Malta is a great destination for food-loving travellers. The cuisine is heavily influenced by Italy, but with a distinctive Maltese twist. Here are the top restaurants in Malta for traditional Maltese food.
Malta is a great place to visit in Europe for food. It’s easy to get around the island, so you can try lots of different restaurants in different towns and villages. My top restaurants in Malta for traditional Maltese food include restaurants all over the island of Malta, so you’ll be able to find restaurants in lots of the places you visit. Most of these restaurants are mid-budget, but are still good value and affordable.
One of my favourite types of food in Malta was the seafood. There were lots of restaurants in Malta where you could try fresh seafood. My favourite was octopus, but I had a great fresh tuna steak as well. Another Maltese speciality is rabbit meat – best served with pasta. But there was lots of other great food as well. Here are my top restaurants in Malta for traditional Maltese food.
1. Coast @ Cassarini, Blue Grotto
My favourite restaurant in Malta for traditional Maltese food was Coast @ Cassarini. It’s located near the Blue Grotto, which was one of my favourite parts of Malta. The scenery here is just amazing. I recommend spending your morning around the Blue Grotto. You can take a boat trip to see the cliffs and caves from the sea. And you can also walk to a stunning viewpoint that looks down over the Blue Grotto. And after a morning of sightseeing, head to Coast @ Cassarini restaurant for lunch. It’s located in the small collection of buildings around the Blue Grotto.
This is a great restaurant for seafood. I always think seafood tastes even better when you can sit outside and see the sea. I recommend the grilled octopus, cooked with white wine and garlic – it was so fresh and delicious.
Another great option here is the squid ink and truffle arancini. Arancini are a traditional Sicilian food, of deep fried risotto rice. The squid ink and truffle arancini here are just as good as the arancini you get in Sicily, and the squid ink gives them an amazing flavour. The seafood at Coast @ Cassarini definitely makes this one of the top restaurants in Malta for traditional Maltese food.
You can sit outside at the restaurant Coast @ Cassarini. From the outside rooftop terrace, you get lovely sea views.
2. La Pira Maltese Kitchen, Valletta
Valletta is the capital city of Malta. There are lots of great restaurants in Valletta for Maltese food. My favourite is La Pira Maltese Kitchen. This mid-budget restaurant is set on a really pretty street in the centre of Valletta. There’s plenty of seating outside, which is perfect for the mild Mediterranean evenings.
The best food at La Pira Maltese Kitchen is the pasta with rabbit. Rabbit meat is a traditional speciality in Malta. And the pulled rabbit with pasta and cheese is delicious.
Another great dish at this restaurant is the gnocchi with traditional Maltese sausage. This meal is a great option if you’re not sure about eating rabbit. It’s delicious, with a rich and meaty sauce alongside the gnocchi.
3. La Nostra Padrona, Marsaxlokk
Another of my favourite seafood meals in Malta was at La Nostra Padrona. This restaurant is in the pretty fishing village Marsaxlokk. The village of Marsaxlokk was one of my favourite places I visited in Malta. I loved the colourful houses and fishing boats. If you visit on a Sunday, there’s the weekly market so you can walk around the market stalls before getting lunch.
La Nostra Padrona has a great selection of seafood on the menu. My favourite dish is the octopus and squid risotto. The risotto is cooked in a delicious fish broth, and there’s a great amount of octopus and squid in it.
This restaurant also has a great selection of fresh fish. The fish they have on the menu varies, as it depends what has been freshly caught and available at the market that day. I had tuna steak, which was amazing – it was so fresh.
4. Gelato at Amorino, Valletta
For an indulgent treat, try the gelato at Amorino, Valletta. The gelato here is great, but what really makes this place stand out is the artistic way that they present the gelato. It’s like a flower, with a macaron as well.
You can choose from about 20 different gelato flavours. There are fruit flavours, such as lemon and strawberry. And there are also chocolate-y flavours, including chocolate, salted caramel and pistachio. It’s fun to choose the different flavours and watch them great such a beautiful piece of art. Make sure you take photos before you eat it!
