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Six Tasty Reasons to Explore Malta’s Historically Diverse Cuisine

Caviar & Bull Restaurant, malta, malta restaurants

Photo Credit: Caviar & Bull Restaurant

Found in the Mediterranean, Malta is packed full of centuries-old historical and cultural diversity. As one of the smallest countries, the island has been used as a naval base for many different powers, from the Romans and Sicilians to the French and British, which means a wide range of cultures have called it home. Plus, with nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites—including seven Megalithic Temples—it's a pretty great spot to put on your travel list. With so much going on, it's no surprise that the Mediterranean island offers cuisine that is every bit as varied as the people who call it home. Here are our six picks for the nation’s best restaurants to try:

Ta’Kris Restaurant
Photo Credit: Columbia Hillen

Ta’Kris

Ta’Kris Restaurant can be found tucked away along a small street off the waterfront in the district of Sliema. This popular traditional eatery emanates rusticity and ambient warmth with low ceilings, terracotta tile flooring, sturdy wood tables and natural stone. The furnishings include shelves adorned with personal touches (like mini-busts and statues), old oars, and a cast-iron oven from the restaurant’s former life as a bakery.

Our dinner started with a mixed Maltese platter consisting of bigilla (a traditional dish of mashed beans and garlic); aioli (a paste of breadcrumbs, tuna, garlic, and tomatoes); beef and pork sausages with herbs and fennel; and ftira bread with a cheese from the island of Gozo called ġbejna. The highlight of dinner was certainly the main dish, braġjoli (or bragioli), which features thin slices of beef folded around minced beef that is cooked with a blend of cheese and spices. We finished our meal with local desserts—imqaret (small patties filled with dates) and helwa tat-tork (a sesame- and almond-based sweet).

Medina Restaurant
Photo Credit: Columbia Hillen

Medina Restaurant

Found inside the imposing battlements of Mdina, Malta’s former medieval capital, Medina Restaurant has been the proud jewel of owner Noel Debono since 1980 when he converted it from a tearoom. A graceful host who involves himself in every aspect of the restaurant, Debono has created an authentic old-world style ambiance through 12th century vaulted stone ceilings and thick limestone walls dating from the Norman era.

After an amuse-bouche of celeriac cream served in espresso cups with black garlic droplets on top, we settled down to a plate of scallops with fava beans, lentils, tomatoes, parsley and bacon bits; and seafood linguini with cherry tomatoes. One highlight was the octopus stew, served with generous lengths of tentacles cooked in a dark sauce and served with walnuts. Another standout was the rabbit, which we heard is a popular dish on the island and after tasting the tender meat cooked in a wine and thyme sauce ourselves, we definitely see why.

Malata Restaurant
Photo Credit: Columbia Hillen

Malata

There’s probably no more convenient location, both for downtown Valetta residents and wandering tourists, than that of Malata Restaurant. Just 164 feet across from the Palace of the Grand Masters in the town’s central square, this establishment has been around (under various names) since 1897—there are even 550-year-old bakery ovens near the back kitchen attesting to its pedigree. Limestone steps lead steeply down bare-rock walls to the intimate, cavernous dining room that sits below street level. Lining one wall are framed pencil caricatures of politicians, celebrities and other notable guests, which adds a touch of light-heartedness to the restaurant’s weighty historical significance.

Renowned for its seafood, the comprehensive menu is full of daily-caught sea bass, swordfish and grouper—the latter baked in salt. The fresh prawns are infused with coriander, dill, basil and lemon is a delight upon first bite, with the mix of herbs close to perfection. While there is a tempting menu of meats, we remained fully at sea, finally succumbing to a tasty trio of thinly-sliced Carpaccio of tuna, salmon and swordfish, with grilled calamari for the main. If you want a sense of history, both past and present, there's no better place than Malata. 

Blue Elephant Restaurant
Photo Credit: Blue Elephant

Blue Elephant

If you want to try something a little different, Blue Elephant in the Hilton Malta just may be the place for you. Inspired by the Thailand's gastronomic culture, the establishment offers fresh ingredients and dishes prepared by Chef Khun Noroor Somany Steppe, named "One of the Most Creative Chefs in Asia" by Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards 2008-2010. With a wide array of options, one of the standouts is definitely the Royal Thai Menu, which features so many starters that you'll really have to keep watch on how much you eat if you want to make it to the main dishes. 

The five mains we sampled featured something for everyone: chicken, beef, vegetarian and seafood dishes. Standouts were the Ped Makarm (slices of marinated magret of duck, grilled and served on a layer of seaweed topped with exotic sweet and sour tamarind sauce), and the southern Thailand dish of Massaman (a lamb curry marinated in spices cocooned in coconut milk, Thai sweet potatoes, roasted peanuts and cashew nuts). 

The Villa Restaurant
Photo Credit: Columbia Hillen

Villa Corinthia

Timeless and tranquil, The Villa restaurant is a graceful, high-ceilinged hall with murals by Maltese artist Raymond Pitre decorating its walls. Sophisticated starters include warm salad with dried fig chutney; seared pigeon breast on a bed of baby spinach with smoked tomato purée and dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend of toasted nuts and seeds; and yellow beetroot tarte tatin with soft cheese from Gozo and roasted pistachio and lemon oil, decorated with grapefruit slices and small beads of balsamic vinaigrette.

Being a Mediterranean island, no other main could be more suitable than fresh sea bream, baked in a salt and herb crust to maintain its soft texture and then drizzled with Maltese olive oil and lemon jus for added subtle flavor. With head pastry chef Mark McBride at the helm, a dessert of soft polenta and olive oil cake with artisanal honey ice cream and bee pollen was a highlight and stands as a culinary echo of Malta itself—tantalizingly diverse and exotic.

Caviar & Bull Restaurant
Photo Credit: Caviar & Bull Restaurant

Caviar & Bull

Dinner at the Caviar & Bull is an incredibly enjoyable experience, with the food prepared and served by a friendly staff of chefs and servers. Run by Chef Marvin Gauci, the list of mains would satisfy even the most sophisticated of tastes in both variety and creativity. After selecting the Barbary duck breast with beetroot and balsamic purèe, caramelized apples in thyme, juniper berry and orange sauce, we can vouch for Chef Marin’s flavor-blending skills. And if you've never sampled barracuda before, you should definitely remedy that at Caviar & Bull. Prepared perfectly, the predator fish boasts a firm texture and is slightly pan-friend with a light lemon and garlic juice.

As for dessert, the contrasting tastes in a combo of pineapple, pistachio, coconut ice cream and chili pepper was simply sumptuous. 

Sean Hillen

During an international media career spanning several decades in Europe and the US, Sean Hillen has worked for many leading publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Times London, The Daily Telegraph, Time magazine and The Irish Times Dublin, as well as at the United Nations Media Center in New York. Sean's travel writing for JustLuxe.com and worlditineraries.co has taken him across A...(Read More)

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