The cosmopolitan nature of Malta’s roaring restaurant business could hardly do without the intricate, delectable nature of French cuisine. Ever since the tourism and development boom of the 60s, French dishes, along with the geographically-inevitable and domineering presence of Italian fare, have been a major feature on most menus in Maltese restaurants.
Today, the French culinary art is a specialisation at a variety of unique restaurants, many of them proudly sporting the “French cuisine” label. There are restaurants that provide the most exquisite, top-quality French dishes with an obvious accent of savoir-faire.
It is where the “Englishness” of Maltese tastes, an enduring remnant of colonial rule, has of course met the most opposition, even disdain. The result has gradually been a happy compromise with locals and an enthusiastic demand from visiting foreign clientele. Everyday French cuisine dishes, certainly not fast food but fast enough to meet an urgent appetite, are also available at a number of good restaurants all over the island.
Treating yourself to a fantastic French meal in Malta has all the joy and elation one associates with the best and the most attractive anywhere in the gastronomic world. Enchante’!
Malata Restaurant. Situated in the heart of Valletta, Malata is one of the island’s best known French restaurants. Specialities include chateaubriand, fresh fish platters, rabbit in white wine sauce and octopus platters. Just a few steps away from the Manoel Theatre, this restaurtant is homely and very welcoming. For more information call (+356) 2123 3967.
