ZAATAR food arts: Lebanese Syrian Cuisine حلال‎ زعتر — Restaurant in Ayia Napa

A Hidden Gem of a Restaurant!

We stayed in Ayia Napa for 12 days and usually follow a golden rule of sticking to authentic local cuisine (in this case, Cypriot). But we made an exception here—after all, Lebanon and Syria are neighboring countries! 😊

We ended up eating here five times because the food was simply that good! Everything is 100% authentic, and the flavors are phenomenal—zesty, perfectly balanced, and especially delicious when fresh off the charcoal grill.

If you're a fan of lamb, this place is a must. We had the lamb platter the first day and the skewers lamb was our favourite, so we kept ordering it every time (see Shukaf on the menu to order it separately). The Toschka is a huge recommendation! Paired with Batata Hara, it became our go-to combo—we ordered them every single time (we even got a second Toschka on our first visit because we were blown away by how good it was).

All the chicken options we tried from the grill were also top tier, so if lamb is not your thing, this place is still almost flawless. Only thing to maybe critize, is that they are not baking their bread on site, but still manage to bring it always warm and fresh (sealed in small bags, so it stays that way).

We tried all the salads except of the Jarjeer and the one with Quinoa and fell in love with both the regular Fattoush (with pomegranate) and the Tabbouleh—but only if you're really into parsley (which we are!). Another standout from the hot appetizers was definitely the sautéed chicken liver with pomegranate juice—absolutely delicious!

As for the cold appetizers, everything we tried was excellent. My wife especially enjoyed the Moutabbal, and I really liked the Salatat Zeytoun and the homemade chilly sauce.

But perhaps the biggest testament to how good the food was: our almost two-year-old son loved it too! That’s no small feat—we usually have to work hard to get him to eat, but here he kept asking for more. He even loved the Toschka (he called it "pizza," haha!) and was crazy about the fresh homemade lemonade.

In short: this restaurant is one of the top reasons we’d return to Ayia Napa. We’ll definitely be back—and just thinking about it makes our...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Hidden Gem That Became Our Place in the World – ZAATAR Food Arts, Ayia Napa

We discovered ZAATAR Food Arts: Lebanese Syrian Cuisine back in 2022, and it was love at first bite. From that very first visit, we were captivated—not only by the delicious, fresh, and beautifully presented food, but by the warm and welcoming atmosphere that Nur and Omar have so passionately created.

Since then, it has become our must-visit spot every time we return to Cyprus. Over the years, our connection to ZAATAR has grown far beyond just being customers—we’ve been lucky enough to become friends with Nur and Omar whose hearts and talents shine through everything they do.

The food is absolutely outstanding—authentic, flavorful, and prepared with clear love and care. But it's not just about the food. The belly dancing shows, the incredible staff, and the vibrant, yet cozy ambiance all come together to create a truly unique and unforgettable experience.

For us, Cyprus and ZAATAR are now inseparable. It’s more than just a restaurant—it’s a place that feels like home, filled with friendship, laughter, and amazing memories. In truth, ZAATAR is a big reason we keep returning to this beautiful island.

We hope Nur and Omar don’t mind us saying this—but we truly consider ZAATAR our place in the world. ❤️

With love and...

We ordered the vegan meze for 2 - there were two salads, pitas, pitas with green stuff inside, 5 dips, 2 little pies with cheese and only 2 balls of falafel (!)

Here I want to file an official complaint to the owner of the place: THERE SHOULD BE MORE FALAFEL (it was really good) and fewer dips (two types of hummus and babaganoush should be enough)

Also, to my taste, there was a bit too much lemon juice in everything (can be fixed with more falafel) Homemade ayran was great though.

Here's a thing falafel can't fix: After clearing the plates we ordered hookah but it wasn't our lucky day because it was really bad. Too much water so it was hard to smoke it and the coal was too close to the tobacco so it started burning really quick despite my efforts to "breath life" into it.

So, minus one star for not enough falafel And minus another star for...