Restaurants in Rabat, Malta

Eating out in Rabat

Rabat sits right beside the old walled capital of Mdina, and its name comes from an Arabic word meaning suburb. Where Mdina is hushed and aristocratic, Rabat is a lived-in town of narrow streets, parish churches, band clubs and family bakeries, and it eats like a real Maltese town rather than a tourist stop.

The food here leans traditional. Expect Maltese staples such as rabbit, slow-cooked stews, fresh ftira bread and pastizzi alongside Mediterranean menus. If you want to understand why rabbit matters so much to the Maltese, our guide to Maltese rabbit stew explains the history behind the national dish.

For UK visitors the pace is the main difference. Meals are unhurried, lunch can stretch well into the afternoon, and nobody will rush you out once you have finished.

Restaurants in Rabat by style

Most of the restaurants on this page cluster around Saqqajja, the square and hill at the foot of Mdina's walls, and along Triq San Pawl, the main street that runs past the catacombs and the parish church of St Paul.

On Saqqajja you will find Il-Veduta Restaurant and Point de Vue, both with Mediterranean and Maltese menus and handy for a meal before or after a walk round Mdina. Along Triq San Pawl, Castelletti serves Maltese and Mediterranean food, and Bottegin Palazzo Xara is set inside Palazzo Xara with a Maltese menu.

For something lighter, Grotto Tavern is a café for tea, coffee and sandwiches, while Ta' Doni offers pizza, deli plates and tapas. Peristyle, Da Luigi, Yana's and Ta' Richard round out the list with Maltese, Mediterranean and regional cooking.

When to visit Rabat for food

Rabat works well for lunch, because the main sights are daytime visits. Many people pair a morning in Mdina with a long lunch in Rabat, then spend the afternoon underground in the catacombs.

The biggest food date of the year is Mnarja, held at Buskett woodland just outside Rabat on the eve of and on 29 June. The tradition dates back to the Knights, when ordinary Maltese were allowed to hunt and eat wild rabbit on this one day a year, and rabbit stew remains the dish of the occasion. Horse and donkey races near Mdina also form part of the day.

Rabat also holds several parish festas through the year, including the feast of St Joseph on 19 March, so you may find streets decorated and band marches in the evening.

Getting to Rabat and what to see nearby

Rabat is in the west of Malta and is well served by public buses, which stop near Saqqajja, just below Mdina. Driving is possible but parking near Mdina fills quickly at weekends.

Combine a meal with St Paul's Catacombs, run by Heritage Malta, where tradition says St Paul stayed for three months after his shipwreck in AD 60. St Agatha's Catacombs, with over 500 graves, are also in town. Our full Rabat guide covers the Domus Romana and St Paul's Grotto, and the Mdina guide covers the walled city next door.

Frequently asked questions