5 Best Italian Restaurants in Malta for Pasta, Pizza and Views
While I often explore ethnic restaurants in Malta, my craving for proper Mediterranean food always brings me back to the classics. I spent my first month here eating generic hotel pasta that tasted like cardboard.
A real carbonara takes some digging when tourist traps crowd every corner. That’s why I compared Italian restaurants across Malta on authentic ingredients, dietary choice, setting and value.
Here are the best Italian restaurants in Malta, with what each one does best.
How much does an Italian meal cost in Malta?
An Italian meal in Malta costs from €10 to €18 for a wood-fired pizza to €22 to €45 for a seafood or meat main, with fresh pasta dishes in between.
| Option | Typical price |
| Authentic wood-fired pizza | €10 to €18 |
| Fresh pasta dishes | €14 to €25 |
| Seafood or meat mains | €22 to €45 |
1. Coogi’s Restaurant & Tea Garden
Website: https://coogis.co
Address: 5, Saint Agatha’s Esplanade, Mdina
Contact: +356 2145 9987 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday-Sunday, 10:30 AM – 11:00 PM (Kitchen break: 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM; Last food orders at 2:50 PM & 9:45 PM)
Escaping the midday heat in Mdina often means settling for a crowded cafe. Coogi’s Restaurant & Tea Garden changes that by operating inside a historic townhouse with original Arab-era walls and Norman dining rooms.
Dining among centuries of Maltese architecture beats a modern reproduction every time.
The food has roots as deep as the walls. The kitchen blends Italian cooking traditions with local Maltese recipes, so you get a varied plate instead of single-cuisine fare.
It also sources certified goods like Spaghetti di Gragnano and San Marzano Protected Designation of Origin (P.D.O.) tomato sauce.
I tried the pasta here last summer, and the Italian quality shines through the rich sauce.
The catch is that the kitchen pauses hot food from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM every afternoon. A late lunch means drinks at the bar only.
Customer Reviews
Magical Atmosphere and Excellent Food in Mdina
Set in a romantic corner of M’Dina, Coogi’s restaurant delivers a trifecta of delicious italian cuisine, coupled with attentive and prompt service along with a cozy and magical ambience. Their garden courtyards are beautiful. It felt like a fairy wonderland. My appreciation extends to Kaasi and Shashi for their excellent and kind service. It is so refreshing to experience their kind of attention to detail and professionalism. The food is excellent and fairly priced and the ambience is superb. What a lovely experience in M’Dina. It was simply magical. Feeling grateful…
Kindness In Action USA | Google Reviews
Shaded Courtyard and Great Service
Lovely Italian place in Mdina. The shaded courtyard is perfect to cool down on a hot summer day, and the food was amazing. Big thanks to our server Mack, who made us feel so comfortable. 10/10 recommend.
B L | Google Reviews
2. Trattoria Riccardo
Website: https://trattoriariccardo.mt
Address: Level -1, AX ODYCY Hotel, Qawra Coast Road, Qawra
Contact: +356 2354 3543 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday–Sunday: 12:00 PM–10:30 PM
Families with young children know how hard it is to keep everyone seated through a long dinner. At Trattoria Riccardo, parents can relax because a dedicated kids’ play area with an interactive jungle gym sits right on site.
Once the little ones are busy, the food gets the attention. The kitchen skips gas decks and bakes every pizza in a traditional wood-fired oven. That gives a smoky flavour and a blistered crust.
A curated regional Italian wine list with bottles from Sicily and Tuscany complements those rustic flavours.
Plus, the outdoor terrace rounds things off with waterfront al fresco dining that suits both expats and local families.
Getting there is the catch, though. Driving here means paying €2.50 an hour for parking, and the spots fill up fast during peak resort seasons.
Customer Reviews
Beautiful Sea Views and Friendly Staff
Trattoria Ricardo is highly recommended for lovers of Italian cuisine. The food is excellent, the staff are friendly and attentive, and the outdoor terrace offers a beautiful sea view.
As it can get quite busy, booking in advance is highly recommended.
A lovely place to enjoy great food, a wonderful atmosphere and a beautiful view!. Thanks to Amrit and the whole team
gino ryckaert | Google Reviews
Wood-Fired Pizza Gem in Malta
This Italian restaurant is a gem of a place! Great food and atmosphere! The pizzas are cooked in a wood fired Oven at the entrance to the restaurant. They are very big pizzas! The Calzones are amazing! The portions are very generous! Our server Sushma was fantastic in answering all of our questions and was wonderful. The timings between courses was just right too!
Lindsay Davies | Google Reviews
3. Bianco’s Pizza & Pasta
Website: https://biancos.info
Address: Spinola Bay, St Julian’s
Contact: +356 2138 3030 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday–Sunday: 12:00 PM–11:00 PM
Finding a waterfront spot that balances serious cooking with casual comfort takes some effort in St Julian’s. Bianco’s Pizza & Pasta manages both, starting with a high-hydration dough that ferments for hours with genuine Neapolitan flour.
