5 Best Restaurants in Malta

Beati Paoli

$$ Fodor's choice
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.
Valletta, N/A Malta, Malta
99-309–319
Known For
  • friendly service
  • excellently crafted local dishes
  • good selection of Maltese wines
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed for dinner Sun.; closed for lunch Mon. and Sat.

Ta' Kris

$$ Fodor's choice

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.

Il Kartell

$$

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.

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Sotto Pizzeria

$$
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.
32 South St., Valletta, N/A Malta, Malta
21-220–077
Known For
  • simply the best pizza in town
  • lively nights in a busy cellar
  • fast service and quick bites
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.

Tal-Petut

$$
Squirreled away in the backstreets of Vittoriosa, this eatery offers traditional Maltese food dished up in tasting menus (€28 per person) that typically feature pork, beef, and rabbit options. Bigella bean dips, cheeselets, and locally hung sausage starters form a crash course in local specialties; rabbit marinated in a zalza (a tomato-based sauce) preceded by an assagi (taster course) of ravioli stuffed with local ricotta-style cheese ram home the restaurant's credentials. As authentic a taste of Maltese home cooking as you'll find on the mainland.
20 Triq Pacifiku Scicluna, Birgu, N/A Malta, Malta
21-891–169
Known For
  • classic Maltese dishes
  • epic portions
  • some of the best rabbit on the island
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Sun. lunch by reservation only