Food in Malta!
 

Hi.
I'm heading to Malta next week for 8 days. Will spend 3 days in Gozo and 5 days based in Sliema.
Can anybody recommend any restaurants, cafes, dives, or food places/things to try at the markets in Malta (esp. Mdina, Sliema, Marxxalok), & Gozo? We're interested in Arabian influenced foods, homestyle Italian, pizza (I read about a pizza place somewhere in Gozo), but not Indian as we get lots here in London.
Cheers,

gtrekker2003

I wasn't thrilled with the food in Malta. There are a lot of awful old-fashioned British places. But also some nice Italian/ Maltese places that seem to spring up and disappear. There's a nice place with local dishes in the walls of the citadel in Gozo (can't remember the name) and lots of fish restaurants on the harbour in Marsakloxx. I found Valetta disappointing for food, though there is a new development on the harbour with several restaurants.

I agree about not being thrilled with the food in Malta. Your best bet is to stick with fish as much as possible. The only place I can recommend is in St Julian's - can't remember the name but it's on the water side and has a large deck for outside dining. It's more the pizza, salad, sandwich type of restaurant. In 12 days there I didn't see any "Arabian-influenced" food. Rabbit is the national dish but I didn't try it; hardly saw it on the menus.

In Valletta, try Cocopazza and stay with pasta or fish. The veal I had was tough. Be prepared for a long meal as everything is cooked to order and the service is slow.

On Gozo the lunch at the Hotel Ta' Cenc in Sannat was quite good. My notes state that this was the best food we had on the tour. The best ice cream was in Xlendi Bay at a small ice cream parlor down a street that goes away from the water.

The Marsaxlokk market is best on Sundays - many more vendors. I don't remember any interesting foods there unless you could the live octapus is a shallow pan of water that someone was selling.

The place I know best is Buggiba. If you can get there go to the square (which is actually round!)at the St Paul's Bay end. There is a little cobbled street goes off the square(not the main street with Fat Harry's etc on it, the one to the right of that as you face up)with 5 or 6 great little restaurants all with affordable, Italian-based food and great service.
Good Luck! Enjoy Malta - I LOVE it!

There are some great food tips amongst the 100 others on http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...s-100-best.cfm

Do try the pastizzi (flakey pastry with cheese filling), the local Cisk beer and Malta wine, the wonderful bread and of course, the famous local rabbit dish – our favourite meal on Gozo, at Marsalforn’s Maria Giovanna Guesthouse – lovingly prepared by mamma Maria, and so good I’d go back just for an encore!