Alex’s aunt sets the table for a Cypriot family dinner.

Editor’s Note: This week, the blog will be tagging along with fellow Cheapo Alex Christodoulides as she visits family in Cyprus.

Sure, the language spoken in Cyprus is Greek, but the accent is distinctive and so is the food. For one thing, Cyprus recently made its mark in the Guinness Book of World Records with a 41-meter sausage, dedicated in a big ceremony complete with traditional costumes in a town up in the Troodos Mountains.

Adventures in Cypriot Cuisine

The easiest way to get a handle on Cypriot cuisine – and a way to kill several hours trying to put away what looks like not much food – is to order meze, a selection of anywhere from a dozen to 20 hot and cold traditional dishes that most sit-down restaurants offer with little to no variety in the lineup.

First will be the dips, served with pita bread: among them tahini, made from ground sesame seeds and lemon juice, and taramosalata, made from fish roe and thickened with either a lemon-potato mixture or mayonnaise. Grilled halloumi cheese is always on the list somewhere, squeaking as you chew. There will also be meat dishes, leaning heavily on pork. Souvlaki will be among them, but so will hiromeri, a type of cured ham; loukanika, a pork sausage that is often grilled; and lountza, another ham-ish offering. For the pescatarians, there is fish meze, but vegetarians may have a hard time finding an acceptable version of the full menu.

Vegetarians will find that souvlaki joints don’t need to be off limits, since most offer grilled halloumi in place of the meat. Cypriots also eat a lot of veggies and legumes, and many restaurants offer a bean or lentil dish of the day.

Any serious restaurant in Cyprus will let you pick your fish when ordering.

A Cheapo-friendly pick in Nicosia

An inexpensive local favorite in Nicosia for vegetarian and carnivore-friendly homestyle cooking is Mattheos Restaurant, tucked unobtrusively in a corner of Plateia 28 Octobriou alongside the tiny Stavros tou Missirikou Church with its easy-to-spot minaret.

Coffee and dessert

To wake up after a big meal, there’s always coffee. There is not much love lost between Cyprus and Turkey, so locals call the brew Greek coffee or just order it by their preferred sweetness – glyko (sweet), metrio (one sugar) or sketo (black). For those who prefer their caffeine with milk, Italian-style coffee is very popular here, as is Nescafe, which is served hot, chilled or as a frothy iced frappe.

Most of Cyprus’ offerings to the sweet tooth will be familiar, but there are a few things that are typical to the island. Soujouko looks like a length of tan garden hose, but it’s made from dipping strings of almonds into thickened grape juice. Loukoumades are fried dough blobs served hot out of the oil and drizzled with honey, and are usually sold at small stands starting in the late afternoon, or at festivals. Shamishi is the same fried dough filled with a sort of cream made with semolina and flavored with mastic, which has a flavor slightly reminiscent of rosewater.

As you might expect in a hot climate, Cyprus produces its own ice cream. Three big companies, Papafilippou, Erakles and Pahit-Ice, have stores all over the country and a presence in the freezer cases at supermarkets.

Tomorrow: Heading to church

About the author: Alex Christodoulides is one of those push-me-pull-you creatures known as a dual citizen. When not at home in New York City (where she is a freelance writer) or in Cyprus (where she is a freeloader taking advantage of her relatives’ hospitality), she is probably dreaming of a trip to someplace where vaccinations are required and Fodor’s fears to tread.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Travel is all about new experiences, whether in a museum, a castle, or a restaurant. In Dublin’s pubs, fish and chips always please, although it’s nothing new. But, behold brown sauce! It’s tangy, very Irish, and can be found in little packets… for free!

Bring home a saucy surprise

The “Chef” brand of brown sauce hit the commercial Irish market in 1921 and has accompanied meat and potato dishes ever since. Much like Americans use ketchup, the Irish pair brown sauce with all kinds of dishes: baked ham, potato cakes, soda farl, and so forth. Brown sauce sports a unique and zesty flavor. Americans might describe it as a tangier A1 Steak Sauce, while Brits might find it similar to their HP Sauce.

Brown sauce is commonly found in single-use serving packets on the tables of restaurants and pubs. Dress up your meal with some special sauce at the bar, and then stash away a couple extra packets for the diners back home. 