5. Anciovia, Sliema
The Sicilian restaurant called Anciovia is a great place to eat in Sliema. This part of Malta has lots of restaurants to choose from, but Anciovia is one of the best. It serves great Sicilian food with a Maltese twist.
The swordfish pasta is a highlight of the menu here. As with so many restaurants in Malta, the fish and seafood is great. There’s a great amount of fresh swordfish in this pasta, with aubergine ribbons as well. The wine at this restaurant is lovely as well.
For dessert, you can have Sicilian cannoli. These sweet pastries are filled with sweet ricotta. Maltese food is heavily influenced by Sicily, so you can find great cannoli here for dessert.
This restaurant is set right near the waterfront, so it’s the perfect location for a relaxing walk after dinner.
6. Malta Pastizzi, Valletta
Pastizzi are a traditional Maltese pastry. They are a savoury pastry, made from flaky filo pastry. There are two main types to choose from. One is filled with ricotta. And the other is peas. I enjoyed both – but I preferred the peas.
You can find pastizzi at almost any bakery in Valletta. I loved the pastizzi from the bakery called Malta Pastizzi in Valletta. But they can sell out quickly – so if you miss out, you can easily find more around the city. They’re really cheap, so these pastizzi make a great value snack.
7. Kinnie drink, Popeye Village
The drink Kinnie is another speciality in Malta. This fizzy non-alcoholic drink is flavoured with orange and various herbs. It’s hard to describe the exact flavour – but it’s really nice. The drink Kinnie is really refreshing, so it’s a great option when you want a drink on a hot, sunny day in Malta.
You can buy Kinnie at most restaurants and supermarkets around Malta. But my favourite place to drink Kinnie is at Popeye Village. There’s a lovely bar here, with seating right on the cliff with amazing views. You can enjoy a cold glass of Kinnie while enjoying the beautiful views over the sea.
It really is a beautiful place to relax, with a drink and an amazing view. Make sure you stay here until sunset, as the cliffs near Popeye Village are the best place in Malta to watch the sunset over the Mediterranean sea.
8. Coogi’s Pizzeria, Mdina
My favourite restaurant in the city of Mdina is Coogi’s Pizzeria. It’s a great place to enjoy pizza and Italian food, with a Maltese twist. The city of Mdina has lots of good sights and museums, and some beautiful views. There are lots of cute streets as well. So after exploring the city of Mdina, you can stop at this lovely Pizzeria for some well-deserved food.
The meat pizza with traditional Maltese sausage is great. If you enjoy meat-y pizzas, this pizza is a great option. Or if you’d prefer a vegetarian option, this restaurant also does a lovely ricotta-filled ravioli with fresh tomato sauce and parmesan.
9. Rooftop Restaurant at Grands Suites Hotel, Sliema
The last of my top restaurants in Malta for traditional Maltese food is the rooftop restaurant at the Grands Suites Hotel in Sliema. The food here is ok – it’s not amazing, but it’s ok. There’s a selection of Maltese and international cuisine, with some nice wine and cocktail options.
But what really makes this place special is the view. The view from the rooftop at this hotel is amazing – especially at sunset, and at night.
You can look over the rooftop infinity pool and get stunning views of Valletta. The views are spectacular as sunset, when the city of Valletta is bathed in a golden glow. And at night, the views are stunning. You can see the skyline of Valletta lit up at night. This is a great restaurant to visit if you want to enjoy the views as well as the food.
Hope you enjoy the top restaurants in Malta for traditional Maltese food! Make sure you also check out my guide to exploring Malta without a car, with my ultimate 5 day itinerary! If you like Malta, check out my guides to some other beautiful destinations in the Mediterranean, such as one week in Sicily without a car, Italy’s Cinque Terre and Portofino. You can also visit the French Riviera and sailing Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast.
