Dolceria Appettitosa

Dolceria Appettitosa began as a pastry shop in Għargħur and has grown into one of Malta’s family caterers. It makes cakes, pastries, ice cream, frozen pies and party trays for people to collect, and it caters weddings, parties and corporate lunches at venues across the island.

On VisitMalta.co.uk it appears with the catering companies in Malta. Visitors can drop in at one of its three outlets for a pastry and coffee, while residents and event hosts can use it for celebration food.

Family business since 1991

Maurice and Roberta Grech founded Dolceria Appettitosa in 1991 in Għargħur, and opened a shop in Rabat a couple of years later. Both had gathered experience in the catering trade and worked in several of Malta’s leading hotels before starting out, and a shared love of cooking and of bringing people together through food shaped the business.

Early on, the company sold dry cakes and pastries to local supermarkets and catered small events and family weddings. Over the years it grew to handle numerous weddings, parties and events, while selling cakes and pastries from its shops in Għargħur, Rabat and Naxxar. Its stated aim is to leave customers with a pleasant after-taste, and its products are meant to feel homemade even at scale. Creativity, innovation and family values sit at the heart of how it works, and the owners have kept investing in new offerings as the family and the business have grown together. The Rabat shop sits near Mdina, which our Mdina guide covers, and hotels in Mdina and Rabat are close by.

What it makes

Pastries are a strength, spanning traditional Maltese recipes and French and Italian styles. The Buccellata Ring, made with figs, pistachios and almonds, is a customer favourite. Cakes and gateaux include tiramisu, casatella, lemon cheesecake, a Lindt cake and Baileys gateaux.

Maltese ice cream in the traditional tat-tiegħiet style is the best-seller, alongside a wide range of gelato and the torta gelato ice cream cake, ideal for hot evenings, as the Malta weather guide suggests. Custom 3D cakes can be quoted, and a range of frozen deep-dish pizzas, pies and doughs is sold for easy cooking at home or on a boat, with a pre-cooked service available.

Catering and events

Home party menus and finger food arrive in serving trays or foil trays that can be warmed, and speciality cakes finish the meal. Wedding catering and outside catering are offered, and corporate lunches can be delivered or served by waiting staff. Restaurants and cafés can also ask to stock its desserts, cakes and pastries, and every order is packed so that it is easy to carry, reheat and serve at home, on a terrace or aboard a boat. The shop pages also carry seasonal ranges such as November and Halloween treats, which is worth knowing if you are browsing our Malta holidays overview for an autumn trip.

Hosts planning the whole day can pair catering with a planner, such as 242.group, an event planner in Malta. For guests coming from abroad, our where to stay in Malta guide and the Valletta guide are useful, and things to do in Malta helps fill spare days.

Shops and the Naxxar café

The Għargħur shop opens early, and the Rabat shop keeps split hours: 9:00 to 12:15 and 16:00 to 19:00 Tuesday to Friday, 9:00 to 13:30 and 16:00 to 19:00 on Saturdays, and 8:00 to 13:00 on Sundays, closed Mondays. A new Rabat location is listed as coming soon. In Naxxar, the Appettitosa Concept Café serves pastries, ice cream, coffee and beverages from 8:00 to 20:00 each day, with a kitchen running from 10:00 to 15:00. The about Malta page offers background on the island.

To ask about catering, a cake or a trade order, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to Dolceria Appettitosa.