While you’re at it…

As long as you’re grabbing things off the table, be on the lookout for sugar or vinegar packets sporting interesting quotes, illustrations, or depictions of local sights. After all, nothing is sweeter than a sugar packet stamped with a quote from Oscar Wilde or James Joyce. (For inspiration, check out this collection of Irish and British sugar packets.)

Also see: Our list of recommended budget hotels in Dublin.

Popularity: 15% [?]

A reader asks:

“Do you have any advice for inexpensive, authentic Roman restaurants in the center of town?”

Annie Shapero responds:

Here’s the bad news: Rome is a gaping hell mouth of overpriced restaurants aimed at the hungry, innocent traveler.

The good news is that real Roman cuisine is actually a cucina povera, or poor man’s fare—a savory waste-not want-not approach to Italian cooking that utilizes the plant and animal parts you weren’t expecting. It’s hearty and filling, and like Southern soul food in the US, it’s tastiest at its cheapest… even in the center of town.

Near Piazza Navona, Da Francesco (Piazza del Fico, 29), Da Tonino (Via del Governo Vecchio,18 ), and just Alfredo e Ada (Via dei Banchi Nuovi, 14) offer no nonsense trattoria style dining that shouldn’t run you over €15 a person (including wine!)

In Trastevere, Da Augusto (Piazza de’ Renzi, 15) is the bonafide classic.

From Campo de’ Fiori, follow the scent of deep frying to Filetti di Baccalà (Largo dei Librari, 88), which is named for its specialty, fried slabs of salty cod served alongside puntarelle salad, a crispy curly hybrid of celery and romaine hearts, made from the stalks of chicory and garnished with garlic, oil, and anchovy paste.

In Rome’s grimier neighborhoods, you’ll spend even less. Testaccio and Garbatella (both within walking or busing distance from the Piramide Metro stop) have snubbed the made-for-tourists makeover and are well worth exploring for local “character.” Agustarello (Via G.Branca, 100) has been lauded by locals and the travel media alike as cheap and tasty. They do half portions too!

In Garbatella, Il Grottino del Traslocatore (Via delle sette chiese, 2) is best in the summer when tables spill out on the sidewalk. Otherwise, it’s a steamy basement setting serving huge portions of la cucina romanesca… which does include guts of all varieties in addition to the sumptuous spaghetti alla carbonara, matriciana, and gricia. This is not for the weak at heart.

Rules of the road:

1. At the Roman trattoria or osteria, portions are big and prices are low. You get what you pay for where service is concerned, but hey—you asked for authentic.

2. Order house wine only.

3. Ask for half portions.

4. Ask for their recommendations, not the menu.

5. Don’t ask for a receipt until they’ve quoted you a price. They often write it on the paper tablecloth.

Annie Shapero lives, writes, and eats in Rome. Annie wrote hotel reviews for EuroCheapo’s guides to hotels in Rome, Florence, and Venice. You can read many more posts by Annie in the EuroCheapo blog.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Paris can get, how do you say?, “trés cher.” After dining out in Paris for two nights last week, we were ready to give our wallets a break and try a Paris night a la Cheapo.

A stroll for free

After doing a bit of research, we mapped out a fun, Seine-side stroll from St. Germain des Prés (where we were staying at the lovely 2-star gem “Villa des Princes“) to the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The whole journey took about an hour as we wandered along the river, stopping at bridges, watching the tour boats, and posing for photos.

A pancake dinner

By the time we arrived, we had worked up an appetite. Sure, we were feasting on the sight of Paris by night, but that didn’t quite cut it. We got in line for fresh crepes from a street vendor and salivated as he poured the batter, flipped the pancakes, and added our ingredients: Nutella and banana for Mere, and ham and emmental for Pete. Two crepes set us back about €7 and we shared a Coke (€1.50).

A free light show

We timed our walk so that we’d get to the tower just as the hourly ten-minute light show sparked up the sky. Light shows start at the top of the hour, after sunset. They occur every hour until 1 am or 2 am depending on time of year.

After ingesting crepes and stars, Seine and Eiffel, we hopped on the Metro. For €1.50, we scooted from Invalides to the Latin Quarter.

