Από Γενιά σε Γενιά, meaning “from generation to generation”, is a new taverna in Frenaros, a village inland from Paralimni and Ayia Napa in the Famagusta district. It has opened on Kyriakou Matsi Street, on the exact spot where the Zakou family’s kafenio stood from 1986 until a few years ago, a place with no sign or name that everyone in the village simply knew as “Zakou’s”.
The taverna is run by Konstantinos Zakou, the third generation of the family, who has returned to Frenaros after seven years living and working in Greece. Rather than just reopening the space, he has rebuilt it as a modern mezedopoleio that blends Cypriot and Greek cooking, built around the memories of his grandparents, Androulla and Dimitris, who ran the original kafenio.
What Makes It Worth Visiting
The appeal here is personal rather than polished. Konstantinos grew up going to the kafenio after school to be looked after by his grandmother, and the dishes he remembers from those days, souvlaki made his grandmother’s way, Cypriot sandwiches, snails, wild greens, afelia, and courgettes with eggs, have shaped the new menu directly. The aim was to keep the simplicity and soul of the old kafenio while adding the technique of a proper modern kitchen, working mainly with charcoal and the pot.
It is also a working link to the land around it. Many of the vegetables on the menu, including cabbage, kolokasi, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, spring onions and coriander, come from fields that Konstantinos’s grandfather still farms in the traditional way, and the rest of the produce is sourced from small local producers rather than anonymous suppliers.
What to Expect
The menu covers familiar grill dishes such as souvlaki, sheftalies, halloumi, lamb chops, village sausage and pastourmas, alongside home style mageirefta like courgettes with eggs and wild greens. There are also more restaurant style dishes, including rooster cooked in wine with pasta and graviera cheese, lemon rabbit, and fried kolokasi sticks known as poulles.
Desserts change weekly depending on the season and what local producers have available, following an ethos that nothing should go to waste. Expect regular options like siamali with ice cream and pourekia pastries, alongside seasonal fruit based desserts such as strawberry or watermelon dishes in summer. Yoghurt comes from a small producer in Paralimni and bread and pittas from a workshop in Liopetri, with meat delivered fresh daily. Live music is held once a week, though it is worth checking ahead for which evening. Drinks service starts from 3pm and the kitchen runs from 5pm to 10pm; as with any newly opened venue, it is worth confirming the current opening days before travelling.
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Given the family history behind the menu, it is worth ordering some of the dishes tied directly to Konstantinos’s memories of the old kafenio, particularly the courgettes with eggs, the snails, and the afelia, alongside the classic grill items if you want something more familiar. Anyone after the more ambitious cooking should try the rooster in wine with pasta and graviera or the lemon rabbit.
Ask what the dessert of the week is, since it depends on the season and the harvest rather than a fixed menu, and try to time a visit for the weekly live music evening if it fits your plans. Given the taverna only opened in 2026, it is a good one to visit early, before word fully gets around.
Frenaros sits close enough to Paralimni, Sotira and Ayia Napa to make a natural stop for anyone exploring inland from the coast. You can find more local recommendations for the area through the ElloCyprus Discover Guide.
