Michelin and fine dining

Malta’s starred and fine-dining rooms, and whether they are worth it.

The Michelin Guide has covered Malta since 2020. The islands now hold a small number of starred restaurants along with a longer list of Bib Gourmand and recommended entries. For a country this size that is a serious showing.

What to expect

What the kitchens cook

The cooking is distinctly Maltese

Fine dining here leans on what the islands have: fish landed that morning, Gozitan cheese, local wine and vegetables from Ta’ Qali.

The better kitchens are noticeably Maltese, which is the main reason to go rather than eat the same tasting menu you could have anywhere.

The local ingredientsFind a dining experience
A gourmet plated dish on an elegant table
On price

Prices are low for the level

They are high by Maltese standards and low by the standards of a starred restaurant in most European capitals. That gap is why it is worth eating at this level while you are here.

Where a set lunch exists it is often a fraction of the evening tasting menu in the same kitchen.

Lunch is the value
A selection of small plates in an elegant restaurant
Before you go

Book weeks ahead in summer

The rooms are small and the season is concentrated, so weeks rather than days between June and September.

Check the closing day too. Many close two days a week and for a stretch in winter, Gozo especially. Dress is smart rather than formal; a collar is plenty almost everywhere.

Where to stay
A narrow alleyway in Valletta

Booking

Book well ahead
The rooms are small and the season is concentrated. Weeks rather than days in summer.
Lunch is the value
Where a set lunch exists it is often a fraction of the evening tasting menu in the same kitchen.
Check the closing day
Many close two days a week and for a stretch in winter. Gozo especially.
Dress is smart but not formal
Malta is relaxed. A collar is plenty almost everywhere.
Which restaurants hold what

Stars and Bib Gourmands move every year, so the current list belongs with the people who award them. Check the Michelin Guide directly rather than any secondary list, including this one.