All of Valletta is very accessible on foot. You can probably walk all around the peninsula’s ring road in less than an hour. We suggest you have a walk around on a Sunday or in the evenings, when all the hustle & bustle dies down, and get lost in its many steps & alleys, bastions & shores and enchanting architectural detailing.
OUR FAVOURITE HANG-OUTS IN VALLETTA
Upper Baraka Gardens - amazing view, midday gun salute, recently completed lift to the harbour below
Lower Baraka Gardens - we love it at sunset
St. Barbara Bastions - watching the big boats enter harbour
Coastline around Fort St Elmo - raw nature around a mega-fortress
St John’s Co-Cathedral - unique church, grand Caravaggio
The new City Gate & parliament building - the recent contemporary addition to the city by Renzo Piano
CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT
Malta Society of Arts – the oldest art institution housed in a beautiful palazzo
Valletta Contemporary – private gallery
Spazju Kreattiv - left field movies and art exhibitions
Manoel Theatre - classical and contemporary shows and music
R Gallery - new contemporary art gallery just across the harbour
Il-Lokal - local art and design products
VALLETTA’S 300 OR SO RESTAURANTS RANGE FROM YOUR TYPICAL TOURIST TRAP TO HIGH QUALITY, MOST OF THEM RELATIVELY WELL PRICED AND LOCATED A FEW MINUTES’ WALK AWAY. WE OFTEN GO TO THE FOLLOWING.
Under Grain - Fine dining in a beautiful set up. One Michelin star.
Ion The Harbour - Top views, upmarket, Michelin-starred dining overlooking the Grand Harbour.
Izakaya N - authentic Japanese bistro in Strait Street.
AKI - Asian, clubby restaurant with a broad menu, great cocktails & acoustics.
Tico Tico - Laid-back, gastro bar in a busy nightspot, recently taken over by its chef patron, the talented Nicholas Diacono.
NONI - Fine touch on Maltese cuisine, recently awarded with a Michelin star.
Zero Sei - for pasta lovers.
Rubino - one of the oldest & authentic restaurants.
Casa Sotto - probably the best pizza you’ll find in the city.
Our favourite restaurants outside Valletta:
Tartarun (Marsaxlokk) - a great fish restaurant in the South.
Monastik (Sliema) - located across the harbour, you will enjoy small and refined plates put together from local and seasonal produce.
...if you’re not too hungry, you will probably enjoy a drink & small bites at:
The Bagel Hole - NYC style bagels with homemade delicious fillings. Definitely a must try!
Tribe - scrumptious sourdough toasts.
Grano - local ftiras; eat in the heart of Valletta or grab and head to the beach!
Lot Sixty One – excellent hot and cold drinks. They know their coffees!
Trabuxu - one of the oldest local wine bars serving French cheeses and oysters.
Sunday in Scotland – chocolate indulgence.
Ginscal – quirky Mezcal bar with South-American bar bites in Strait Street.
Make it stand out
Sipping an iced drink in one of the many terraces of Valletta is a great way to cool down, but the beautiful capital offers more. Let yourself be enamoured by the cute little boat houses at the Wuestenwinds beach or enjoy a scenic sunset swim at St Elmo Bay. In the latter you may also bathe like they used to in the Victorian era and immerse yourself in one of the many “Roman baths” of the island.
GETTING AROUND
If you need to leave Valletta, you can walk up to the main bus terminus at the city’s main entrance at the end of Republic Street. Alternatively, you can go to Birgu and visit “The Three Cities” with a ferry or a unique Maltese luzzu, located in front of Upper Barraka Garden lift, which is quick, cheap and cheerful. Another option is to take the ferry to Sliema from the Marsamxetto jetty, or if you have a day to spare, get the fast ferry to Gozo.