Where to Have Dinner on a Sunday Night in Malta
Finding dinner in Malta on a Sunday night can feel like a treasure hunt. Many of the island's most sought-after kitchens shut their doors, but a well-curated handful do stay open – and they're some of the most interesting restaurants on the island.
Below is a locality-by-locality guide to where you can actually sit down for a proper Sunday evening meal, using our reviewer's scores for food, atmosphere and service as your compass.
Valletta
Valletta is one of the toughest places for Sunday dining: a lot of high-end spots close, yet a small cluster keeps the capital alive that night. Their Malta Guide scores show a spread from polished fine dining to relaxed bistro.
ION Harbour €€€€€ – Total 36, Food 19, Atmosphere 9, Service 8 Malta's only two-Michelin-star address with regular Sunday dinner, ION Harbour is all about tasting menus and Grand Harbour views. For those with deep pockets, expect contemporary, produce-driven dishes and a long evening rather than a quick bite.
Il Horza €€ – Total 30, Food 14, Atmosphere 8, Service 8 Tucked away on a quiet Valletta side street, Il-Horza is a cosy, romantic townhouse restaurant where chef-owner James serves polished takes on Maltese and bistro classics. There is a lovely private alcove in the basement.
Kaiseki €€€ – Total 29, Food 14, Atmosphere 7, Service 8 Despite the Japanese name, our reviewer classifies Kaiseki as Mediterranean–Asian fusion fine dining. Expect tasting-menu style plating and a quieter, boutique room; it's one of the few upscale Valletta spots that will seat you on a Sunday night.
Rampila €€€ – Total 28, Food 14, Atmosphere 7, Service 7 Built into Valletta's bastions, Rampila mixes Maltese-Italian cooking with atmospheric terraces overlooking the city walls. Our reviewer highlights "inventive dishes like Ricotta Gnocchi and Pork Cheek Fritters, all set against a stunning Baroque backdrop… the terrace is a perfect spot for al fresco dining."
MUŻA Restaurant €€€ – Total 27, Food 14, Atmosphere 6, Service 7 Inside the national art museum, MUŻA serves Maltese-inspired Mediterranean dishes with a casual, artsy feel. It's a good option if you want to combine a museum visit and a relaxed Sunday dinner; a place to "savour the flavours of Malta" in a cultural setting rather than a white-tablecloth temple.
Paul's Bistro €€€ – Total 26, Food 13, Atmosphere 7, Service 6 A small bistro known for a mix of Mediterranean and lighter "healthy" dishes, Paul's opens later on Sundays, typically from mid-afternoon into the evening. A place for personal service and plates that are "simple but well executed," which makes it a useful fallback when more formal places are full.
The Rooftop Restaurant €€€ – Total 25, Food 12, Atmosphere 7, Service 6 Sitting above the city with harbour views, The Rooftop focuses on Mediterranean and European dishes in a smart-casual setting. Our reviewer describes it as a place for "Mediterranean, European, rooftop dining" where the main draw is the open-air setting rather than cutting-edge cuisine.
Three Cities & Grand Harbour
Across the water from Valletta, the harbour towns of Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua are surprisingly well-served on Sundays. You'll find everything from traditional trattorie to modern Mediterranean bistros clustered around the marinas.
Enchante (Senglea) €€€ – Total 33, Food 15, Atmosphere 9, Service 9 Right on Senglea's waterfront, Enchante scores among the highest in the list. Our reviewer calls it "a captivating dining experience at this harbour-side restaurant, where fresh seafood shines amidst breathtaking views of Birgu… don't miss the traditional mussels and Maltese fish soup."
Bebirgu (Birgu) €€ – Total 30, Food 14, Atmosphere 8, Service 8 Set in historic Palazzo Huesca, Bebirgu leans into comforting Mediterranean food – soups, risottos and pastas. The guide notes that it "serves honest, well-priced Italian-inspired comfort food in a charming Birgu courtyard, offering warm service and a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere."
Sottovento (Birgu) €€ – Total 27, Food 13, Atmosphere 7, Service 7 Classic Italian trattoria right on the water. Our reviewer presents it as a go-to for "Italian, pizza, seafood, Mediterranean" with an easy-going harbour setting.
If you like wandering historic streets before or after dinner, the Three Cities give you the best cluster of Sunday-open options in one tight waterfront area.
Sliema, Ta' Xbiex & Pietà
This stretch of coastline is one of the most reliable areas for Sunday dinner, particularly if you're staying in hotels in Sliema or Gżira.
Tora (Sliema) €€€ – Total 32, Food 15, Atmosphere 9, Service 8 Tora sits above the Tigné seafront with fabulous views back to Valletta and a menu of high-end Chinese and pan-Asian dishes. It's a buzzy place with great cocktails, and a must-have duck speciality.
AYU (Gżira) €€€ – Total 29, Food 15, Atmosphere 7, Service 7 Three brothers, passionate about food and travel, went round the world and came back with their favourite dishes to share with us. As such this restaurant is an extraordinary tour of the world's cuisine which could so easily fail, but in this case has triumphed. Perhaps because in so diverse a society as Malta you can lay your hands on good cooks from lots of different cultures. The menu is enormous.
Trattoria Del Mare (Sliema) €€ – Total 29, Food 15, Atmosphere 7, Service 7 This is classic Italian seaside: pasta, seafood and carafes of wine across from the promenade. Our reviewer calls it "casual yet chic… serving inventive small-kitchen dishes and affordable wines, perfect for sunny lunches by the sea with Malta's stylish crowd," and the same vibe carries into the evenings. But beware of being chilly on a winter night.
