Malta’s prime position in the Mediterranean means it is a foodie’s paradise, boasting some of the best local dishes around. With influences from Italy, North Africa and beyond, the tiny island punches above its weight when it comes to crowd-pleasing food served in top-quality restaurants and cafes.
Whilst you can easily find global favourites in Malta – from Chinese dumplings to supremely fresh pasta – visitors should also sample the excellent Maltese cuisine. If you want to eat like a local in Malta, here are nine of the best foods to try. From mouthwatering sweet treats to lips-smacking Maltese savoury snacks, there is something for everyone.
The best local snacks in Malta
With a plethora of bakeries and snack bars in every town, the Maltese are no strangers to grabbing a quick bite on the go.
Whether you are looking to try some of the island’s best bread or sample a famous Maltese pastry, here are some of the best snacks to try whilst visiting Malta.
1. Pastizzi
No matter where you stay in Malta, you will never be far from a bakery selling trays of traditional pastizzi. These pocket-sized pastries are the perfect cheap snack, with prices as low as 50 cents per pastizz.
Given their size and low cost, pastizzi are arguably the most popular food in Malta. The tiny snacks come in a handful of mouthwatering savoury flavours, with a generous filling wrapped in delicate pastry. The most traditional – pea – comes packed with flavour. Other options include ricotta and, occasionally, chicken.
2. Freshly baked Il-Ftira bread
From supermarkets to local bakeries, traditional Maltese flattened sourdough bread is everywhere. Added to UNESCO’s Cultural Heritage list in 2020, the bread is protected as a critical aspect of Maltese culture.
Perfect for enjoying with a breakfast condiment or dipping in a rich tomato sauce, it’s little wonder that Il-Ftira is considered one of the best local foods to try in Malta.
3. Qassatat
Resembling a small handheld bell, qassatat are another Maltese pastry that keep both locals and tourists coming back for more.
Often found in the same bakeries as passtizi, qassatat are also traditionally filled with either pea or ricotta. However, qassatat are made with short-crust pastry and shaped into a ruffled, slightly open sack.
Qassatat tend to be slightly larger and pricier than their delicate filo pastry counterparts. However, whether you opt for qassastat or pastizzi as your favourite Maltese pastry, you are in for a budget-friendly treat.
Read next: Discovering the best sunrise spot in Malta
The best local main meals in Malta
For most restaurants around Valletta, Malta’s capital city, the prime time for dinner is between 6.30pm and 8.30pm.
Unsurprisingly, many of Malta’s most popular restaurants serve a variety of twists on Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. From pasta to pizza, the influences from across the water are plain to see.
However, traditional Maltese food can undoubtedly hold its own. With a heritage stretching back thousands of years, the cuisine is a staple part of menus in many of Malta’s best restaurants.
From rabbit stew to delicious fish pie, the local food in Malta takes the best of the island’s produce and turns it into main meals rich in flavour. Here are three of the best Maltese dishes to try.
1. Rabbit stew
Rabbit has been a staple ingredient in Maltese cooking for millennia. The legacy of rabbit in Malta started when the Phoenicians brought the animals to the island.
Whilst there are many classic ways to serve the dish – from pan-frying to oven cooking – a traditional rabbit stew is the most common. Known as “Stuffat tal-Fenek”, the stew is a Sunday favourite and a staple menu item in any Maltese restaurant.
Often accompanied by generous helpings of Malta’s excellent bread, the rabbit stew is typically cooked over several hours. The meat stews in a rich tomato sauce packed with vegetables and herbs, and is gloriously tender. Expect melt-in-your-mouth mouthfuls heaped with flavour.
2. Lampuki (fish) pie
Let’s face it – who doesn’t love a pie? Whilst Malta might lack the steak-and-Guinness pedigree of certain other European islands, it packs a punch when it comes to seafood. The traditional Maltese fish pie, known as Lampuki pie, is packed full of local white fish mixed with classic Mediterranean vegetables. With onions, tomatoes, spinach and olives, this is a protein- and vegetable-rich meal.
A family favourite, Lampuki pie is wrapped in perfectly crunchy short-crust pastry. Once the Lampuki pie is baked, enjoy it with a white wine of your choice – Malta has plenty of local vineyards to try.
Read next: How to explore Malta’s Three Cities by ferry from Valletta
3. Pork shank
Our final night in Malta was spent in Nenu the Artisan Baker, a cosy basement restaurant serving a range of local favourites. As well as pan-fried rabbit and a delightful fish soup, the star of the show was the eye-poppingly huge pork shank. Dripping in sauce, the shank spilt over the sides of the plate.
Brimming with flavour, it was a perfect choice for anyone who had worked up an appetite after a day exploring the island. If rabbit and fish aren’t your thing, a traditionally-cooked pork shank must rank as one of the best local foods to try whilst in Malta.
The best local sweet foods in Malta
1. Maltese honey rings
Qagħaq ta’ L-Għasel, otherwise known as Maltese honey rings, are Malta’s main sweet treat. As the name suggests, Maltese honey rings are circular parcels of pastry packed with sugary treacle.
You can find Maltese honey rings anywhere, from supermarkets to bakeries. The rings are a perfect mid-afternoon treat, especially when washed down with a cup of tea or strong Maltese coffee.
If you find yourself about to leave Malta without trying one, fear not – qagħaq ta’ L-Għasel are a staple fixture in the airport’s gift section.
Read next: Our favourite places to eat and drink in Košice, Slovakia
2. Gelato
Unlike pastizzi and Qassatat, Malta cannot claim gelato for itself – a certain Mediterranean neighbour might have something to say. However, Malta’s proximity to the home of gelato means this tiny island punches well above its weight when it comes to gelaterias.
From Valletta’s busy main boulevard to the quiet shores of Gozo, gelato is a staple summer snack in Malta.
Our favourite gelateria in Malta was Sottozero, perched a stone’s throw from the glitzy marina between Birgu and Cospicua. Alongside heaps of decadent doughnuts, over twenty different gelato flavours are begging to be tried – from kinder chocolate to lotus biscuit.
3. Ottijiet biscuits
Gloriously light and temptingly delicious, Ottijiet biscuits are diminutive rings of crunchy shortbread. Packed with flavour-rich spices and sprinkled with sesame seeds, these tiny figure-of-eight shaped biscuits are a tea-time favourite among Maltese locals.
Given their reputation as one of the best local foods in Malta, you can find ottijiet biscuits at any supermarket, bakery or neighbourhood store.