With more than 300 days of sunshine per year, Malta is the perfect destination for a quick city break, just three and a half hours flight from Ireland. Discover what to see, where to stay and the unmissable dining experiences in this quick-fire guide to the Maltese city …
Posh and picturesque, Valletta in Malta is brimming with baroque architecture. It’s also one of the sunniest capitals in Europe. Don’t miss the Upper Barrakka Gardens where stone archways frame a view of the sea. Make a beeline for St John’s Co-Cathedral to see Caravaggio’s The Beheading of St John The Baptist.
Mdina.
Take a day trip to the “silent city” of Mdina, just 30 minutes’ drive from Valletta, a maze of bougainvillea-strewn streets and home to St Paul’s impressive hilltop cathedral. Refuel at Scala where seafood and rabbit are mainstays of the menus, while crispy pastizzi are street food favourites.
Scala, Mdina.
In Valletta, try Legligin, with its charming rustic interior, for Maltese cooking. For an alfresco lunch, Gracy’s Arts & Supper Club is a highlight. For a special occasion, book one of the city’s Michelin-starred restaurants: Under Grain, Noni and Simon Rogan’s two-star ION Harbour, in the smart Iniala Harbour Hotel.
There’s no shortage of fabulous hotels in the city. Visit The Phoenicia Malta for its gorgeous gardens and great views across the city, best enjoyed at one of its poolside bars. Stay at Casa Ellul, a boutique bolthole tucked away on a quiet street, where each room has a balcony. Breakfast is served in its darkly seductive Risette restaurant where Steve Scicluna is chef. Scicluna worked with Mickael Viljanen at Chapter One in Dublin; his creative menus focus on contemporary Maltese dishes with French and international influences.
