The Best Souvlaki and Souvla in Cyprus, City by City

The best souvlaki in Cyprus comes off a charcoal grill, goes into a warm pitta with salad and lemon, and costs less than a sandwich in a café. Souvla is the slow, weekend version: big pieces of lamb or pork turning on a spit for hours. Below is our own pick of grill houses and tavernas, city by city, with what to order, how to book and what it costs.

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.

What is the difference between souvlaki, sheftalia and souvla?

• Souvlaki: small cubes of pork (or chicken) on short skewers, grilled fast over charcoal. The Cypriot way is in a large pitta, cut open into a pocket, with cabbage, tomato, cucumber, parsley and onion, and a squeeze of lemon.
• Sheftalia: a sausage of minced pork with onion and parsley, wrapped in caul fat so it crisps on the grill. In 2025 the food site TasteAtlas named it the world's second-best sausage dish. Ask for "half and half" to get souvlaki and sheftalia in one pitta.
• Souvla: large chunks of lamb or pork on a long spit, set on a motorised foukou (the long charcoal grill you will see on every Cypriot balcony) and turned slowly for hours. It is the classic Sunday, Easter and family-gathering meal.

Most souvlaki shops also sell halloumi pittas, loukaniko (village sausage) and chips. For the wider taverna experience, read our Cyprus meze guide.

Where is the best souvlaki in Nicosia?

3 & o Koukos ("Three and the Cuckoo") is a mezedopoleio on Antistratigou Evangelou Floraki Street in Strovolos. Its Ibérico pork souvlaki and wild boar sausage stand out, and in July 2026 grill dishes were €9–12. It is on the WiZ 50 Best 2025 list. Open every evening; book on 22 320380, especially Friday and Saturday.

Pais Lysiotiki Souvla is a meat-focused neighbourhood taverna in an old house. Named after the village of Lysi, it cooks on charcoal and in the oven, and its wine-marinated pork and ttava are worth ordering. In January 2026 mains ran from €6.50; there is a proper vegetarian section. Dinner Tuesday to Saturday, Sunday lunch only, closed Monday. Book on 22 316220.

Topika Meze Bar mixes Cypriot tradition with a modern Mediterranean kitchen and many organic and PDO ingredients. The prawn souvlaki is the reason to come, and vegetarians eat well here. It is on the WiZ 50 Best 2025 list; book at weekends.

To Elliniko at the Hilton is a Greek restaurant that is mostly about seafood, but its menu also covers souvlaki, sheftalia and kontosouvli. A good pick when you want souvlaki in a smarter setting.

Where can you eat souvla near Nicosia?

Souvla needs time, so the best places cook it on set days:

• The Royal Goat Farm, Paliometocho: a family farm west of Nicosia where Tuesday and Thursday menus include souvlaki cooked on the foukou and oven-roast lamb. Reservations only. It is on the WiZ 50 Best 2025 list. More in our farm-to-table guide.
• Potamos tis Militsas, Kampi: a riverside taverna in the woods near Farmakas whose Sunday and holiday buffet includes souvla and kleftiko. Book well ahead for Sundays.

Where is the best souvlaki in Limassol?

Thymari on Syntagma Square by the old port is our Limassol pick for a no-fuss pitta at almost any hour: as of March 2026, it was open daily from 11am to 3am. It does both Greek-style wraps (from €5.40) and Cypriot pittas (€8.60–11.90), and skewers from €2.90, so it is firmly €. Many people order it to take away or for delivery. There are more branches in Germasogeia (Georgiou A' Street) and on Gr. Digeni Street. Phone 25 333441 for the old port branch. Instagram: @thymari_restaurants.

Where is the best souvlaki in Larnaca?

Famelia on Istiklal Street is a family taverna with a courtyard, where the mother runs the kitchen. Its pork souvlaki is excellent, and many vegetables come from the family's own garden. Grills and cooked dishes on weekdays, meze at weekends. It is on the WiZ 50 Best 2025 list. Weekend meze is worth booking.

Where can you eat souvlaki in Ayia Napa and Paralimni?

Sesoula Kalamaki has two branches: on Archiepiskopou Makariou III Avenue in Ayia Napa, near the harbour, and on Kapparis Avenue in Paralimni. It mixes Greek and Cypriot styles, from gyros pitta to sheftalia in Cypriot pitta and Smyrna-style kebab, and the menu lists a veggie burger, grilled halloumi and vegetables. It is walk-in only, as it keeps all tables free for arrivals, and in winter it has live music on Sunday afternoons. Instagram: @sesoula.kalamaki.

What about Paphos?

Our Paphos restaurant guide covers the town's tavernas, most of which serve souvlaki and sheftalia.

Tips for ordering souvlaki like a local

1. Pick the size. Most shops offer a small and a large pitta; one large is a full meal.
2. Say what you don't want. Pittas come "with everything" unless you ask for no onion or no cabbage.
3. Go half and half. Souvlaki plus sheftalia in one pitta is the classic order.
4. Takeaway is normal. Many families phone an order in on Sunday evening; see our food delivery guide for the apps.
5. Book souvla. Souvla days sell out, and tavernas often cook only what they expect to sell.
6. Families welcome. Souvlaki shops are casual and children eat happily; our family-friendly restaurants guide lists places with play areas.

Making souvla at home

Plenty of expats end up with a foukou on the balcony. Butchers sell meat cut for souvla (pork neck or shoulder, lamb shoulder) and will cut it to order if you say it is for the spit. Season simply with salt, oregano and lemon, light the charcoal early, and allow two to three hours. Check your building's rules before lighting charcoal on a flat balcony, and never in a wildfire warning on open land.

Related guides

• Cyprus meze explained
• 10 traditional Cypriot dishes and where locals eat them
• Farm-to-table and zero-waste restaurants in Cyprus
• Tavernas with a fireplace in Cyprus
• Food delivery in Cyprus