14 Best Restaurants in Malta

This is one of the last remaining traditional Maltese trattorias along the tourist strip, and local families, along with a few in-the-know visitors, flock to this relaxed eatery. The chef is famed for his homemade succulent braġjoli (thin beef steak stuffed with pork herbs and breadcrumbs, then rolled and cooked) and mouth-watering slow-cooked rabbit. The freshly made pastas and sauces are copious and an excellent value. The menu is matched by local, reputable wines. The restaurant is a little difficult to find, located down a narrow alley off the main shopping street. There's no view, but don't worry, food and the rustic ambience add up to a typical Maltese experience.

On the ground floor of the original treasury of the Knights is Valletta's oldest café. Since 1837, this ornate, vaulted confectionery has produced hot, savory breakfast pastries and qaghaq ta' l-ghasel (honey rings). The lunch menu also includes sandwiches, salads, and a choice of daily specials. The interior air-conditioned café attracts Valletta movers and shakers, because of its close proximity to parliament and the law courts. The shaded outside tables in Victoria Square are the city's prime people-watching spots. Enjoy a coffee, beer, or glass of wine and relax.

A Mdina institution, this café offers some of the most scrumptious cakes in Malta, paired with delicious freshly brewed coffee. It's not just the food that attracts a regular stream of clients throughout the day; the terrace tables have magnificent views across the Maltese countryside that invite a long lingering visit. Try a crisp warm Maltese pastizzi (a crisp pastry filled with ricotta cheese or mashed peas). Sandwiches and pizzas are also on the menu for a light lunch or a short stop to recharge the energy levels and give tired feet a rest.

Leading politicians and the fashionable alike dine here on haute Maltese-Italian cuisine. Dishes hit the heights with pan-seared boneless quail and veal chops, and the day's catch is usually reliable. Tables on the open balcony-style terrace overlook the Sliema waterfront, but if it's too hot outside, try the table just inside the open full-length windows to get the best view combined with a little cool air. There is a lounge downstairs; the restaurant is on the fifth floor.

An elevator only takes you part of the way; you'll still have to climb a flight of stairs to get to the restaurant.

This inventive Maltese trattoria has a menu that takes traditional, seasonal ingredients and tries to do something a little different with them, from a tempting starter of pork cheek lasagne to rabbit done "three ways." It's set in a 400-year-old vaulted stone building, with a series of small, simply furnished and elegantly lit dining spaces. When the restaurant is full, space can be a little tight.

Fresh fish served by the sea is the signature of success for this long-standing Gozo favorite. Try a salad sprinkled with locally grown capers followed by grilled catch of the day or clams with pasta. The low ceiling of the vaulted dining room, once an old boat house, can feel a little claustrophobic but the sunny terrace overlooking the bay is popular with visitors from surrounding hotels but many local families also make this the place for long lunches or dinners.

In the villages of Gozo, bakeries have always been a hub of activity thanks to their limestone wood-huge ovens. Locals bring huge trays of vegetables and slabs of meat to be cooked in the searing flames—and it's still not an uncommon sight today on Sunday and during festivals. Mekren's is especially popular for its wood-fired local pizza (ftira), typically topped with tomato, anchovies, goat cheese, and potato. Unlike other bakeries on the island, it doesn't need to be ordered in advance here—you can just turn up and take it away.

You'll find refined service and classic cuisine in this old limestone farmhouse. Using produce from its vegetable garden, a seasonal menu includes boat-fresh seafood dishes, fresh pasta, and a fine suckling pig. Signature dishes err on the traditional side and some are cooked tableside, including steak Diane (flambéed in Cognac), and a chateaubriand for two. And while the actual building is in simple traditional Gozitan style, the dining room is embellished with fine drapes and table settings to match the elegant cooking.

A truly authentic Gozitan experience is enjoying locally produced charcuterie and plates of pasta in this vaulted stone medieval building in the shade of Gozo Cathedral. There isn't an extensive menu—daily specials appear on a chalkboard—but you'll be assured of handcrafted cheeses, crusty bread, local honey, and wine that's traveled only a couple of miles from a local vineyard. The rabbit is reliably good, but it's the goat-cheese-packed ravioli that are truly special. Ta' Rikardu also sells vacuum-packed foods that are on the menu. Tours with Gozo Adventures include visits to the farm where you can see Rikardu make his famous gbejna cheeselets.