Malta is small and built on hills, so a lot of ordinary bars happen to look at something worth looking at. These are the ones worth choosing for the view alone.
Valletta rooftops
Several hotels in Valletta have opened their roofs to the public. From up there you get the Grand Harbour on one side and the rooftops of the city on the other. Drinks cost more than street level and you are paying for the height.
Go about an hour before sunset. The limestone turns orange and the harbour fills with light, and the tables go quickly after that.
The Sliema and Gzira front
The whole strip from Sliema to Gzira faces Valletta across Marsamxett Harbour. In the evening the city is lit up in front of you and you are looking at it from a normal pavement table.
It is the cheapest good view on the island. The bars here are ordinary and the view is not.
Upper Barrakka Gardens
There is a kiosk in the gardens and the best view in Valletta is free. Buy a coffee or a beer and sit on the wall above the Saluting Battery. The gun fires at noon and again at four.
Mdina bastions
A handful of places sit on the walls at Mdina and look out over half the island. On a clear evening you can see the sea on both sides.
It is quiet up there after the day trips leave, which is most of the reason to go in the evening rather than the afternoon.
Xlendi and Marsalforn in Gozo
Both are small bays ringed with tables at the water. Xlendi is in a narrow inlet with cliffs either side. Marsalforn is more open and gets the sunset.
Neither is dressy. You sit on plastic chairs with your feet almost in the water, which is the appeal.
What it costs
A local beer is around two to three euro in a village bar and four to six on a hotel roof. Maltese wine by the glass runs from about four euro.
Table service is normal and there is no need to tip beyond rounding up.
