What to eat in Malta: traditional dishes and how Malta eats
Maltese food mixes Sicilian, North African and British habits: rabbit stew, baked pasta, fresh fish, ricotta pastries and strong local bread. The dishes below are the ones to try on a short trip. The one thing to know is that the best snacks are cheap and sold from small bakeries, not restaurants.
The short answer
- Order this first
- Pastizzi, small flaky pastries filled with ricotta or peas. Eat them hot from a bakery with a coffee.
- When people eat
- Lunch from around 12.30 and dinner from about 7.30 or 8 in the evening. Sunday lunch is a family meal.
- Tipping
- Not required. Rounding up or leaving about 10 percent for good service is common.
- Where to eat well
- Our Valletta food guide names the places, each checked against a source.
What to eat in Malta
- PastizziDiamond-shaped flaky pastries filled with ricotta or mushy peas, baked and sold hot from small shops called pastizzerijas for very little.Nationwide
- Stuffat tal-fenekRabbit stewed slowly in wine, garlic and tomato, often called the national dish. Look for it in family-run restaurants and at Sunday tables.Nationwide
- Ħobż biż-żejtChunky Maltese bread rubbed with tomato and olive oil, then topped with tuna, capers and olives. A light lunch or a simple snack.Nationwide
- Lampuki pieA pie of lampuki, the mahi-mahi that is caught in autumn, baked with spinach, olives and cauliflower. Best between September and December.Gozo and Malta
- TimpanaBaked macaroni with minced meat, tomato and egg, wrapped in pastry. Often served at family gatherings and festa days.Nationwide
- Fresh fishGrilled sea bream, bass or swordfish, often sold by weight at harbor restaurants. Marsaxlokk is the classic place to eat it.Marsaxlokk and the coast
- Gozo cheeselets (ġbejniet)Small rounds of sheep or goat cheese, eaten fresh, peppered or sun-dried. Look for them at markets and on Gozitan farm tables.Gozo
- ImqaretDeep-fried pastries filled with spiced dates, sold hot from street stalls in Valletta and at village festas.Nationwide
- Kannoli tas-SiġiljaCrisp tubes filled with sweet ricotta, a Sicilian import now a Maltese favorite. Buy them filled to order, so the shell stays crisp.Nationwide
How the food changes across Malta
Valletta and the harbor
The widest range, from old-fashioned bakeries and wine bars to modern kitchens. Pastizzi, bread and seafood are easy to find.
Marsaxlokk and the south
A fishing coast. Seafood on the waterfront is the draw, especially on Sunday when the fish market runs.
Gozo
Farm food, cheeselets, rabbit and the island's own bread and wine. Quieter and more rural than Malta, with long lunches in village restaurants.
What to drink in Malta
- CiskThe local lager, light and cold, drunk in summer with pastizzi or fried fish.
- KinnieA bittersweet orange soft drink made on the islands. It is an acquired taste but a classic with a pastizz.
- Maltese wineLocal reds and whites from small and large producers, including island grape varieties. Ask for a glass of a local wine instead of an imported one.
- CoffeeStrong, usually Italian in style, served in cafes all morning and after lunch.
Where to eat in Malta, city by city
Valletta
A tiny fortified capital of golden limestone, steep streets, baroque churches and harbor views. It suits couples, history lovers and anyone who wants a walkable base.
Order Stuffat tal-fenek
How Malta eats
- Meal timesLunch from around 12.30 and dinner from about 7.30 or 8. Kitchens in resort areas stay open later.
- CoffeeA morning habit, often with a pastizz or a sweet pastry. Cafes stay busy until the early afternoon.
- ReservationsBook dinner for weekends in summer and for popular places in Valletta. Pastizzi shops and bakeries need nothing.
- TippingNot required. A few euros or about 10 percent is common when service was good.
Signs of a place to walk past
Menus with photographs of every dish outside a tourist restaurant.
A seafood place that does not show or name the catch of the day.
Pastizzi sold from a tray that has sat lukewarm in a window all afternoon.
Waiters who stand in the street and call people in.
Food in Malta: questions people ask
What food is Malta known for?
Pastizzi, rabbit stew, fresh fish, ħobż biż-żejt and ricotta pastries. The cooking mixes Sicilian, North African and British influences.
What is the national dish of Malta?
Stuffat tal-fenek, rabbit stew with wine, garlic and tomato, is often named as the national dish.
What are pastizzi?
Flaky pastries filled with ricotta or peas, baked and sold hot from small shops for very little. They are the standard Maltese snack.
What fish should I eat in Malta?
Lampuki in autumn, as well as sea bream, bass and swordfish through the year. Marsaxlokk is the classic place for fish.
What should I eat in Gozo?
Gozitan cheeselets, rabbit, fresh bread and fish pies. Farm lunches and village restaurants are the best way to try them.
Is food expensive in Malta?
Pastizzi and market food are cheap. Restaurants vary, and seafood is costlier by weight, so check the price before you order.
Do you tip in Malta?
Not required, but rounding up or leaving about 10 percent for good service in a restaurant is common.