Heads of state and government from Europe and key Middle East partners will arrive in Cyprus for an informal European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday. They will enjoy a gourmet dinner curated by the late Chef Andreas Mavrommatis on the Ayia Napa marina, overlooking the Mediterranean.
The set menu offers vegan, vegetarian, and standard options.
The meal begins with a refreshing Cypriot salad of organic heirloom tomatoes, mint, feta and pepper roulade, olives, caper leaves, and green tomato sorbet (feta omitted for vegan diners).
For the main course, the standard menu features milk-fed lamb, slow-cooked with roasted saddle, halloumi, stuffed cabbage leaves, and Cypriot taro root millefeuille, served with an olive condiment.
At the same time, vegetarians will enjoy stuffed halloumi and artichoke, morel stuffed with taro root, seasonal vegetables, and watercress condiment, while vegans will savour celeriac ravioli stuffed with slow-cooked vegetables and artichoke, alongside morel stuffed with Cypriot taro root, seasonal vegetables, and watercress condiment.
The dinner concludes with almond shortbread and pastry cream with rose water and fresh strawberries, for standard and vegetarian menus, or a refreshing fruit salad for vegan menus.
This is the first time the informal European Council is convening in Cyprus, on 23 and 24 of April, under the Cypriot presidency of the Council of the EU. Discussions will focus on energy security, regional developments, and the EU’s long-term budget.
The European Council comprises the heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states, European Council President Antonio Costa, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will join to exchange views. Regional leaders are also invited, including Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Absences include Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker.
Andreas Mavrommatis was a distinguished Cypriot chef, celebrated internationally for blending Cypriot traditions with French gastronomic techniques. He passed away on 14 March.