Slow sipping at the cabaret

We were ready for some good company, old fashioned standards, and the wacky feel of live cabaret, so we ventured to “Aux Trois Mailletz,” our favorite cabaret at 56, Rue Galande in the Latin Quarter. Downstairs, the fancier vaudeville show costs €25 a ticket, but upstairs in the more casual piano bar, you need only buy a drink to sip it all in. (We also found that if you tip the singer and pianist, they’ll fulfill multiple song requests.)

Cheapos could sip a Coke for €5, which isn’t cheap. Beer costs €9, while cocktails run about €11-13. Obviously, you’re paying for the tunes, but you can sip your drink as slowly as you like. We think it’s worth the inflated drink price just to take in the music, the sight of dogs in the audience, and that weird glamour of cabaret performers running about in full makeup. Bravo!

Popularity: 19% [?]

London can be a tricky city for dining. Long criticized for the quality of its fare (”It’s no Paris!”), the city has undergone a gastro-awakening over the past decade that has benefited the bellies, if not the wallets, of its diners.

So what’s a Cheapo to eat? Here are our dining tips, all tested and tried:

1. Go for conveyer belt sushi!

We were initially turned off by the robotic, ever-moving feel of these establishments, frequently seen in London’s malls and Tube stations, but the low prices always lured us back to the belt. Eventually, we even got a hang of it. (Not counting the time the California rolls spun out on our table.) We’re big fans because you watch all the sushi and sashimi as it’s prepared, so you know it’s fresh. You can also ask the chef to add a little extra something (Wasabi? Extra roe?) to your particular dish. Hey, if we’re conveyer converts, you can be too.

Try Yo Sushi, which has tons of locations all across London.

2. Eat with the fishes—and chips!

Sure, we try to stay away from battered and fried, but you have to go there at least once during your stay. Our favorite fish and chips joint is the Rock & Sole Plaice (47 Endell St, WC2 ) in Covent Garden. For under £15, you can order a whole fish and taste a variety of dipping sauces, and have your chips too! If you can’t tube it to this spot, you can usually find decent (and cheaper) fish and chips in any neighborhood. Just steer clear of major tourist haunts (Read: Leicester Square) and larger chains like Slug and Lettuce that claim they have fresh oceanic fare. When in doubt, ask the locals!

3. Kebob it!

We’ve been there: It’s midnight, the pub just closed, and your tum-tum is grumbling. If you’re in Bayswater, head for a kebob stand on busy Queensway where, for a few pounds, you can get your lamb on. Doll it up with the fixins, which usually include peppers, tomatoes, hummus, tahini, and cucumber sauce.

We recommend The Taza Kebab House, where the lamb is always succulent and the pita sandwiches are filling.

4. Join the chain gang.

You may normally steer clear of chain restaurants, but local chains can introduce you to local tastes (mmmm…. mayonnaise!) and help your budget. Big name chain restaurants like Wagamama (Japanese) and Pret-A-Manger (eat-in or take-out sandwiches and coffee) are London mainstays, located throughout the city. Smaller chains like Hummus Bros offer a unique dining experience without exotic prices. Many of these chains offer lunch specials daily.

5. Get roasted.

Sunday is the best day to partake in a yummy, often three-course, gastro-pub meal. The menus are usually prix fixe, but you can always order stuff separately. And, if you haven’t been to a Sunday “roast,” it’s a great way to see London culture at its finest—and hungriest—as piles of bangers and mash, roasted chickens and beef, and plenty o’ pints are consumed. We love The Chapel Pub in Marylebone (48 Chapel Street, London, NW1 5DP ), where we’re always warmly greeted with a comfy seat and a fantastic meal.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Photo by Zé Eduardo

Ethereal truffle ravioli that melt in your mouth. Heavenly mascarpone sprinkled with bitter dark chocolate shavings. Dreams are made of such things.

At Drogheria della Rosa in Bologna, jovial owner Emanuele Addone keeps you smiling all night. After all he did take home the prestigious San Pelligrino Cooking Cup. If his contagious enthusiasm doesn’t hit you, the continuously flowing wine certainly will.

Drogheria della Rosa’s cellar has several hundred choices of vino for every budget. Second piatti range from €9 to €15 per dish. Each dish is simple, made from the freshest ingredients, and prepared to perfection. Be sure to reserve a table ahead of time. During the summer months, we recommend outside tables.

