Vegetarian Food in Malta

Blog Post, Destinations, Europe, Food, Malta

Malta is a rocky island where nothing grows. There is no freshwater or soil. One would expect only seafood and it is true that Malta is popular for seafood and meats. And we love to try the local, traditional foods everywhere we go. That can be a little tricky, to say the least. So, it was a treat to find restaurants like Grassy Hopper in Gzira, Malta; Mekren’s Bakery in Nadur, Gozo; Café San Martino in Gozo’s Ċittadella; I Giardini do Babilonia in Sicily and so many more vegetarian and vegan options.

Surprisingly, despite the harsh geography and non-vegetarian culture, vegetarian food in Malta is excellent. Malta imports all it’s food from neighbors like Sicily. There were so many vegetarian restaurants that we could only visit a few during our stay. It’s nice to see this trend of growing vegetarian and vegan food in Barcelona, Portugal, and others.

Read 5 days in Malta for our itinerary; Stories of Maltese People and Culture for historical and contemporary Malta; and this article for the foods we loved in Malta and Sicily.

Vegetarian Food in Malta

Grassy Hopper in Gzira

Grassy Hopper in Gzira, Malta is an all vegan restaurant in Gzira. It is my favorite kind of restaurant because we can eat anything on the menu, including drinks and desserts! The restaurant has a trendy and casual vibe with an innovative menu. It was full when we arrived but luckily they were able to get us a seating. It seems to be popular with locals and tourists. The group next to us seemed like solo tourists. We overheard them exchanging travel stories from around the world over a group dinner.

For lunch, Grassy Hopper has a full menu. For dinner, they pick a cuisine each day and make several items from the theme of the night. They had a Cuban menu on the day we visited.

Bacchus Restaurant in Mdina

The much anticipated Bucchus restaurant in Mdina, Malta lived up to our expectations. It has the charming decor of a restaurant set in a cave. It does look like a high-end restaurant, set in the medieval times with modern food. It’s very fitting in the Mdina, a medieval fort, and the first capital of Malta. Like us, other diners planned to dress up for the dinner, except they executed on their plan while we skipped the dressing up part and showed up in our day clothes, instead we used the extra time to explore Mdina. I think our confidence made for our lack of formals.

Thank goodness for the sign of Bacchus, we could find the tiny lane to turn.

The reception area at the Bacchus Restaurant’s entrance.

Asparagus rolled in blankets with pea shoots and some sauces.

The pistachio cake served with sorbet and a sauce was absolutely amazing. — Asparagus rolled in blankets with pea shoots and some sauces.

Celebrating 25 Years Together in Malta — Celebrating 25 Years Together

Cafès in Marsaxlokk

The little fishing village of Marsaxlokk has a row of waterfront cafès offering drinks, snacks, and meals. They say people come for dishes made with freshly caught fish and other creatures. We got some delicious bruschetta with a vegetable smoothie and a fruit smoothie. Incidentally, they had just started making smoothies that very same day. We also got to meet locals and witness the Santa Maria parade.

The little fishing village of Marsaxlokk has certainly figured out a how to incorporate tourists into their daily lives — The little fishing village of Marsaxlokk has certainly figured out a how to incorporate tourism into their daily lives

The Cake Box in Mosta

Across from the famous Mosta dome church of Malta, are a few cafés. After visiting the church we stopped at the Cake Box in Mosta, Malta for coffee and snacks. It has a nice selection of cakes, pastries, coffee, tea, and other desserts. It turns out this is a trendy cafe with five locations across Malta.

Cake Box is a happening café across from the Mosta dome church in Mosta, Malta. It has a nice selection of cakes, pastries, coffee, tea and other desserts. — The Cake Box in Mosta, Malta has a modern decor along with the painting of Mosta dome church’s interiors.

Shiva’s Indian Cuisine in St Julian’s

Our last dinner was at Shiva’s Indian restaurant across from our resort. After the not so good food or service at another Indian place in Malta, we were very hesitant but we didn’t want to drive or walk too far. So somewhat reluctantly, we decided to try Shiva’s.

We were in for a treat. The food was good, the decor was good and the server was friendly. The server was a young Indian student, doing a masters degree in international tourism in Poland. She had come to Malta to work for a semester and earn enough to pay her tuition. She had been working as a tour operator in India for 3 years and was promised by a Polish college that she would get a job in the European tourism industry after the degree. The job promise turned out to be a marketing gimmick. She’s left with her own creativity to find a place for herself in the industry.

A piping hot tadka daal at Shiva’s Indian Cuisine in St Julian’s, Malta.

A deliciously creamy eggplant curry in Shiva’s Indian Cuisine in St Julian’s, Malta. — A piping hot tadka daal at Shiva’s Indian Cuisine in St Julian’s, Malta.

