The best restaurants Malta

This restaurant could be worth the detour just for its setting, but it has also managed to rank among the best, if not THE best table on the island. Located 10 minutes from the Ta'cenc hotel, Il Kantra owes its name to this wild site, dotted with rocks and scrubland flirting with a clear sea. The welcome is warm and the fish is deliciously cooked. The dishes with Sicilian colours have all gained in reputation. Lampuki and tuna steak are particularly popular, melting and revealing a range of flavours in every bite.

At Nenu the artisan baker, the Debono family brings the traditional Maltese pizza, ftira, up to date. This former bakery has been restored and supported by the European Union to become a kind of bakery museum-restaurant. A film is shown continuously to tell the story of Valletta's bakeries and the Debono family. Generous pizzas with homemade dough, baked in a traditional oven and a variety of tasty toppings are on the menu. Be careful not to overindulge in the appetizers of Maltese bread, tomato sauce and beans, as you'll find it hard to finish your ftira. Doggy bags are available, however. Also, typical island dishes: soups with baked potatoes and local meats. For dessert, don't miss the sfinec, the local profiterole topped with ricotta cheese. The Maltese restaurant to try at least once!

Located on the far right of the waterfront, just before the steps leading to Karolina Cave, this award-winning restaurant offers a warm welcome, your taste buds will be delighted and you will enjoy a beautiful view of the harbour. It is certainly the best restaurant in Xlendi, with the added bonus of being the perfect place to relax. The waiters are attentive and their advice is appreciated. A menu with many Maltese dishes and freshly caught fish. If this is the time of year, from September to December, we recommend without hesitation the Lampuki.

Many are those who pass in front without spotting him. And yet, it is well worth the detour, its charm is immediate, especially thanks to its restored cellar with its subdued lights. The cuisine is Mediterranean and European. We recommend the soufflé as a starter and the lampukki on its bed of caper vegetables, accompanied by a black rice risotto. A cosy place with a pleasant open-air patio to sip cocktails and homemade rosé wine presented with pleasant antipasti as an aperitif. Very good welcome. Reservation is mandatory.

This is the restaurant at Buccaneers Guesthouse. On the menu, many Maltese specialities, concocted by the hostess. We take this opportunity to test the Maltese rabbit, which is well done, or the fish offered with generous portions. You can either sit in the small indoor dining room, which is always full, or prefer the terrace. It overlooks a busy road but, in the evening, it's not embarrassing.

Located on the bay front since 2010, The Boathouse is a good address thanks to a pleasant service and a diversified menu. You can try the tasty bruschettas, beef or fish tartars or oysters, or opt for the traditional goat cheese ravioli or seafood risotto. Not forgetting the soup of the day, always tasty, and the rabbit prepared in the traditional Gozo way. It also offers a vegan menu. If you wish to dine on the seafront, it is best to book in advance, especially at weekends.

Facing the bay of Xlendi, the restaurant of Hotel San Andrea offers good local Mediterranean dishes. Although Zafiro is specialized in fish, don't miss carefully prepared pasta dishes; the slate changes every day. French-speaking reception.

This is one of the best fish restaurants in Gozo. This straw hut will delight connoisseurs and offers an exceptional setting for relaxation. It is also the location that hosted the filming of the film By TheSea with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie in 2015. Here you can choose your fish fresh and how you want it cooked: grilled or fried. Octopus, Gozo squid, mussels, fresh sardines, Lampuki or prawns caught right in front of you a few hours earlier. The price is accordingly but the setting is really worth it.

The Azur window is no longer available, but the restaurant is still pleasant. Unfortunately, the tourist pressure to help, the codes have been extensively changed: more gozitaine salad, more menus, just a fairly mundane map, with a bit of tradition, a bit of pasta, and a team trying to provide service despite the constant flow of arrivals. You can always go there to eat a piece and drink a drink, sheltered from the sun, but you won't break your pot. It is also possible to go to the small café near the departure of the boats for the crossing of the caves of Inland Sea, a few meters below. Quieter and away from tourist bus trips.

This establishment is a pure local product, and everything here comes from the village of Dingli and the surrounding area, including the chef and staff. Its location, alone facing the cliffs of Dingli, is unique and much appreciated by customers, who are quick to come here with their families or just for themselves. The menu remains faithful to Maltese cuisine, traditional in its choice of ingredients and modern in its execution and visual appeal. This is an address not to be missed, and will give you the opportunity to discover the seasonal nature of local harvests and preparations.

A quality address set up in Mdina in May 2016. Oliver speaks perfect French as he welcomes you to his intimate courtyard, where he serves elaborate Italian-Maltese cuisine. On the menu: Maltese plate, octopus salad and a succulent rabbit burger, which the Maltese themselves come to taste and enjoy. For dessert, let the chef's Piedmontese cousin, a former member of the legendary La Familia restaurant in Chelsea (London), intoxicate you with his amaretto and chocolate pudding. You can also discover a menu dedicated to the family's Piedmontese origins. Coogi's also boasts an attractive terrace, in addition to a wide range of options, from small rooms to courtyards. A successful evening for sure.

