20 Best Places to Eat in Malta: The Ultimate Culinary & Dining Guide

Maltese cuisine is a hearty Mediterranean fusion heavily influenced by Sicilian, British, and North African traditions. Built around seasonal seafood, wild rabbit, sun-ripened tomatoes, capers, and olive oil, dining in Malta ranges from historic waterfront eateries to street-side pastry shops.

Must-Try Traditional Dishes

When dining across Malta and Gozo, be sure to savor these iconic local specialties:

Pastizzi: Malta's national street food snack—flaky, diamond-shaped pastries stuffed with spiced ricotta cheese or mushy peas.
Stuffat tal-Fenek: Rabbit stew slow-cooked with garlic, red wine, tomatoes, bay leaves, and root vegetables.
Ftira Maltija: Traditional ring-shaped sourdough flatbread filled with tuna, capers, olives, onions, and tomato paste (kunserva).
Lampuki Pie (Torta tal-Lampuki): Savory baked fish pie filled with mahi-mahi (lampuki), spinach, olives, and capers.
Ġbejniet: Small round sheep's milk cheeses, served fresh, dried, or coated in black pepper.

20 Best Places to Eat in Malta

1. ION Harbour by Simon Rogan

Cuisine: Michelin-Starred Contemporary Mediterranean
Location: Valletta Waterfront
Must-Try Dish: Local red prawn with hibiscus gel and seasonal herbs
About the Place: Perched on a luxury rooftop overlooking the Grand Harbour, offering hyper-seasonal Michelin-starred fine dining.
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2. Nenu the Artisan Baker

Cuisine: Authentic Maltese Bakery & Restaurant
Location: Valletta
Must-Try Dish: Traditional Maltese Ftira topped with local sausage and potatoes
About the Place: Housed inside a restored century-old bakery, famous for baking authentic sourdough ftiras in century-old stone ovens.
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3. Crystal Palace (Is-Serkin)

Cuisine: Traditional Maltese Pastizzerija
Location: Rabat
Must-Try Dish: Freshly baked pea and ricotta pastizzi with hot tea
About the Place: Legendary 24/7 street-side pastizzi shop operating near Mdina gate, serving what many consider Malta's best pastizzi.
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4. Tartarun Restaurant

Cuisine: Gourmet Seafood
Location: Marsaxlokk Harbor
Must-Try Dish: Pan-seared local Lampuki fillet with capers and olives
About the Place: Sophisticated seafood restaurant situated on Marsaxlokk harbor, celebrated for refined preparations of morning fish catches.
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5. Ta' Kris Restaurant

Cuisine: Traditional Maltese Bistro
Location: Sliema
Must-Try Dish: Slow-cooked Stuffat tal-Fenek (Traditional rabbit stew)
About the Place: Set inside a historic former bakery in Sliema, serving rustic, authentic Maltese home-style recipes.
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6. De Mondion

Cuisine: Michelin-Starred French-Mediterranean
Location: The Xara Palace, Mdina
Must-Try Dish: Roasted suckling pig with local honey reduction
About the Place: Located atop Mdina's historic bastion walls, providing panoramic views alongside Michelin-starred fine dining.
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7. Ta' Philip Restaurant

Cuisine: Traditional Gozitan & Wood-fired
Location: Mġarr, Gozo
Must-Try Dish: Slow-roasted local suckling pig cooked in a wood-burning oven
About the Place: Celebrated Gozitan venue committed to sustainable local sourcing, artisanal cooking techniques, and natural wines.
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8. Fontanella Tea Garden

Cuisine: Cafe, Bakery & Light Eats
Location: Mdina Bastions
Must-Try Dish: Famous homemade decadent chocolate cake and pastizzi
About the Place: Perched high on Mdina's ancient fortification walls, famous for generous cake slices and sweeping island vistas.
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9. Guze Bistro

Cuisine: Modern Mediterranean
Location: Valletta
Must-Try Dish: Braised rabbit leg in red wine reduction with truffled potato mash
About the Place: Housed inside a charming 16th-century building in Valletta, offering intimate candlelit dining and creative local specials.
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10. Ta' Rikardu

Cuisine: Rustic Gozitan Farm-to-Table
Location: The Cittadella, Victoria, Gozo
Must-Try Dish: Homemade ravioli filled with fresh sheep's milk Ġbejniet cheese
About the Place: Rustic tavern inside Gozo's medieval citadel serving estate wines, olives, and sheep cheese produced on Rikardu's farm.
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11. Caviar & Bull

Cuisine: Molecular Gastronomy & Modern Seafood
Location: St. George's Bay, St. Julian's
Must-Try Dish: Seared Wagyu beef carpaccio with molecular sphere caviar
About the Place: High-end oceanfront culinary destination by Chef Marvin Gauci, known for inventive presentation and caviar pairings.
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12. Harbour Club

Cuisine: French-Mediterranean Fusion
Location: Valletta Waterfront
Must-Try Dish: Pan-roasted octopus with chorizo and sweet potato puree
About the Place: Set in a converted 18th-century warehouse, offering terrace views of the Grand Harbour and refined seafood dining.
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13. Rubino

Cuisine: Historic Maltese-Sicilian Trattoria
Location: Valletta
Must-Try Dish: Cassata Siciliana and fresh octopus stew
About the Place: Operating since 1906 as a confectionery, now a beloved Michelin Bib Gourmand trattoria serving traditional Maltese dishes.
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14. Mġarr Farmers Bar

Cuisine: Traditional Rustic Maltese
Location: Mġarr Village
Must-Try Dish: Fried rabbit with garlic and fries (Fenek Moqli)
About the Place: Authentic local agricultural club tavern serving hearty, unpretentious portions of traditional rabbit and quail.
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15. Roots Restaurant

Cuisine: Fresh Seafood & Mediterranean
Location: Marsaxlokk Promenade
Must-Try Dish: Grilled sea bass with local caper sauce
About the Place: Family-run harbourfront venue in Marsaxlokk celebrated for fresh catches and waterfront dining.
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16. Under Grain

Cuisine: Michelin-Starred Modern French
Location: Valletta
Must-Try Dish: Cured sea bass with oyster emulsion and caviar
About the Place: Elegant cellar restaurant in Valletta inspired by tailor craftsmanship, offering Michelin-starred contemporary cooking.
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17. Maxokk Bakery

Cuisine: Traditional Gozitan Ftira Bakery
Location: Nadur, Gozo
Must-Try Dish: Gozitan Ftira topped with potatoes, anchovies, and sheep cheese
About the Place: Legendary family bakery in Nadur baking authentic Gozitan ftira pies in century-old wood-fired stone ovens.
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18. The Chophouse

Cuisine: Steakhouse & Grill
Location: Tigné Point, Sliema
Must-Try Dish: Dry-aged Scotch ribeye steak with truffle butter
About the Place: Malta's premier steakhouse offering charcoal-grilled prime meats and striking terrace views of Valletta across the harbor.
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19. Rampila Restaurant

Cuisine: Historic Mediterranean
Location: Valletta Bastions
Must-Try Dish: Braised lamb shank with rosemary reduction
About the Place: Unique dining room set within the 16th-century bastion walls of Valletta, featuring a terrace overlooking the city ditch.
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20. Bacchus Restaurant

Cuisine: Fine Dining Mediterranean
Location: Mdina Fortress Walls
Must-Try Dish: Roasted rack of local lamb in herb crust
About the Place: Set inside 17th-century vaulted aristocratic chambers built into Mdina's fortification walls, providing romantic historical ambiance.
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Fresh Mediterranean Seafood Platter in Malta