TemptAsia (Sliema) €€€ – Total 27, Food 13, Atmosphere 7, Service 7 On the rooftop of The Palace hotel, TemptAsia blends Thai, Indian, Japanese and Chinese flavours. It's presented as an "Asian fusion" spot where the skyline view is as much a draw as the curries and sushi.
Agora (Ta' Xbiex) €€ – Total 30, Food 14, Atmosphere 8, Service 8 Facing the yacht marina, Agora pairs Turkish-inspired meze with Mediterranean seafood. Our reviewer sums it up as a "lively Ta' Xbiex spot serving Turkish meze, fresh seafood, and grilled meats in a holiday-style Mediterranean atmosphere." Their social channels bill it as "here for you every day," which includes Sunday nights.
Onda Blu (Pietà) €€€ – Total 30, Food 15, Atmosphere 8, Service 7 Overlooking the marina near Floriana, Onda Blu is all about Italian-style seafood. Our reviewer calls it a "bright, waterside setting that feels like Malta's own Riviera spot," praising the "impeccably fresh, Italian-style seafood and fish."
For a Sunday evening when you want water views without going into Valletta proper, this strip gives you plenty of choice from Asian fusion to simple grilled fish.
St Julian's & St George's Bay
St Julian's is Malta's densest restaurant hub, and a solid number of places keep serving on Sunday evenings.
Blue Elephant €€€ – Total 30, Food 14, Atmosphere 8, Service 8 Hidden inside the Hilton, Blue Elephant offers full-immersion Thai: waterfalls, wooden pavilions and a long menu of curries and stir-fries. Our reviewer notes that it "brings immersive, village-style Thai decor and authentic, well-priced classics to Malta, offering polished Thai hospitality, adjustable spice levels, and a fun escape from everyday island life."
San Giuliano €€€ – Total 30, Food 14, Atmosphere 8, Service 8 Overlooking Spinola Bay, San Giuliano is a long-running Italian restaurant known for seafood and pasta. The guide highlights "expertly executed traditional Italian dishes with standout pastas, fresh seafood, refined service, and elegant old-school charm."
Zest €€€ – Total 30, Food 15, Atmosphere 7, Service 8 Upstairs at Hotel Juliani, Zest marries sushi, curries and Nikkei influences. Our reviewer calls it "a vibrant Asian fusion dining escape… delight in exceptional sushi and standout dishes like duck gyoza and aromatic curries, complemented by live music on select nights."
Barracuda €€€ – Total 29, Food 14, Atmosphere 8, Service 7 Sitting above Balluta Bay, Barracuda feels like an old-school Mediterranean dining room with sea views. Its write-up describes it as a "lively, glass-walled Mediterranean spot above the sea serving broad international dishes and standout Crepes Suzettes, drawing a buzzy, well-heeled crowd with a pricey but interesting wine list."
Kuya Asian Pub €€ – Total 29, Food 14, Atmosphere 7, Service 8 Kuya is more casual: Asian sharing plates, craft beers and a rooftop vibe. Our reviewer calls it a "trendy St. Julian's spot offering Asian-inspired small plates, vibrant rooftop vibes, and fast, friendly service with great cocktails."
Paranga €€€ – Total 27, Food 14, Atmosphere 7, Service 6 On the sands of St George's Bay, Paranga is the InterContinental's Sicilian-leaning beach restaurant. It's described as serving "Sicilian-inspired Mediterranean, seafood," with the setting – on a jetty over the water – doing much of the heavy lifting.
For a Sunday night that still feels lively and buzzy, St Julian's is your safest bet; you can almost always walk the bay and find one of these open.
Central & Northern Malta
Away from the harbour, a few noteworthy Sunday-dinner options are scattered through the suburbs and the north.
Amami (Mellieħa) €€€ – Total 30, Food 15, Atmosphere 8, Service 7 Way up north, but if you are feeling adventurous this snazzy, buzzy Asian fusion restaurant will keep the party going on a Sunday night, so dress up and put on your Manolo Blahniks. Some great food as well.
Villa Bologna Restaurant (Attard) €€€ – Total 29, Food 14, Atmosphere 8, Service 7 In the gardens of historic Villa Bologna, this restaurant serves classic Italian. Our reviewer calls it a "chic Attard gem… serving classic Italian antipasti, pasta, and seafood with upscale wines and elegant ambiance." Particularly lovely in summer.
Roman's Den (Rabat) €€ – Total 28, Food 14, Atmosphere 6, Service 8 Down in a stone cellar in Rabat, Roman's Den is all grills, Maltese-European dishes and a cozy atmosphere. It's described as a "Mediterranean, European, grill; cellar restaurant" with solid, traditional cooking rather than experimentation.
Blue Whale Chinese Restaurant (St Paul's Bay) €€€ – Total 29, Food 13, Atmosphere 8, Service 8 Up north in St Paul's Bay, Blue Whale is a glass-walled Cantonese restaurant popular with locals. Our reviewer describes it as "smart glass-walled… serving all the Cantonese classics (including Peking duck and plenty of seafood) with polished old-school service and sea views."
So, Is Sunday Night in Malta Difficult?
Looking across our reviewer's list, a striking number of high-profile kitchens – Bahia, Noni, Ali Baba, Rubino, Aaron's Kitchen, and several others – are closed on Sundays, which is exactly when visitors most want a leisurely dinner. Yet if you know where to look, you still have strong choices in every major area: harbour views and tasting menus in Valletta, waterfront seafood and trattorie in the Three Cities, Asian fusion and marina dining in Sliema and Ta' Xbiex, and a dense cluster of Thai, Italian and modern spots around St Julian's.
Pick your base, check opening hours for your specific date, and you can turn the "everything is closed" Sunday anxiety into an excuse to explore corners of the island you might otherwise miss.