This new farm restaurant, run by a local family, is revolutionising the eco-tourism approach in Malta. The à la carte menu changes according to the seasons and enhances the value of Maltese gastronomy. You will be able to enjoy traditional dishes: beef with olives, pies, etc., and excellent regional products to take home with you: honey, olive oil, jams, fruit in syrup... Everything is organic and comes from their own family farm, located 200 metres from the restaurant. Master classes are also organised there.

If we had to choose just one, it would certainly be Guzé Bistrot. Located in an alleyway away from the hustle and bustle of Strait Street, this small family-run restaurant, taken over by the father in the dining room and the son in the kitchen in 2010, is set between rough stone walls and exposed wooden beams supporting the cellar, which is dug out below street level. The charm is instantaneous. The charm is enhanced by the limited number of covers, 20 maximum. You'll appreciate all the more the small gestures of the attentive staff, and the tapenade offered by the chef as an appetizer.
All around you, on the shelves, a host of marine objects echo the call of the sea on your plate. Every day, the fish caught in the nets will end up under your greedy forks. At the time of our survey, the fillet of grouper finely paired with a carrot mousse and baked golden potatoes was the highlight of the evening. The white vermentino wine, straight from Gozo, also played a part. The uncluttered menu also includes classics such as rabbit stew and marinated octopus. You won't find better in Valletta. Don't forget to make a reservation, it's so popular.

It goes without saying that the superb decor is the first pleasure of the restaurant installed since 2019 in the Muza's premises. Inside room with windows overlooking one of the museum rooms or entrance patio that houses a few tables, in front of the well. So much so that the place has become a must for selfies or photos, very kindly taken by the servers. The menu is based on a few suggestions such as black risotto with goat cheese, spaghetti with seafood, but also a very beautiful burger or a poached fish fillet, with a neat presentation whose visual must recall one of the museum's paintings, illustrating the menu. The dishes are extremely copious. Unless you're hungry like a wolf, don't hesitate to choose the "starter" format, the volume of which could already be split in two. A light classical music in the background completes the picture. Staff attentive to ensuring that the service runs smoothly.

The view of Mgarr Bay alone would be enough to motivate the trip. Nowhere else in Gozo can you dine with such a panorama behind your plate. Between Qala and Mgarr, the restaurant is on top of a cliff and dominates the port, the passage between Gozo and Malta, Comino, the sea... It is also a good small family table. On the menu, pasta prepared with care and local cuisine with strong typical accents and a homemade side in pure Maltese tradition ( rabbit sauce is in the spotlight). Air conditioned.

Here is a furiously anti-vegan proposal that will delight rebellious souls. Opened in 2017, this grill is a temple of meat. No menu, we go to the back of the room where the different pieces are presented both behind a window and explained on a blackboard, at the back. The opportunity to review your knowledge of beef, mutton and pork, the different pieces served, and their names in English. You choose your "starters", rather delicatessen, but also grilled, and your "hands" (main courses), the price being indicated for 100 g. Serve with your choice of grilled vegetables or potatoes. And the order is made by the minute. At your table, you will be brought everything on a hot plate. The meats are of the highest quality and served with a good peppery sauce. For desserts, we will present you with a selection, regularly renewed. For our part, we really enjoyed the panna cotta with red fruits. A real treat. And as the grill says at the entrance: Becoming a vegetarian is a big missed steak. Notice to amateurs.

A few metres from the cocathedral, you can reach this refreshing address where young Maltese people hurry every lunchtime to compose their salad or have a sandwich. And the flavours are there with the "Prosciutto Cheese Toast" prepared with Parma ham and cheddar cheese, all in a toasted Maltese bread. To take away or to enjoy on site, on one of the small tables installed in this pedestrian street. All orders are made indoors and will be served to you afterwards. Recommended for those who like to eat at a low price.

This restaurant can be used as a stopping-off point after visiting The Malta Experience, which is located right next door. First of all, you'll appreciate the restaurant's large, long terrace, with its breathtaking view of the sea and the three cities. Depending on the time of day, you can opt for a full breakfast, savour a traditional Maltese ftira or opt for the excellent homemade pasta. Those with a sweet tooth may be tempted by the carrot cake.

A real institution in Mdina, this tea-pizzeria lounge is full every day. Just for the view from the roof terrace, the address is worth a visit. You will discover a rather exceptional panorama of the whole north of the island. But you will also come and taste one of the many teas or coffees and cakes offered by the establishment. Not to mention pizzas, pastizzis and ice cream. The location is simply superb and the service is correct. You can also order the dishes and take them with you to enjoy them, for example on the nearby walls. Don't hesitate to discover The Vinum Wine Bar and Bistro which is set up on the terrace every afternoon from 6pm.

The "Moulin" is, as its name indicates, housed in a former mill at the entrance to the city, where the stone walls create a warm atmosphere. Pleasant setting, and warm service. The rabbit to pistachios has acquired a good reputation and the team will propose to you to digest this rich meal with a small gozitaine liqueur.