What to Eat in Malta in 2026: The Best Food and Drink

Maltese food is an island cuisine at the intersection of Sicilian, Arab, British, and Ottoman influences that has been combining these elements since antiquity. Pastizzi — small, diamond-shaped or round puff pastry filled with ricotta or mushy peas, sold from pastizzerias for a few cents each — are the Maltese street food eaten at every hour, the ritual of the 10am coffee break that the country has raised to an institution. Fenek (rabbit), introduced by the Normans and now the unofficial national meat, appears braised in wine and herbs (stuffat tal-fenek), fried with garlic, or in a pasta sauce that Maltese families make on Sunday mornings. Ħobż biż-żejt (bread with olive oil, tomato paste, capers, tuna, and olives) is the Maltese picnic food and the working man's lunch. The Maltese ftira bread (oval and dimpled, baked in a stone oven) is the platform for many of the country's informal meals. Kinnie (a bitter orange and aromatic herb soft drink, produced since 1952) is the specifically Maltese non-alcoholic beverage. No rush.