A Maltese Foodie

We love a good pizza. And we have many places to choose one. But a repeat haunt of ours has become Sotto Pizzeria. Located in South Street, Valletta, as you are walking towards Hastings Gardens, you are immediately greeted by an enveloping and comforting smell of pizza baking. That's how you know you've found the place, before you see the sign above the door. Run by the same people who run Zero Sei (also in Valletta), this is their restaurant dedicated to pizza. You step through the front door and down the stairs you go into a cantina, the restaurant, which is usually full of people sitting at their tables tucking into their pizza. Management have done the best they could to turn around a pre existing space, a cantina, into something they could work with, and which invites people to stop and stay. More recently they have removed a pre-existing piece and have installed a communal table/bench which we find is better suited to the ambiance and makes better use of the first roo...

We have seen a revival of the "pasta place" in Valletta. Way back we used to treat ourselves to the fresh pasta at Crianza, which had built a reputation for its fresh pasta choices. And although all restaurants offer pasta dishes on their menus, it was always part of a larger menu. In the past years, we have seen a surge of restaurants in general coming to the City, and in particular we have seen some dedicated pasta places opening. One such place is Pastaus in Old Theatre Street, Valletta. Situated at the cross roads of food and bars, in the heart of Valletta, a location that can personify the definition of "enjoys foot traffic" we find this tiny eatery dedicated to pasta. The menu is short, to the point, and hangs at the back above the bar. Choose from a selection of pasta sauces, and then choose the corresponding pasta - freshly made, and varies daily. Finally, choose your size - starter portion or main course portion. Although we love to eat, the main cour...

Few can boast of a long culinary tradition. One such place in Malta is Giuseppi's. Chef Patron Michael Diacono really needs no introduction here in Malta. He is beloved by all, his recipes shared and discussed. 2016 brought the BIG MOVE for Giuseppi's from its historical location in a townhouse in Mellieha, to the newly opened Salini resort. We had many fears that the new location, in what we feared would be a new, identity-less apart'hotel would remove the soul that imbued the Giuseppi's of old. The cosy tables, the rare to find Sagrantino wine (on the Maltese restaurant scene that is). All that was set to change with the move to the Salini Resort. As it turned out, we need not fear. Yes, it is a stark contrast in decor to the Mellieha townhouse, it is less intimate, but it is not worse or better. It simply is. The decor is what we would call beach-house. Or what we envision a beach-house to be but don't have the space or the disposable income for. The outs...

Here at AMF, we don't like to listen to hype. Hype is made by marketeers. The best restaurants we have visited are those spread by word of mouth. The cozy, tucked away treasures are what we seek out. Some are already listed on this blog. In the case of Afghan Natural Food, located in Hamrun, we got to know of the existence of this place from two foodie friends of ours. Following that, some FB posts continued to spread the word, "Go there, it is authentic and delicious". And so we went. Friends, the hype is real. And the food is real too. This is not the place to take someone to impress, the decor is lacking, practically non-existent but all the emphasis is on the food. At the time of our visits, there was no air conditioning - in Summer there were some strong fans. There is no pretentiousness, no fuss, no "designer chic". The focus is solely on the food. This may put a few of you off of the place, and so we would recommend a take away for those of you wh...

This has been on the cards for a while.  Since we are food loving travel addicts, we often get asked about favourite restaurants abroad, or for restaurant recommendations when friends are traveling. This is therefore the first of its kind, our restaurant recommendations in foreign cities. We love the snow, and skiing - a sport we never get to practice in Malta.  This sees us visiting places like Livigno often, and we enjoy going to Livigno because it is well connected (even though it's far), and offers the perfect balance between skiing for all levels, apres ski, shopping, snow activities, and good food. So here you have it, our list of favourite restaurants in Livigno: 1. Bivio Cantina This restaurant sky rocketed to becoming our favourite restaurant in Livigno. We ambled in one night, when we did not feel like straying too far from the center. What a surprise awaited us inside! The restaurant is part of the Bivio hotel, and you need to take the stairs since it is loca...

Much hype surrounds all the boutique hotels mushrooming in Valletta. Like them or hate them, boutique hotels are breathing new life into Valletta's older, forgotten buildings. We heard good things about one among their number - La Falconeria, a boutique hotel in Melita Street, Valletta. And even better things about their restaurant, and so went to check it out for ourselves. The restaurant is called L'Artiglio, and although we have only been once, we can write a few notes about our first impressions. First of all, due to the law cation of the hotel, the restaurant is at street level and enjoys no views. This does not really bother us, but if you want somewhere to dine with a view this is not it. But don't discount this restaurant for this as the decor is Art Deco chic, with a modern take on Maltese patterned tiles, and a clean and simple layout which is welcoming and pleasing on the eye. Once you are seated you are presented with a changing menu which depends on what ...

and so we're back! From what feels like outer space. We've got a few reviews, and will post them here, quick and short, but as always, straight to the point, and honest. We will also publish some lists for foreign cities 😃 We hope you enjoy the blog, and don't forget to leave food and restaurant recommendations!  AMF