Best restaurants on Malta

Malta, the small island in the Mediterranean sea, has many great restaurants. Despite it being relatively small, it has a large culinary scene. There’s something for everyone; from restaurants serving fresh fish, to full vegan restaurants. If you like going out for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner while on vakation, this page is for you. On this page I’m sharing the best restaurants on Malta in my opinion. I’ve sorted them per category, so you can go for the ones that appeal to you most.

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Most Romantic restaurant on Malta

Are you visiting Malta with your partner and you’re looking for a romantic restaurant for date night? I recommend Legligin in the capital city Valletta. To enter Legligin you’ll have to go down a few steps until you enter the cosy, warm restaurant. For both lunch and dinner the restaurant works with a tasting menu, and you get to share all the dishes that are put on the table. Perfect for a romantic evening. We went for the 7 course tasting menu for dinner, which is €45 per person (and €40 per person for wine pairing). On the menu is Maltese comfort food, and vegetarian is no problem. Make sure to reserve ahead as it can get quite busy. A fun fact to impress your loved one with over dinner: Legligin is the Maltese word for people who slurp down an (alcoholic) drink.

Best restaurant for Maltese food

If you want to sample real Maltese food during your trip to Malta; Gululu is the place to be. Walk down the stairs and have a seat at the waterfront on nice warm evenings, or sit inside on the rare colder nights when you’re visiting Malta in December. Gululu restaurant is located at Spinola Bay in St Julians, just West of Valletta. They serve all the traditional Maltese dishes such as Ricotta, sea bass and rabbit. They also serve the typical Maltese dessert Mqaret, a date filled pastry, that you can see pictured here. Restaurant Gululu is open for dinner on weekdays, and lunch and dinner on the weekend.

Most Instragrammable restaurant on Malta

My Instagram heart started pumping when I entered Barbajean in Dingli, on the South-West side of Malta. Everything is pink and dark green in the interior. Not only the sofas and walls, but even the pepper and salt shakers. Despite the Instagrammable interior (with tables that are perfect as a backdrop for your photos), the food is also amazing. In fact, the picture at the top of this page is taken at Barbajean. I loved the fried feta and the Pine nut crusted Zucchini. My meat-loving friends were over the moon about their Beef and Truffle Croissant Sliders and Scotch Egg from Maltese sausage. So dress up nicely and make sure to bring your camera, for a delicious and stylish night out on Malta.

Best restaurant for Local food

Restaurant Hammett’s Monastik is well-knonw for their menu that consists of as much local, organic and seasonal products as possible. The work with seasonal vegetables, and use fermentation to serve certain ingredients year-round. They work with a shared dining concept, which I love because not only do you get to taste a lot from their menu, it also makes for a connection between you and the rest of your company. I absolutely loved the Polenta Gnocchi with Kefir and local Pecorino, I hope it’s still on the menu when you’re visiting. The herb butter as a dip is also a recommendation, and I had the Basque Cheesecake for dessert which, together with the Chocolate Fondant, is worth leaving some space for.

Best restaurant on Gozo

The island of Gozo is great for a day trip from Malta. And this restaurant alone is worth the crossing with the ferry: Il-Kartell. Probably the best mushrooms I have ever tasted in my life, I had at restaurant Il-Kartell. The ‘Funghi al Kartell’ are local mushrooms cooked in garlic, brandy and cream served with garlic bread. They’ve got tasty meat, fish and pasta dishes on the menu. My tip: if you order a small portion of the pasta, you can fit in one of their delicious desserts afterwards. Restaurant Il-Kartell on Gozo is especially nice on warm days, when you can have lunch or dinner on their terrace overlooking the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean.

Best Modern restaurant on Malta

Although the name made me think it was a pub, restaurant Smugglers in Balzan is actually a wonderful, modern restaurant on Malta. Meat lovers will go crazy for their Steak Tacos or their Beef Burger with Sriracha mayo and kimchi. But they’ve also got very tasty vegetarian dishes, like Aubergine with Za’atar, and the Roasted Pumpkin with whipped ghejna cheese and crispy kale. The dessert that I had was heaven on a plate: Tiramisu Cheesecake.

Restaurant with the best view on Malta

Looking for a restaurant with a view on Malta? Then I recommend restaurant The Cliffs. Enjoy the view over the Dingli Cliffs while you enjoy lunch, dinner or just a nice glass of wine. The dishes are simple but comforting and the menu changes daily. You can also get a box to go, so you can have picnic at one of the benches on top of cliffs.

Best restaurant for Game of Thrones lovers

If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones, you should definitely visit Mdina. Mdina was Maltas first capital city during the time of the knights of Malta, and is nicknamed ‘the Silent City’. The entrance gate to this old city was used as the entrance to King’s Landing in the series. And there’s also a restaurant in Mdina that’s perfect to visit if you’re a GOT lover. It’s called Don Mesquita, and it’s located right next to the building that was the house and brothel of Little Finger.

Best restaurant for beer lovers

If you’re a beer lover, you’ll enjoy visiting the Brewhouse, the former Cisk brewery that now houses a museum, a giftshop, several bars and a restaurant. The restaurant the Chapel at the brewery serves all the Cisk beers and pairs them with tasty comfort food.

Best pub food on Malta

Are you in Valletta and you’re looking for a nice bar for a drink and some snacks after strolling the streets of the capital city? Then I recommend Cafe Jubilee. The first Cafe Jubilee opened up in Victoria in 1998, and you can still visit it there as well. Because it was so sucesful, they opened up a second restaurant in Valletta two years later. There’s a lot to see with their colorful interior and set table that’s upside down on the ceiling.

Best Pastizzi on Malta

Is-Serkin, also known as Crystal Palace is considered the best spot for Pastizzi on the island. Pastizz is a traditional Maltese snack made from thin layers of dough and margarine and filled with soaked peas or Irkotta (the Maltese variant of Ricotta). This pastry, crunchy on the outside and smooth on the inside, is a snack dat you can eat at any moment of the day. You can find Crystal Palace right next to the entry gate of Mdina. There might be a line, as Is-Serkin has a reputation of serving the best Pastizzi on the island.

You might also like my recipe for Stracciatella Panna Cotta.