I have just returned from another great trip to Malta, where I’ve spent a week enjoying the island and also taking part at the Keyframe video conference. As by my previous visit to Malta, I based myself in St Julian’s because it is a lively area, with great bus connections to Valletta, affordable accommodation options, and great restaurants and cafes.
In this article I want to tell you where to eat in St Julian’s, highlighting the cafes and restaurants that I liked best during my visits to Malta.
The Restaurants and Typical Food in St Julian’s
Whether you’re in the mood for a quiet dinner and a drink with friends or a wild night of dancing, St Julian’s has something for everyone. As the sun starts to set, St Julian’s comes to life with an electrifying nightlife scene. You’ll find everything from elegant restaurants and kebab joints, to chic rooftop bars to beat thumping nightclubs.
When it comes to where to eat in St Julian’s, it’s great to know that you have so many different options! There are many different types of eateries in St Julian’s, from fast food chains such as McDonald’s and Wagamama to typical Maltese restaurants, seafood cafes,Indian restaurants, English and Irish pubs as well as speakeasy bars and clubs. There is no better place to base yourself in Malta, especially if you are a foodie!
Where to Eat in St Julians, Malta
In this article about where to eat in St Julian’s Malta, I included different types of establishments, from simple cafés where I had great breakfasts, to restaurants where I indulged with traditional Maltese dishes.
Pastizzeria by Mc Sims
I really liked this small café, where I often came for a quick breakfast. They serve great coffee, as well as croissants with different fillings and pastizzi, of course, as it is a pastizzeria. I loved their pistachio croissant, which was oozing with delicious filling as every bite.
The café has a small terrace, which overlooks the sea. The staff is very friendly, always making light conversation as I was ordering.
Dolci Peccati
Sweet sins, can there be a more appropriate name for a Sicilian café that serves the most delicious cakes? This café was next door to my hotel, so I started many of my days in Malta with coffee here, enjoying the friendly and bubbly owner who burst with energy from the earliest hours of the morning.
I also spent evenings here, with my friends, over glasses of Aperol Spritzes and even more cakes, allowing the bar staff to choose their favourite for me. I highly recommend the cream and strawberry cake topped with fresh fruits, a layer of jelly, and cake crumbs. It was the most delightful sin.
Dolci Peccati seems to be a very popular place among the locals, who gather here at any time of the day for great coffee and good drinks. The café also has a pizzeria attached, which serves Sicilian pizzas in the evening. Every night it was full. They also have a gelateria, serving gelato as good as in Italy.
Gululu
I was really looking forward to eating at Gululu as I’ve heard great things about its traditional Maltese food. I booked a table with two friends and we dined there for lunch, on my last day in Malta. The weather was superb, so we enjoyed the food al fresco, on the restaurant’s terrace, just by the sea.
I went for the cauliflower and potato fritters served on a sheep’s cheese sauce for the starter, and the famous rabbit spaghetti for the main course. Both courses were delicious and exceeded my expectations. The fritters were very delicate and light, with a mild flavour that was complemented by the sharpness of the cheese sauce. The portion of the rabbit spaghetti was so big that I struggled finishing it. It was packed with slow cooked rabbit meat, which made the sauce very rich and indulgent.
My friends both chose the Ghagin Grieg, a family speciality of the restaurant consisting of small beads-like pasta cooked with minced pork, onions, garlic, white wine, parsley, and a lot of grated cheese. They said their dishes were very good as well.
Crust Bistro & Bar
Crust was the first place I went for dinner during my second trip to Malta. I skipped breakfast in the morning, travelled the entire day, and by the time I finally checked into my hotel, it was already 6pm.
Crust is a casual bistro with two outdoor terraces overlooking the buzz of one of St Julian’s most popular areas. They serve a selection of salads, burgers, as well as pizzas. I was there just after Easter and they had a special Easter pie on the menu, which I was very tempted to order. However, as I was literally starving, I chose their signature burger, the Sean. It had a homemade 200gr black Angus beef patty, smoked applewood cheddar, pickles, lettuce, tomato, topped with their house barbecue sauce and their secret relish recipe. I loved that it was served in a brioche bun, alongside a generous portion of fries.
The burger was huge and delicious, just what I needed after a long day.
Peppi’s
Peppi’s was another great restaurant I ate at in St Julian’s. Initially I wasn’t planning on dining here, but I am glad I did. I came here with five friends and we enjoyed a relaxing dinner on the outdoor terrace.
