The 34 best restaurants in Malta
In the last decade Malta has morphed from a nation still culinarily compromised by the legacy of British colonial cooking to a truly gourmet Mediterranean destination. It received its first Michelin stars in 2020,and now has seven Michelin-starred restaurants, one of them with two stars. All serve primarily modern Mediterranean cuisine. Many more restaurants are named and praised in the Malta Michelin Guide. You can still get a great full English breakfast, or even a butty and beer if you insist, but you can also eat extremely well (without Michelin stars) for far less than in the UK.
So why not avail yourself of the region's best with perfectly cooked fish fresh from the surrounding sea cooked with just-off-the-bush capers and local white wine, or fresh lobster ravioli and sumptuous steak followed by ricotta cassata, gooey hot chocolate pudding or homemade fig ice cream. The Maltese love their food, so the country is full of excellent restaurants, patronised by locals and visitors alike. Portions are often large, and nobody here wants to rush through a meal, so allow a bit of time, relax, and enjoy.
Find out more below, or read on to find our most mouth-watering suggestions for where to eat around the island. We also have guides helping you plan a weekend in Valletta, the best places to stay, how to fill your time on the island (and what you can do for free), plus the best beaches and bars.
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Best all-rounders
Rubino
An unassuming Dickensian shopfront leads to this smart but relaxed Valletta favourite, with white tablecloths and walls decorated with wine bottles and bottled vegetables. The blackboard menu of excellent traditional Maltese, Sicilian and Mediterranean dishes changes daily. There is always a mix of meat and fish, and usually a rabbit dish (much loved by locals). The slow-cooked lamb melts in the mouth, and don't miss Rubino's rightly famous Sicilian cassata – made with ricotta cheese, not too sweet and utterly delectable. Service is efficient, knowledgeable and friendly. Awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand (for 'good quality and good value food') since 2020, this is a place to return to again and again.
Guzé
In one of Valletta's oldest houses said to have belonged to the city's sixteenth-century Maltese architect (Girolamo Cassar), you'll find Guzé. This intimate, family-run restaurant serves consistently excellent food in an elegant but relaxed limestone-and-white-linen interior. Equally good are their perfectly cooked fresh fish dishes and the large value-for-money fillet steak. The carpaccio of sea bass and panatone are both (in their very different ways) subtly delicious and the hot chocolate pudding will pull any chocolate lover back for more.
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