A Maltese Foodie

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 

For a while, each time I would drive through Saqqajja hill I used to follow the construction of a new eatery. Then, the finishing touches, and soon enough the place opened its doors to the public. This is Wood and Coal in Attard. While the location may seem like an unlikely place to open a restaurant, it does give the people living in the area, and further north a great opportunity to eat out and still be close to home thus avoiding traffic and finding easy parking. We have visited Wood and Coal on a couple of occasions, once it was a weekend and very full, the other a weekday and less full. Each time the food was good, and the service friendly enough. We wanted to go because people were raving about the pizza. I was pleasantly surprised by the toppings - they are varied, yet still retain some of the usual names, people usually look for. The first time we visited, I went for a gourmet pizza, gluten free, the Bologna with pistachio pesto and burrata. It was excellent, however a li...

Sometimes I find that I get stuck in my ways. If I fancy something in particular, I will go to one restaurant, if something else, another restaurant, and have fallen into what can only be termed as a bit of a routine. The reason behind this blog is partly to break out of this routine. The other reason is to document places to eat in Malta in a place which is not TripAdvisor or any other such review site. So we broke out of the routine and headed to Marsaxlokk to an unassuming looking restaurant called ROOTS . If it's Marsaxlokk then it must be a fish restaurant. It is. But it also offers meat dishes, which we recently learned are presented with flair, gusto, and quality. The first time we went to Roots, we went all traditional and ordered fish for starters and main course. Impressed by some very fine wines on offer, we turned what would have been a normal Friday night dinner into a special occasion without having a reason to celebrate (the ones you sometimes need in this busy l...

Hello all You can also connect to this blog by following us on Twitter  @amaltesefoodie We had problems with our Facebook page but it's back up again - the only problem is that we will have to ask you to "like" us all over again. Please do so if it is not too much trouble. <3 Do keep in touch, I look forward to your restaurant suggestions and stories. AMF Malta Europe, restaurant guide, restaurants, Europe, dining, reviews

UPDATE: I have heard the new adverts for this establishment which advertise the recent refurbishment effort. This is good news and we look forward to visiting again! When I started this blog, there were some guidelines, let's say a playbook, that I tried to establish. Which is why I started by writing about places I had been to often, and over a period of time. The New York Times restaurant critics visit an establishment 3 times, with different dinner companions, over a prolonged period of time. This is to see how the restaurant handles differently sized groups of people, and whether standards and output change over time. I strive to follow a similar system of writing about tried and tested places here. This is my first break from that rule. I only visited the establishment being reviewed once. Which means that I will visit it again, and post updates following the revisit. I will do this whenever I review a restaurant after only visiting once. So it came to pass that a grou...

Yo-ho-ho, shiver me timbers! Although the next place we have reviewed is named after the corsairs, whose ties to Malta run deep - Il Corsaro Ristorantino is anything but a pirate venture. Wied iz-Zurrieq is mainly known as the location to embark on a voyage to visit the Blue Lagoon. It is also a popular destination with the Maltese and with foreigners alike since there are many eateries packed into such a small location. It was with great pleasure that we discovered this diamond in the rough, in the midst of all the restaurants, divers, and birds of prey (honest! there is a man and his eagles and owls who sets up shop opposite the restaurant). Il Corsaro is a tiny restaurant, hence the "Ristorantino" in the name - barely accommodates mores than 5 tables, but don't be fooled by its modest appearance. The restaurant serves up some of the best fish dishes in Malta - freshly caught and lovingly prepared. We have visited this esteemed establishment on a number of occa...

Many of us nowadays want to know more about the provenance of our food. We encourage the slow food movement - this is the sourcing of food from local suppliers, within a short radius, and which is grown locally, organic and free range. Here at AMF, we also look for restaurants which adhere to the slow food movement.   Off the beaten path, in Birgu, Citta Vittoriosa, is a hidden gem serving up Maltese food which does its very best to conform with the slow movement. This, dear readers, is Tal-Petut . The restaurant has a menu, but we never really consulted it. There is a special order which is simply called "Dinner" and this includes antipasto, main course, and dessert. All of this comes at a very decent price, but does not include water and wine (or any other beverages you may wish to order). This is truly one of our favourite refuges. Every so often, our internal clock just sets off the alarm: it is time to go back to Tal-Petut for "dinner". You walk throug...

We've been up for one month already! Time is flying, and there are new places for us to go eat at. Don't forget to check out our "To Go" list, and feel free to recommend.

When you're abroad, don't people tell you, "Avoid a restaurant if it is full of tourists"? I have to admit that I am one who plays by that rule. I look for the places frequented by locals. Back on home turf, the rule changes and becomes, "Be careful if a place is empty". My dinner companion uses another rule which I now have adopted, which is, "Do not eat at places with pictures of the food on the menu" (there are few places I allow to break this rule, as recently reported ). And so one evening, a couple of weeks ago, out we went to Oro Lounge at The Point. I had heard wonderful things and I was looking forward to a visit. Since I had heard so many people mention it, and since we were going on the weekend, I thought it best to book ahead. Now let me explain, I am the sort of person who calls to book. I don't do online booking - I find it unpredictable. Maybe it betrays my age, but I do enjoy calling as it sets the tone for the visit. I went ...

Dieting is all about balance. Life is all about balance. However every once in a while you would like a little extravagance. We like to balance our hectic lifestyles and work lives by spending an unplugged few days on our sister island, Gozo. When in Gozo we try new places, revisit old favourites and luxuriate in long dinners without the headache of having to wake up early the next day. One of our regular haunts is Patrick's Lounge & Restaurant  in Victoria, Gozo. Until some time ago I would have said, without a doubt, that this is one of my favourite restaurants in Malta (and Gozo). But the perfect facade is peeling somewhat, and there is a slight hint of pretentiousness, especially when it comes to wine, that has dampened my love for the place. I still love it though, and I urge everyone to visit it. I can say that this is the place for a fine meal. The meat selection on the menu is especially pleasing, with all meat dishes I have tasted always well turned out, and dare...