A simple meal with flavorful daal and silky baigan(eggplant) with naan hit the spot. They were just what we needed before packing our bags for the early morning flight to Zurich.

Vegetarian Food in Gozo

Café San Martino in Gozo’s Ċittadella

Walking on Gozo’s Ċittadella Wall, we realized that we were really hungry. So when we saw Café San Martin in Gozo’s Ċittadella wall, we jumped at the opportunity.

A cosy spot for us at the edge of the Gozo Ċittadella Wall, in Café San Martin. — A cozy spot for us at the edge of the Gozo Ċittadella Wall, in Café San Martin.

We were in luck, Café San Martin makes amazing local Maltese foods, the staff was super friendly and the chef happy to make vegetarian and vegan versions of many dishes.

A ftira, Malta’s answer to the Italian pizza. It’s a homemade pastry lined with potatoes and sheep cheese. Served with salad and marinated vegetables. Kinney is a local drink from Gozo. — The ftira is a homemade pastry lined with potatoes and traditional sheep cheese. Served with salad and marinated vegetables. Kinney is a local drink from Gozo. @Café San Martino in Gozo’s Ċittadella

A kind of stew - layers of tomato, eggplants, peppers, sheep cheese and spices. It’s an absolutely delicious Maltese dish. — This is a kind of stew with layers of tomato, eggplants, peppers, sheep cheese and spices. It’s an absolutely delicious Maltese dish at Café San Martino in Gozo’s Ċittadella

Great food with views all around, from the top of the Gozo fort. — Great food with views all around, from the top of Gozo’s Ċittadella from Café San Martino.

Mekren’s Bakery in Nadur

Since had lunch in the San Martino cafe, we decided to get an afternoon snack at the local favorite, Mekren’s Bakery in Nadur. We’re so glad we decided to make the drive to Nadur village. The bakery is a real hidden gem. After 100 years in operation, it’s still the same – baking treats with pure and simple goodness. It’s a family business with seven sisters and a brother. Still run by the dedication, hard work, and commitment to traditions. They start baking at 4 am each day, 7 days a week 365 days a year.

The owner of Merken bakery. She started helping her brother run the cafe recently as he became a judge. Ever since, she hasn’t left. — One of the owner sisters of Mekren’s bakery was in the kitchen in the afternoon. We had some traditional qassatats, muffins, and bread. She started helping her brother run the cafe recently as he became a judge. Ever since she hasn’t left.

The Mekren’s Bakery sisters and staff make traditional ftira, qassatats, muffins, bread and more in this same location with the same wood fire over for 100 years. She was super friendly and happy to show us around the kitchen.

Gozo style pies many of them haven’t had the slightest change in recipe for a hundred years, only at Mekren bakery. — Mekren’s Bakery in Nadur, Gozo has many traditional ftiras which have been perfected for a hundred years.

A vegetarian pie... too bad we already ate lunch and had dinner plans in Malta or we would have bought it at Mekren bakery in Gozo. — A vegan pie… too bad we already ate lunch and had dinner plans in Malta or we would have bought it at Mekren’s Bakery in Nadur, Gozo.

The hundred year old oven still used every day to make the famous treats in ... The wood is inserted into the small trap door to the right. The flames heat the large 16 pizza over from the back. The staff uses the main door to handle the food. Its unbearably hot in the summer and cozy warm in the winter — The hundred-year-old oven still used every day to make the famous treats in Mekren’s Bakery in Nadur, Gozo. The wood is inserted into the small trap door to the right. The flames heat the large 16 pizza oven from the back. The staff uses the main door to handle the food. It’s unbearably hot in the summer and cozy warm in the winter

Mekren bakery in Gozo, definitely looks like a hole in the wall. Thank goddess for Apple Maps, we made it without a glitch. — Mekren’s Bakery in Nadur, Gozo, is so small it doesn’t have a cash counter or shop. The little door opens directly into the kitchen, with the 100-year-old wood fire oven on the left and shelves piled with goodies on the right and the kitchen behind it. Thank goddess for Apple Maps, we made it without a glitch.

We left with a couple of muffins – the best muffin we had ever had. They were light, fluffy and flavorful with coconut pieces.

Coffee in Nadur Town Center

We took our muffins from Mekren’s bakery and drove around Nadur in search of a café. We didn’t have to go too far to spot a church, town center, and a café. The tea and coffee were awesome. But the ambiance was totally fun! Here is a short video of the cacophony and the liveliness at the café. Listen to the guys chatting, MTV videos playing a big screen, guys playing cards, kids, dogs, teenagers, youngsters and moms hanging out.