That patience shows in the crust. Every pizza bakes crispy outside and stays pillowy soft inside, which is what pizza lovers want from a Neapolitan base.
Pizza isn’t the only draw, since fresh pasta dishes such as potato gnocchi come with regional sauces.
The menu loses its way beyond that, as it splits between Italian staples and American diner food like loaded fries and burgers. That feels scattered next to a focused trattoria. The burgers also default to a medium cook.
Customer Reviews
Exceptional Stuffed Crust Pizza and Service
The food was exceptional and the service by both Joe and Jason was next to none. We didn’t have a reservation but Jason said he would fit us in. We didn’t have to wait long to be seated and they were very attentive. I got a nduja pizza (with stuffed crust.. incredible!) and my husband ordered the Italian. With wine, all for just under €40. You cannot go wrong with Bianco’s and you won’t be disappointed. We will be back someday Bianco’s. Thank you 🙏
Janet Marsh | Google Reviews
Fantastic Neapolitan Pizza and Welcoming Staff
Had an evening meal here during a short break to Malta, they have fantastic napoli style pizza. One of the best I’ve had.
The staff were all friendly and attentive and I believe almost everyone that worked there came to my table at least once to make sure I was having a good meal. Lovely people!
If you’re craving Italian food definitely consider this place, and book before on their website to avoid a wait. 🍕😊
Stu Brown | Google Reviews
4. Pulcinella Pizzeria The Strand
Website: https://pulcinellamalta.com
Address: Triq Williams Reid, Gżira
Contact: +356 2767 7046
Hours: Monday–Sunday: 11:30 AM–11:30 PM
Genuine southern Italian street food is hard to find outside Naples.
Pulcinella Pizzeria The Strand serves authentic panuozzo, a ciabatta-shaped dough stuffed with gourmet fillings, which gives diners a Campania classic most local pizzerias overlook.
The same care goes into the pizzas, since every calzone and pizza is finished with extra virgin olive oil rather than generic vegetable blends.
Dietary needs get that attention too. A friend of mine who eats plant-based loved the vegan mozzarella substitutes, and dedicated bases suit gluten-sensitive guests.
On top of that, traditional Neapolitan desserts round off a meal.
That said, the gluten-free crust carries a steep €3.50 surcharge, which adds nearly a 40% markup to a standard Margherita.
Takeout drinks also attract an extra Beverage Container Refund Scheme (BCRS) charge.
Customer Reviews
Cozy Spot for Stone-Oven Pizza
We went to this place on a Tuesday night without reservation and despite it being quite small, they had a few free tables. The server was nice and welcoming and we got a diavola and 4 formaggi.
Pizza dough was good, well cooked (they have a stone oven) and inspired Neapolitan. I can’t say it was a regular Neapolitan pizza with a big crust and soft inner dough but it was good enough.
As an Italian, that wasn’t the best pizza of my life but a good option!
Effy Ceruti | Google Reviews
Authentic Italian Flavor Worth Returning For
I absolutely loved this place! The pizza was so delicious and truly tasted like authentic Italian pizza. I enjoyed it so much that I came back three times during my vacation in Malta. Highly recommend for anyone who loves real pizza!
Shatha | Google Reviews
5. Santini Ristorante
Website: https://santini-malta.com
Address: Level 3, Portomaso Marina, St Julian’s
Contact: +356 9921 8994 | [email protected]
Hours: Monday–Thursday: 6:30 PM–11:30 PM | Friday–Sunday: 12:00 PM–3:00 PM, 6:30 PM–11:30 PM
An elegant evening can be spoilt by hunting for parking near Portomaso Marina. Guests at Santini Ristorante skip that stress because the venue gives two hours of free parking in the multi-storey garage under the tower.
That perk makes reaching your elevated waterfront terrace table easy.
Once you’re seated, the kitchen blends authentic Sicilian family recipes with the fresh daily Maltese catch. The signature pasta tosses fresh paccheri with creamy Pugliese stracciatella, crispy guanciale and pink Sicilian prawns.
The restaurant also accommodates a wide range of dietary needs.
Unfortunately, you can’t get a midweek daytime meal here, as lunch only runs from Friday to Sunday. Walk-ins are also uncertain in peak season.
Customer Reviews
Authentic Late-Night Dining Near St. Julian’s
Very nice Restaurant close to St. Julian’s.
They still cooked for me at 22.40, right before the kitchen was closing and it was really delicious, quality and authentic Italian food!
The pasta & sauce was incredibly good as well as my fish main course
So I cannot confirm some of the bad recommendations here! They are maybe just too poor to eat out in quality restaurants often enough to be even able to assess it at all 😅
Gian-Luca Schlegel | Google Reviews
Amazing Ravioli and Pistachio Dessert
I highly recommend the ravioli cernia, it was amazing, it’s the best pasta I had in a long time❤️
I also recommend the pistacchio dessert, it is delicious. On the other side, I would not recommend the tiramisu, it’s not the best even though it is an italian restaurant. Overall, I think it’s one of the best restaurant in Malta.
Nedelcu Cristina Mihaela | Google Reviews