2 Best Restaurants in Valletta, Malta

One of the buzziest restaurants in the capital is the family-run Beati Paoli, an impossibly cozy, friendly affair that still flies under the radar of most visitors. It has that neighborhood feel, boasting of its "local fresh rabbit" on the blackboard frontage, yet serves up subtly crafted, on-point Maltese and Mediterranean dishes with a changing specials menu that never fails to delight. The interior is all stone and white walls, with an open kitchen to boot. Add to that a good local and European wine list and you can't fail to be charmed.

For a simple, cheap, and delicious meal, Sotto is the go-to in Valletta. Set in a bustling stone cellar, and with a mix of tables and benches, it's Malta's best pizza joint by a mile, dishing up Roman-style square pies with thin, crunchy crusts, just the right touch of olive-oil, and simple toppings. It's nothing fancy, just a matter of quality ingredients: an indulgent scattering of pork cheek and smoked cheese here; truffle sauce drizzled over rocket and parma ham there. A true institution.