JULY RESTAURANT GUIDE

There are so many restaurants in Malta to choose from. It can be hard to figure out which one to choose for what your mood and pocketbook might prefer.I will give you my top 5 picks for easy dining with not-too-expensive menus. Not everything has to be a fancy night out. Instead, this is more of my favourite go-to guide for an incredible daytime (or nighttime) experience that can be very laid back with a great menu, steady and solid serving staff and really fantastic views to enjoy your meal.

Crudo

We stumbled upon this sweet little café recently and I have been craving their focaccia with grilled halloumi, tomato herb dressing and balsamic vinegar every day since…seriously. It had the slightest drizzle of honey and the bread was so soft and so warm it was easy to tell it was made fresh that morning. My husband ordered the focaccia with mozzarella, avocado, basil and tomato which was equally fresh, warm and delicious. To drink, I saw a woman behind us order something that looked fantastic and so I asked my waitress what it was. She said it was the fresh cacao with iced coffee. I said, “I’ll have what she’s having!” It was the most scrumptious coffee drink I have honestly ever had! Now, all I can think about is going back for exactly the same focaccia sandwich and iced coffee with fresh cacao! It’s a small place with limited seating, but it’s worth it and the seats are outside. It really brings the sweet, café experience alive and comes with a view of Balluta bay just on the other side of the road. This is the quintessential café dining at its best. I highly recommend taking a visit here if you are in the area.

It is in such a sweet location overlooking the sea. The menu is not overwhelming and is filled with really great items. The back of the restaurant is right over the water with the most breathtaking views of the sea and in range for the perfect blend of crosswinds to truly feel the Mediterranean experience of salt and sea all around you. The afternoon menu opens up to a lot of really great local seafood. The brunch menu serves eggs any style, different options such as eggs benedict (my forever favourite), eggs benedict with different variations, egg sandwiches, traditional BLT sandwiches and other signature brunch items that will meet the standards of any true breakfast food lover. Whether you decide to go to this perfect location on the water’s edge in Sliema for breakfast, lunch or dinner, Peppi’s is a really great choice.

This sweet little café sits facing the main road, but can be found on the side of the parking lot in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq just past the water park. A friend of mine turned me on to this place, and now it has become a staple for me to bring people to if we want a place that offers quiet and wonderful outside seating, really nice quality coffee and some of the best sweet and savoury items around this is an easy choice. Their croissants are the largest and softest I’ve found. They can fill it with pistachio cream, Nutella, white chocolate or plain. They also have waffles with savoury meats or sweet treats. And if you are not feeling the breakfast vibe, they also have several offerings with tuna, veggie or chicken as well as other typical Mediterranean café items. There is a huge gelato counter with an assortment of incredible flavours. I eat here often for the combination of ambience and menu items. On the other end of the parking is a sweet little sandy beach area where you can take off your shoes and dip into the water.

Situated along the promenade just across from one of the best sandy beaches on the island is a quaint little café that happens to have the best salad I have had on the entire island. I know, those are big words right there to call this the best salad of all, but trust me, if you want a real Mediterranean salad…this is the one. Their other salads are also fantastic, but the Mediterranean salad won me over. And coming from a day at the beach, this crisp, cool salad with all the best trimmings will satisfy your Mediterraneanloving soul! The Mediterranean salad comes with lettuce, sundried cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, bigilla, butter beans, water biscuits and Maltese sausage. To be fair, if you are not hankering for a crisp salad, the pizzas are incredible and even the kids loved the food here. It is the perfect spot for a beach day pick-me-up.

73, Il-Bajja s-Sabiħa, Birzebbugia

The best view of any restaurant is hands down, La Nave in St. Pauls Bay just beside the Malta Aquarium. This is the place I used to bring all of my visitors first to really get a feel for the vacation they were dreaming of. You can sit inside with spectacular views, or you can sit right by the water with views, winds, and smells that will make you feel fully alive and in heaven at the same time. This is a place we tend to go to for breakfast just before we would visit the aquarium, so my knowledge is more from a brunch perspective. The kids love the stacks of pancakes filled with messes of chocolate and drizzled with all sorts of goodness. Their smoothies are radiant and fresh. The coffee is always on point and the wait staff is very good. They offer a large menu with many different options to satisfy any guest. Most of all, I offer this place because the view is simply too spectacular to miss. You can see a panoramic of Gozo, Comino and St. Pauls Islands. It’s a place not to be missed.