Drogheria della Rosa is located at Via Cartoleria, 10. Telephone: +39 51 22 2529. Hours: 12:30 p.m. until 3 p.m., and 8 p.m. until 10:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Photo by Letincelle&Soseau

Feeling jaded after all those meals of steak frites and braised veal shanks? Pep yourself up with an ice-cold smoothie at one of the great new juice bars in Paris.

Bob’s Juice Bar is located near the Canal St. Martin on the Right Bank. Run by an American filmmaker called Mark, it has a very laid-back vibe and is organized around a long shared table where locals come to hang out with their laptops and chat with the owner about the latest movies at the Cannes film festival. Find generous pile of magazines, a bottomless cup of coffee for €1, muffins, pancakes, soup, salad, and of course, an inventive roster of juices and smoothies. For an additional kick, ask for a supplement of spirulina or guarana. Smoothies cost €4-€5.50 and there’s a lunch formula at €10 with soup and a salad or a sandwich and a muffin with mint tea.

On the Left Bank near Odéon there’s Wanna Juice, which is more impersonal and geared towards takeout. Nonetheless, it is worth bearing in mind for a hot day in the teeming streets off the Boulevard Saint Germain. Wanna insists on using only fresh fruit and no added sugar. One of their bestsellers is the Apasionada, which consists of passionfruit, mango, banana, and pineapple juice. Smoothies begin at €3.90.

Bob’s Juice Bar is located at 15, rue Lucien Sampaix 75010 M° Jacques Bonsergent and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Wanna Juice, at 65, rue Saint-André des Arts 75006 M° Odéon, is open everyday from 8:30 a.m. ’til sunset.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Photo by Matthew S.

Finding a bargain meal in Dublin can be a challenge. As long as Luigi Malones is in operation, there will be cheap meals on offer in the Irish capital.

Located on the corner of Temple Bar Square, Luigi Malones serves up an All Day menu that offers a meal plus complimentary drink—beer, wine or soft drink—for just €10.90. Another deal: the All Day coffee and dessert for just €4.90.

While “All Day” is a bit of a misnomer (the menu is only available from noon until 5 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 3 p.m. on weekends) the deal still can’t be beat.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Photo by iritabook

Ah, Prague’s bad old days of dining. There was a long period in the 1990s when yes, the food was cheap, but it was also a lot more…questionable. Put it this way: asking for a green salad would get you a quizzical look—and that’s assuming you could find a waiter in the first place.

While it’s doubtful anyone misses that era in Czech culinary history, it’s amusing to see that the city isn’t completely rid of that type of establishment. In a review in the Prague Post last week, the paper’s restaurant critic makes clear that this culinary tradition is alive and well at a place called The Brother’s in Vinohrady:

Something I translated as “old Czech soup” batters your palate with incoherent strokes of garlic and salt. Clumps of vacuous white cheese bob under the surface, perhaps in the vain hope that the congealed curd will absorb a little of the briny, bitter sting. Or maybe folks brought up in more difficult times considered flavorless, caulky substances nutritious and filling.

While the prices at The Brother’s also hew to that older style (i.e. you get what you pay for), let’s be the first to recommend the wide variety of sausages available at kiosks throughout the city. Complex flavors may not be the culinary strength in Prague, but pork products most certainly are.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Photo by sfsuperstar

Paris can be a tough place for a vegetarian, what with all the force-fed duck livers and tartar steaks on restaurant menus. But while it is hard here for a vegetarian, there is hope.

Scattered throughout the city are several vegetarian restaurants worth checking out. Our favorites:

1. Le Grenier de Notre Dame is located just steps from the Notre Dame Cathedral. Le Grenier offers tofu ravioli and fresh vegetable juices. 18, rue de la Bûcherie. Tel: +33 1 43 29 98 29.

2. Le Petite Legumes is located in the 5th arrondissment. It serves up tofu burgers in a quirky, warm setting. 36, Rue des Boulangers. Tel: +33 1 40 46 06 85.

3. Our top choice is the Piccolo Teatro in the heart of the Marais, a resto whose organic red wines and palette-pleasing tasting menu caters to vegans, romantics, and Cheapos alike. 6, rue des Ecouffes. Tel: +33 1 42 72 17 79.

Popularity: 4% [?]