The Best Fish Tavernas by the Sea in Cyprus

For a long lunch of grilled fish with your feet almost in the water, head for the Larnaca coast around Zygi and Agios Theodoros, for Ayia Napa harbour, or for the beach tavernas between Limassol and Paphos. Below is our own short list of fish tavernas and seafood restaurants by the sea, grouped by stretch of coast, followed by how pricing by the kilo works and when to book.

Our own picks, checked in October 2026. Opening days and hours change, especially in winter, so check before you go. Know a great place we've missed? Tell us.

Where are the best fish tavernas on the Larnaca coast?

The stretch of coast between Limassol and Larnaca, just off the A1 motorway, is the island's fish-taverna heartland. Zygi grew up around its fishing shelter, and in early 2026 its fish tavernas were serving all year round, winter and summer. It is about 25 minutes from Limassol and 30 from Larnaca, which makes it an easy weekend lunch from either town.

Pentaschoinos publishes its menu with prices, which is a useful benchmark: in 2026 local fish was €68–€74 a kilo (or about €19–€21 for a 350 g portion), the fish meze was €29 a head for a minimum of two, and lobster was €120 a kilo in season. The kitchen is closed on Wednesdays and closes earlier on Sundays, so check the hours before you drive. Vegetarians are not left out: the menu has a mushroom risotto, grilled mushrooms, grilled vegetables and the usual dips.

Captain's Table has no website or official social page, so call ahead. Zygi has other tavernas around the harbour too; if one is full, you will usually find a table at another within a short walk.

Where can you eat fish by the sea near Ayia Napa and Protaras?

Vassos is open all year, with live music on Thursday and Friday evenings, and its menu includes a children's burger and a vegan moussaka, which helps with mixed groups. Spartiatis is the one to pair with a walk at Cape Greco; it closes for part of the winter, so check before going between December and February. For more places in the area, including ones that stay open out of season, see our guide to where to eat in Ayia Napa and Protaras.

Which fish restaurants by the sea are worth it in Limassol and Paphos?

Melanda is a good choice for a beach day: Avdimou is a long, quiet beach off the old Limassol–Paphos road. As it reopened only in March 2026 after its winter break, assume it is seasonal and check its Facebook page before a winter visit. Limanaki and Kohili are hotel restaurants, so expect a dressier evening and hotel prices; booking ahead is wise in summer.

In Paphos, we have covered seafood places such as Porto Antico in Coral Bay and Psarou in Chloraka separately: see our Paphos restaurant guide. Latchi, the small harbour near Polis, is the other traditional fish-taverna spot in the west; check each taverna's page before you go.

How does pricing by the kilo work?

Fresh, whole local fish is usually priced by the kilo and weighed before it is cooked. That is fair, but it can surprise you when the bill arrives:

1. Ask to see the fish. Many tavernas will bring the catch of the day to the table or show you the display.
2. Ask for the weight and the price before you say yes. A 1 kg fish is usually plenty for two people as part of a meal.
3. Smaller fish are often cheaper per kilo and are fried rather than grilled; larger fish such as sea bream from the open sea or grouper cost more.
4. Farmed sea bass and sea bream are often sold as portions at a fixed price, which is easier on the budget.
5. A fish meze has a fixed price per person, usually for at least two people. It brings dips and salads first, then fried and grilled seafood, and finally a grilled fish.

Lobster is the main exception: it is seasonal and priced by the kilo at a much higher rate, so always confirm the price first.

When should you go, and do you need to book?

• Weekend lunch is the main event. Cypriot families go to the fish tavernas on Saturday and Sunday from about 13:00, so book for those slots, especially in summer and on public holidays.
• Weekday lunches and early evenings are the quietest time, and in autumn and spring you can usually walk in.
• Winter: the harbour tavernas in Zygi and Ayia Napa work all year, but beach places close for part of the winter. Melanda and Spartiatis both reopened between February and March 2026.
• Children: fish tavernas are relaxed, family places. Ask for plain grilled fish or calamari for children, or a child's portion of chips.
• Allergies: tell the staff about shellfish or other allergies before you order, especially with a fish meze, which arrives in many small dishes.
• Drinking and driving: Zygi and Avdimou are reached by car; agree on a driver or book a taxi.

Is the fish local?

Small-scale coastal fishing still supplies many tavernas, and the best fish tavernas say clearly which fish are local and which are farmed. Local catch changes with the season and the weather, so a good taverna's list of fish changes too; if the sea has been rough for days, the choice will be smaller. Ask what came in that morning, and be ready to try something you do not know, such as parrotfish or red mullet.

Related guides

• Cyprus meze explained: how the dishes come and what to order
• Where to eat in Larnaca: restaurants in town, by area and budget
• Where to eat in Ayia Napa and Protaras: in season and out
• How to find an authentic Cypriot taverna: district by district
• Best beaches in Larnaca for a swim before lunch