Sipping a delicious cup of coffee in a cafe in Nadur village in Gozo, Malta... with coconut muffins from Merken bakery. — Sipping a delicious cup of coffee in a cafe in Nadur village in Gozo, Malta… with coconut muffins from Mekren’s Bakery in Nadur, Gozo.

Cafè on the Ferry

The ferry ride is very short so we didn’t have time to really check it out. But in general, the ferry foods here are pretty lame with packaged pre-made foods like burritos, wraps, sandwiches, chips, drinks etc.

Vegetarian Food in Sicily

Giardini do Babilonia in Sicily

Wandering around Taormina, we came across a beautiful garden restaurant that looked just perfect. Although our tour guide had made group arrangements with a huge restaurant with a view, Giardini do Babilonia seemed like the perfect Sicilian restaurant. We were so glad we walked in.

Built in the 800s as part of the massive garden complex, it was a place for arts and artists to flourish. Today this property is protected as a heritage site. Over the centuries, it has been part of the Roman theater areas, a site for artists and fashion designers. Today it is a restaurant and cultural center for language studies.

A traditional outdoor garden setting with meeting rooms along the left covered walkway and casually spread out tables on multiple levels. - at a restaurant in Sicily. — A traditional outdoor garden setting with meeting rooms along the left covered walkway and casually spread out tables on multiple levels.

Gnocchi in Sicilian cherry tomato sauce with aubergines

Sicilian focaccia, white bread and local nutty nero flour bread served with a delicious Sicilian olive oil. — Gnocchi in Sicilian cherry tomato sauce with aubergines

No Pizza!

Sicily is known for its pasta and vegetables, not pizza. Enough American tourists must be driving this restaurant’s owner crazy, so they have an explicit sigh.

Tastings in Zafferana Etnea

While this was a touristy looking place, it did offer a huge variety of local produce to taste and purchase.

Honey, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, olives and spreads at a shop in Sicily — Honey, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, olives and spreads.

A variety of olive oils for tasting with bread in Sicily — Honey, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, olives and spreads.

Rifugio Sapienza on Mount Etna

After a hike on Mount Etna, we stopped at a couple of the rustic restaurants at the parking lot for a coffee and a quick snack. Unlike others, Rifugio Sapienza had multiple vegetarian options, including the local arancini, which is pretty similar to its Venetian counterparts. They were surprisingly quite good on this cold afternoon!

Rifugio Sapienza - a simple cafe in the Mt Etna parking and rest area. — Rifugio Sapienza – a simple cafe in the Mt Etna parking and rest area.

Sicilian vegetarian arancini - rice balls stuffed with spinach or mushrooms. — Sicilian arancini – rice balls stuffed with spinach or mushrooms is the perfect little treat after a hike.

Cafè on the Ferry between Malta and Sicily

The ferry ride between Malta and Sicily is rather long so the cafè gets pretty busy. There are very few vegetarian options and no vegan options except junk food. The few vegetarian options are terrible, so the best option is to bring food to the ferry. The ferry staff is very friendly. They warmed up the dinner we brought from Sicily.

Swiss Air Meals

This was our first time flying Swiss Air. I had never imagined saying anything good about any airline. But I must say, Swiss Air has the best service and best food of the hundreds of flights we’ve taken. If you can, you must fly Swiss Air. It’s worth it.

The menu for the flight was picked from some of the most famous chefs and restaurants. The lunch was 6-7 delightful courses, even for a vegan.

Layover in Zurich is best. On short layovers, we load up on chocolates and on layovers over 6 hours, we can tour the city of Zurich.

Absolutely amazing crisp and flavorful vegetables... tasted like it was picked the same day. — Absolutely amazing crisp and flavorful vegetables… tasted like it was picked the same day.

One of the appetizers in the Indian vegetarian menu on Swiss Air. — Absolutely amazing crisp and flavorful vegetables… tasted like it was picked the same day.

The most delicious and moist vegan cake I've tried. I'm glad the flight attendent insisted I try just a bit... they must have known how good it is. — The most delicious and moist vegan cake I’ve tried. I’m glad the flight attendent insisted I try just a bit… they must have known how good it is.

The final dessert was an absolutely amazing Swiss mountain milk chocolate. Thankfully we had picked a few at the airport for kids.

Maltese Pastizz is a traditional savory pastry filled with peas, ricotta or spinach filling. This is a picture from the Swiss Air lounge at the airport but its served everwhere in Malta.

Other Recommendations

We got other restaurant recommendations but didn’t get to try them all. For example –

Legligin restaurant can do a tasting menu with Maltese dishes which sounds mouthwatering. We made reservations but had to cancel as we couldn’t predict our time.
Nenu, an artisan bakery in Valletta has been around forever.
I found Jangal vegan restaurant in St Julian using a Culture trip but we couldn’t make it there.

Vegetarian Food in Malta