Maltese cuisine 2023

Added for my 2023 visit:

Naan Bar, 60/1 Melita St., Valletta
I had Old Delhi Butter Chicken with rice and it was the best butter chicken I have ever had! Had the Fenici Rosé DOK, made from Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah, from Meridiana, Malta. This is a very good Maltese wine! Their description - “Crisp with flavours of pomegranate and red currant.” To me, there is a crisp beginning and the hint of red currant is prominent in the finish. So good I had 2 glasses! The meal was so good I went back the following night (and ran into another customer who had done the same!) On the second visit I had the Lamb Saag which was also the best I’d ever had. World CulinaryAward winner in 2021 & 2022 voted Malta’s best restaurant.

Sunday in Scotland, 16 St. Lucia St., Valletta. I had good croissant & coffee.

Dimitri Valletta, 339 St. Paul St., Valletta - I stopped in for late evening light meal and had the terrine of the day which that day was hamhock. I didn’t expect much but it was unbelievably good. It had two condiments: guacamole and beetroot, and also a tiny salad with a light honey dressing. The presentation was first rate and the combination of flavours make it one of the finest dishes I have had. I personally complimented the chef on how great the dish was. This guy must be aiming for a Michelin rating, it was that good. The combination of flavours and textures was perfect. I had the house wine - the only one available by the glass. It was okay. Small place with two tables on the main floor: a table for four and a table for two. There is additional seating upstairs.

---

Maltese cuisine is, of course, Mediterranean, so there is lots of seafood, and because of its varied history there are strong Sicilian and English influences as well as Spanish, Maghrebin (North Africa) and Provençal cuisines.

Wines from Malta vary, from the domestic variety of Girgentina and Ġellewża, and other more common varietals such as Chardonnay and Syrah. There is a strong wine industry in Malta, with significant production. (See the review of Fenici rosé above.)

Tourist Information

Information on travel and emergency care.

Currency Exchange
W&J Coppini & Co. They give a great rate, better than any bank.
58 Merchants St., Valletta  +356 2349 4400
M-F 9.00a.m. – 1.00p.m. & 2.00p.m. – 5.00p.m.They give a great rate, better than any bank.
They also have offices in Sliema, St Julians and Bugibba

Banks in Valletta are open 8:30-1:30

Laundromat
Self-service laundry in 3 locations in Malta:
324 St. Paul St., Valletta
Msida Circus, Msida
Triq il-Mazzola, Bugibba

Take X4 bus from airport to Valletta bus stop which is right outside City Gate. Takes about 1/2 hour for €2. Taxi takes about 20 minutes for €25.

Food
C. Camilleri & Sons Ltd, 195 Merchant St. - Great confectionary and gelato. Dozens of pastries. 

Sunday in Scotland, 16 St. Lucia St. - good croissants & coffee 

Noisy Neighbours

A possibly worrying aspect of life in Malta is a recent survey of inhabitants of various European countries rating the noisiness of their neighbourhoods. Statista.com rates Malta the worst in Europe!

"Malta is the loudest spot on average with 28 percent of the island's inhabitants stating that they are exposed to neighbour/street noise. The Netherlands and Germany are also among the worst affected spots with more than a quarter of the population reporting noise complaints."

Why a Thriving Civilization in Malta Collapsed 4,000 Years Ago

Malta had one of the oldest settlements in Europe. This article discusses recent investigations into the culture that eventually disappeared.

The Ġgantija temples of Malta are among the earliest free-standing buildings known.
Photo credit:  Wikicommons.

Beaches

There are 35 listed beach locations in Malta, some on the main island, others on Gozo and Comino.

Some, very popular,

Ghajnsielem (Blue Lagoon), Comino

Birzebbuga Beach, Malta

Golden Bay Beach, Malta

Others more secluded:

Slugs Bay, Malta

Museums galore

At 30, there are an amazing number of museums in Malta to satisfy any visitor. Here is a partial list:
Malta Aviation Museum, Mdina
Malta Classic Car Museum, Qawra
Malta Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa
Malta Postal Museum, Valletta
Malta Society of Arts, Valletta
Malta at War Museum, Vittoriosa
Manoel Theatre and Museum, Valletta
National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta
National Museum of Natural History, Mdina

On Gozo:
ART BOX, Gallery of Modern Art, Qala, Gozo
Cathedral Museum, Victoria, Gozo
Folklore Museum, Victoria, Gozo
Museum of Archeology, Victoria, Gozo
Museum of Toys, Xaghra, Gozo
Museum of Natural Science, Victoria, Gozo

The Hypogeum, Paola

The antiquity of Malta is astounding going back over 5000 years. From the Visit Malta website:

"The Hypogeum, or underground cavity, is a unique monument.... Excavation has yielded a wealth of archaeological material including pottery, human bones, personal ornaments such as beads and amulets, little carved animals and larger figurines.

The Hypogeum consists of halls, chambers and passages hewn out of the living rock and covering some 500 square metres [~5400 square feet]. The rock-cut chambers are of diverse shapes and sizes.... The complex is grouped in three levels – the upper level (3600-3300 BC), the middle level (3300-3000 BC) and the lower level (3150 -2500 BC). The deepest room in the lower level is 10.6 metres [~35 feet] under [the] road surface. The upper level consists of a large hollow with a central passage and burial chambers cut on each side. The middle level consists of various chambers very smoothly finished, which give the impression of built masonry."