When the waiter asked us where we wanted to sit, one of our party said confidently: “At the table with the best view”, and that’s what we received. We couldn’t have had a better undisturbed view of the sea!
Everyone went for different dishes and we were all extremely happy with the quality and the quantity of the portions. I chose the fettuccine with prawns, crispy chorizo, cherry tomatoes, and herbs, which met my expectations. On our table we also had their signature burger, with a sausage on the top, creamy salmon penne, a vegetarian pizza, salad, as well as a chicken enchilada. Everything was as tasty as it looked and we all enjoyed every bite.
Eeetwell
If you are looking for a healthy or vegetarian option on where to eat in St Julian’s, then you should definitely check out Eeetwell. They have several locations around Malta, a few of them being in St Julian’s. The most picturesque one is on the seafront, offering a panoramic view over the water.
The concept of Eeetwell is to offer sustainable dishes made using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. They are a bit like a healthy fast food chain. This doesn’t mean that their menu is entirely vegetarian, but that they are using free range meat and fish caught through ethical methods that prevent overfishing.
They serve a range of dishes including wraps, rice bowls, protein packed salads, as well as smoothies and freshly squeezed juices.
Oceana at the Hilton
For a special lunch or dinner, check out the Oceana Restaurant, part of the Hilton Hotel in Malta. I had lunch here on my first trip to Malta and I couldn’t recommend it enough. Every dish was a celebration of flavours, carefully created to highlight the simple but high quality ingredients made from.
I still remember the fantastic bavette steak served alongside an orange braised endive, brie cheese and confit tomatoes. The desert was a story in itself, with layers of crushed biscuits, chocolate swirls, coffee and pistachio macarons, decorated with micro herbs.
The best part of Oceana is that you can dine on the terrace. In the evening the entire place transforms into a very romantic location, when the lights in the hotel’s olive tree grove light up, flickering in the darkness.
You can read more about my experience dining at Oceana by clicking here. You can also read my review of Hilton hotel here.
U Bistrot
U Bistrot is another great place to eat and enjoy special drinks in St Julian’s. Their menu is based on seasonal farm-to-table dishes, using local produce. They have a very cosy location, with a small terrace in front.
Their menu has a selection of Maltese inspired dishes, based on fresh fish and seafood. They also have a special vegan menu, to cater for people who don’t eat meat or animal products.
I highly recommend their Maltese platter, which includes the delicious local Gbejna cheese, the bigilla broad bean dip, Maltese sausage, octopus, sun dried tomatoes, and typical water crackers.
U Bistrot also has a great cocktails menu, with a large selection of special gin and tonics. During the happy hour you can get two cocktails for the price of one.
The Thirsty Barber
I thought to include in this guide on where to eat in St Julian’s a couple of bars which I really liked. One of them is the Thirsty Barber, a speakeasy in the heart of the party area of Paceville. From the outside, the bar looks just like a barber shop. The entrance to the bar is through a reconditioned red telephone box, leading to an elegant interior with a giant clock, perfect for James Bond-like photos.
The bar specialises in cocktails, with a menu that includes classics such as Old Fashioned, Negroni, or Mojito, but also their own twists such as Kaito Mule or Tom Kha Colada. The mixologists are able to also create custom drinks, based on your taste and preferences.
For more articles about Malta, check out my recommendations below:
- The best things to do in Mdina
- What to eat in Malta – A food guide
- Top touristic attractions in Malta
- How to spend a day in Gozo
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Wow! These are indeed a lot of great food options in St. Julians! Love the idea of enjoying good with the best view and for this reason, will definitely include Peppi’s in our itinerary should we get a chance to visit. The fettucine looks delicious.
Also, will take your word and check out Oceana Restaurant.
Your food pictures really make my mouth water. Those are indeed some interesting places to eat. I loved the vibe of Dolci Peccati that you have described. No wonder it is popular with the locals. Crust Bistro and Bar seems like a fun place too – a little casual but sometimes that is what helps you relax during a holiday. A well written food guide
Writing now from our home in Sicily, we still haven’t made it to Malta! It’s interesting to see the Maltese food, but I knew there would be some Italian crossover here. Gululu would be my first choice as I want to try Maltese cuisine. The fritters sound really good and so does the rabbit spaghetti. I’d like to have dinner too at the Oceana rooftop terrace, the views sound wonderful.