Percy Nobleman

Percy Nobleman is a men's grooming business with two shops in Malta, and it goes well beyond the standard haircut. One shop, Gentleman's Barbers, sits on the second level of the Bay Street Shopping Complex in St George's Bay, St Julian's. The other, Gentleman's Wellness & Barbers, is on Old Bakery Street in Valletta and adds massage, physiotherapy and teeth whitening to the barber's menu. Prices are printed for every service in euros, which makes it simple to plan a visit before you land.

The business is listed on VisitMalta.co.uk with the island's hairdressers in Malta, physiotherapists in Malta and spas in Malta. It will suit a UK visitor who wants a proper cut and shave, a man in Malta for a long stay who needs a regular barber, or anyone who would like to combine grooming with a massage in the capital.

The Percy Nobleman approach

The brand talks about itself as a port of call for the modern traveller, and the idea behind both shops is that grooming is part of a wider routine of looking after yourself. A sharp fade or a classic beard trim is only one piece of it. Physical composure, tidy styling and full-body recovery are treated as parts of the same habit, designed for men who value their time and how they look.

For a holidaymaker that means you can plan a single stop rather than three: a cut, a shave and, in Valletta, a massage or a physiotherapy session, booked into one visit. For a resident it means a regular barber with a consistent price list, plus a place to go when a long week at a desk leaves you stiff.

The brand also has a journal and a community of customers online, which gives a sense of how closely the shops are tied to the Percy Nobleman product range. Barbers use the same signature styling products and fragrances that are sold in the shops, so what you try in the chair can be bought to take home.

Two shops, two roles

Both shops offer the full range of hair, beard and facial services. The difference is what happens beyond the barber's chair. Body treatments, physiotherapy and teeth whitening are available at the Valletta shop only, which is described as a sanctuary combining grooming and recovery.

The St Julian's shop is on Level 2 of the Bay Street Shopping Complex, St George's Bay, and is open every day from 10am to 8pm. The Valletta shop is at 63 Old Bakery Street and keeps longer hours on weekdays, from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, with Saturday from 9am to 7pm and Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

Photographs show a warm, traditional style: wooden shelving lit from behind, green armchairs, a large window and the shield crest of the brand on the wall. Barbers wear matching polo shirts, and hot towels are carried out on wooden trays. The tone is that of a gentleman's club with a modern edge.

Haircuts, shaves and bundles

The signature cut is €27 for 30 minutes and includes a wash with the brand's caffeinated shampoo and a finish with one of its styling products. A longer-hair scissor cut is €30 for 35 minutes. A single-grade clipper cut is €20 for 20 minutes, a skin fade is €28 for 35 minutes, and a quick tidy of the back and sides called Pick Me Up is €20. For a simple wash and style without a cut, Style & Go is €15 for 15 minutes. Children under thirteen can have a Young Gentleman Cut for €20.

If you want a traditional head shave, it costs €25 for 30 minutes and uses hot towels and the brand's shaving cream. A thinning hair treatment can be added for €5.

Several bundles pair a cut with beard or stubble work. A signature cut with stubble trim and shaping is €40 for 45 minutes, and the same combination with a skin fade is €40 for 55 minutes. A signature cut with beard trim and shaping is €45 for 50 minutes, and the scissor cut version is €45 for 60 minutes. Adding a hot towel treatment with vapouriser costs €5 for 7 minutes.

Beard work, facial services and add-ons

For beards, a stubble trim and shaping is €18 for 15 minutes, a beard trim and shaping is €20 for 20 minutes and a cut throat shave with hot towels is €20 for 20 minutes. The ultimate versions add hot towels, cut-throat detailing and a conditioning treatment: €25 for 25 minutes for stubble and €27 for 30 minutes for a beard.

The facial menu covers traditional threading and waxing. Brow and ear threading is €8 for 5 minutes, facial threading is €10 for 7 minutes, ear and nose waxing is €8 for 5 minutes and facial waxing is €10 for 10 minutes. There is also an anti-ageing skincare application at €8 for 5 minutes and an alginate peel-off mask at €30 for 20 minutes. Short head and neck massages can be added to a visit: scalp and neck is €8 for 5 minutes, and scalp, neck, shoulders and arms is €12 for 10 minutes.

A beard tint is available as an add-on at €10 for 15 minutes, aimed at evening out the colour and softening the appearance of grey.

Massage and body treatments in Valletta

At the Valletta shop, body treatments run from focused 30 minute sessions to longer full-body appointments. Express, head and neck, back and lower body massages are each €40 for 30 minutes. The signature massage is €70 for 50 minutes and the ultimate massage is €90 for 75 minutes. Two add-ons can be requested: dry needling for €20 for 15 minutes and a hot stone treatment for €15 for 10 minutes.

The treatment room has a massage table, rolled towels and a basin, set in warm wooden surroundings. It is a practical option if you are sightseeing on foot in the city, since Valletta rewards long days on its stone streets. Our Valletta guide and the pages on Upper Barrakka Gardens and St John's Co-Cathedral show how much there is to see, and you can find a base in hotels in Valletta.

Physiotherapy sessions and teeth whitening

Physiotherapy is also offered only in Valletta. A physiotherapeutic assessment, described as the first step for any new client, is €50 for 45 minutes. Therapeutic sessions are €35 for 30 minutes or €60 for 45 minutes, manual therapy is €70 for 60 minutes and a dry needling session is €40 for 30 minutes. This page describes the services offered and does not give medical advice. If you have a health concern, discuss it with the physiotherapist.

Teeth whitening is a further service, using Pearlsmile gel with mouth trays. The express treatment is €49 for 20 minutes, the premium treatment is €99 for 30 minutes and the intensive treatment is €149 for 45 minutes. The premium option is described as lifting teeth 3 to 5 shades and the intensive one 5 to 9 shades, with individual results varying.

Products, booking and planning your visit

Percy Nobleman also sells its own grooming range, from beard oils to caffeinated shampoos, matt clay, matt paste, sea salt spray and fragrance, so you can keep your look going after you return to the UK.

Because the two shops are in different parts of the island, it helps to think about your itinerary first. If you are staying around St Julian's, Sliema or Gżira, the Bay Street shop is the natural choice for a cut, beard work or a shave. If you are spending the day in Valletta, the Old Bakery Street shop lets you add a massage or a physiotherapy session between sights. Leave extra time if you are combining a longer bundle with a massage, since the printed durations are for each service separately.

Bookings are made online for either shop. If you are choosing where to stay, our guide to where to stay in Malta and the listings of hotels in Sliema and St Julian's cover the area around the Bay Street shop. The Malta weather guide is useful for packing, and our guide to things to do in Malta will help you plan the rest of the trip. Flying from Britain? See flights to Malta.

If you would like to ask about a service, a branch or timings before booking, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the business.