Food & Drink

Maltese cuisine is a fusion cuisine avant la lettre — centuries before the term was invented, the Maltese mixed Arabic, Sicilian, North African, and British influences into a unique culinary tradition. The base: fresh fish, rabbit, tomatoes, capers, olive oil, garlic, and the aromatic herbs that grow wild on the cliffs.

The Classics

• Pastizzi: Malta's unofficial national dish and the perfect snack for 0.50€. Puff pastry filled with ricotta (tal-irkotta) or pea puree (tal-piżelli). Fresh from the oven in a pastizzeria — crispy, hot, addictive. At any time of day, but especially good for breakfast with a glass of tea.
• Fenek (Rabbit): The Maltese national dish. Rabbit is stewed (stuffat tal-fenek), fried (moqli), or served as a sauce over spaghetti. The Sunday rabbit meal with the family is sacred. Best in rural restaurants inland.
• Aljotta: Maltese fish soup with tomatoes, garlic, marjoram, and fresh fish. Lighter than bouillabaisse, intense in flavor. Perfect in Marsaxlokk.
• Braġioli (Beef Olives): Thin beef rolls filled with minced meat, bacon, egg, and herbs, braised in tomato sauce. A Sunday classic.
• Ħobż biż-żejt: Maltese farmhouse bread, rubbed with ripe tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil, topped with capers, olives, tuna, and fresh Ġbejna cheese. The perfect summer lunch.
• Bigilla: A dip made from dried beans with garlic, chili, and herbs — Malta's answer to hummus. As a starter with fresh bread.
• Lampuki: Dorado — Malta's most popular fish, seasonal from September to December. Grilled, fried, or as Lampuki Pie (pie with spinach and olives).

Sweets

• Imqaret: Fried pastries filled with date paste and anise liqueur. The classic finish to a Maltese meal.
• Kannoli: Like in Sicily — crispy tubes filled with sweet ricotta cream. Malta's version is slightly smaller and less sweet than the Sicilian one.
• Qaghaq tal-Ghasel: Ring-shaped pastries filled with a sweet paste of citrus, almonds, and spices. Traditionally for Christmas, but available year-round.

Malta has a surprisingly good wine scene — and a beer culture that combines British heritage with a Mediterranean climate.

Maltese Wine

Malta has been producing wine for over 2,000 years, but modern quality production only began in the 1990s. Today, there are two protected designations of origin: DOK Malta and DOK Gozo. The main native grape varieties are Ġellewża (red, robust, strawberry-like) and Girgentina (white, fresh, citrusy) — both grow only in Malta. In addition, international varieties such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay deliver surprisingly good results on the barren limestone soils.

The best wineries: Marsovin (largest winery, tours available), Meridiana (premium wines, Tuscan consultant), and Ta' Betta (small boutique winery on Gozo). A bottle of local wine costs 12–25€ in restaurants, from 5€ in supermarkets.

Beer

Cisk (pronounced: Tschisk) is Malta's national beer — a light lager that perfectly suits the heat. Brewed by Simonds Farsons Cisk since 1929. Besides the classic lager, there is Cisk Excel (low-calorie), Cisk Chill (with citrus), and seasonal craft variants. A second local beer is Blue Label Ale — maltier and richer. In recent years, a small craft beer scene has emerged, especially in Valletta and St. Julian's.

Kinnie

Kinnie is Malta's iconic soft drink — a bitter-aromatic refreshment made from bitter oranges and herbs, produced in Malta since 1952. It tastes like a mix of Chinotto and Bitter Lemon. You either love it or hate it — but you have to try it. Kinnie is available in every bar, restaurant, and supermarket. Perfect as an aperitif with ice and lemon.