach gyoza that look Japanese but taste distinctly Greek. Other dishes worth trying include robata-grilled prawns with ponzu butter and lime, chicken with roasted cabbage and Parmesan cream, and chocolate mousse finished with olive oil, hazelnuts and fleur de sel.
AYA Cooks
Located in Germasogeia, AYA Cooks offers a modern interpretation of Mediterranean cuisine from Barcelona-based chef Ronit Stern and Crimean-born chef Aleksei Bagreev.
The menu celebrates fresh and fermented ingredients, bread baked in-house, open-fire cooking, and natural wines.
Its surroundings are just as carefully curated. The interior features work by talented Cypriot artist YETI, the soundtrack comes courtesy of DJ Amathus, a member of the Aparapira Parape duo, and the dishes are served on handcrafted pieces created by Nicosia pottery studio Eye of She.
Novikov
Set on the ground floor of The Ritz-Carlton Residences and just steps from the sea, Novikov serves a refined but relaxed take on Mediterranean cuisine.
The menu is led by Nikita Bogatenko under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Luca Natalini.
With its striking design, open kitchen, circular bar, and atmospheric terrace, the restaurant has the polished, cosmopolitan feel associated with Novikov’s international hotspots.
LARNACA
Nima Social House
On Agios Ioannis Street in old Larnaca, the team behind Nima Concept Store has created a stylish new restaurant built around Mediterranean and Cypriot flavors.
The sharing menu, designed by British-Cypriot chef Eleni Katalanos, is divided into five sections. “To Begin” offers salads and dips, while “Soil,” “Sea” and “Land” cover appetizers, fish, and meat. Desserts complete the experience.
Just as much attention has gone into the drinks menu, which features signature cocktails and a carefully selected wine list.
PAPHOS
Upon
Upon is a major new culinary project from Michelin-starred Greek chef Grigoris Kikis, located inside M Boutique Hotel, one of the first two hotels in Cyprus to receive a Michelin Key.
Open from morning until night, it serves brunch and coffee during the day before moving into dinner mode in the evening. The tried-and-tested sharing concept is served in a beautifully designed setting.
Dishes to look out for include the special burrata, the potato salad that became a bestseller at Upon in Athens, orzo carbonara, ceviche, ribeye and calamari. For dessert, the lemon creation and banoffee are well worth saving room for.
Phos
With one of the island’s most spectacular sunset views, Phos at Cap St Georges Hotel & Resort has all the ingredients for a memorable evening.
Greek chef Lefteris Karelis has created a Mediterranean menu with an emphasis on meat, fish and pasta. The extensive wine list features labels from Cyprus, Greece, France, Italy and New Zealand, including a selection of older vintages.
Ethos Vin Soiree
Ethos Vin Soiree became one of Paphos’ most talked-about wine bars soon after opening.
The high-ceilinged interior combines stone and wood, while its elegant courtyard comes into its own during summer. The frequently updated wine list includes more than 200 labels from Cypriot and international wineries.
Spritzes and cocktails are also available, accompanied by modern Mediterranean plates made for sharing. Add jazz, organic house, and atmospheric music, and it is easy to see why this is the kind of place people want to visit again.
Oniro
Set above the sea caves of Peyia, with the area’s famous shipwreck in the background, Oniro brings together nature, authenticity, and relaxed hospitality.
Its pop-up concept centers on vibrant flavors, excellent cocktails, and craft beer, all served beneath trees and Bedouin-style tents beside the sea.
Oniro also places a strong emphasis on environmental responsibility and aims to offer visitors a memorable experience throughout the year, not just during summer.
FAMAGUSTA DISTRICT
NΛOS Beach Club
In the heart of Landa Beach, in front of the So Nice and So White Beach Resorts, NΛOS Beach Club is an all-day destination made for long summer days.
The lower level serves brunch and seaside lunches, along with signature cocktails made with fresh fruit and a soundtrack of ethnic lounge music.
Upstairs, the mood shifts to an impressive Asian dining concept overlooking the sea, an ideal setting for sunset dinners, cocktails, and summer nights accompanied by music.
From Generation to Generation (Apo yenia se yenia)
Chef Konstantinos Zakos opened From Generation to Generation in 2026 on the site of Zakos café, which had operated there since 1986.
Inspired by memories of his grandmother’s cooking, from souvlaki and Cypriot sandwiches to karaolia, glytzia, afelia, and courgettes with eggs, he has created a modern taverna rooted in the flavors of Cyprus and Greece.
The menu includes classic grilled dishes and grandmother-style stews alongside more polished plates, such as wine-braised rooster with pasta and Gruyère, lemon rabbit and the traditional combination of poulles and kolokasi.
