il-Torri

It-Torri, listed here as il-Torri, is a café, brasserie and wine bar on Triq It-Torri in Sliema, set on the terrace of an old coastal watchtower with the sea in front. It opens from breakfast until late, and the menu moves from eggs and smoothies in the morning through pasta, seafood, grills and pizza to cocktails after dark, with a section of traditional Maltese cooking in between. Our guide to restaurants in Sliema covers the rest of the seafront.

A Knights' watchtower

The tower has a proper pedigree. In 1657 the Aragonese knight Martin de Redin was elected Grand Master of the Knights of St John, and he paid out of his own pocket for 13 watchtowers to strengthen the coastal defences. Each was a solid two-storey block of masonry, placed so that it could see the next: when a lookout spotted raiders at sea, smoke from the roof by day or a bonfire by night passed the warning along the coast from tower to tower. This one is the fifth in the series. Our Knights of Malta guide tells the wider story of the Order.

Maltese rabbit, pasta and the grill

Today the kitchen concentrates on pasta, seafood, grills and pizza, with homemade pasta and fresh fish laid out on display. The Maltese side of the menu is the one to look at: rabbit is the chef's speciality, fried in the traditional local way, and it is served as a single portion or as a fenkata for a large group. There is also rabbit stew, Maltese stuffed aubergines, Maltese focaccia and local pork fillets on the grill.

Starters cost from €6.90 to €12.90. Bruschetta for two and cheesy garlic bread are €6.90 each, a caprese bruschetta with buffalo mozzarella €8.90, and fried local goat's cheese with mango chutney and battered calamari with tartare sauce €10.90 each. The soup of the day is €9.00, and the focaccia romana, with tomatoes, fried onions and rosemary, is €12.90.

Breakfast, cocktails and festas

Mornings start early, and the breakfast menu costs from €3.50 to €7.90. A ham and cheese toastie or a fresh orange juice is €3.50, a plain omelette €4.00, scrambled eggs on toast €5.00 and a full English, with bacon, Cumberland sausages, fried eggs, beans and grilled tomatoes, €6.50. Eggs Benedict is €6.90, or €7.90 in the house version with smoked salmon, and seasonal smoothies cost €4.50.

Later on, cocktails such as a mojito, piña colada or the It-Torri Special are €5.00 to €5.50, made with Finest Call mixers, and a soft drink is €1.60. You can simply stop for a cold drink or an ice cream, and the terrace makes a good spot for watching the local village festas. An enclosed area with heaters and a ventilation system is also available.

Around the Sliema Front

Sliema, whose name means peace, began as a quiet fishing village across Marsamxett Harbour from Valletta and is now, with neighbouring St Julian's, Malta's main coastal resort. The Sliema Front promenade along the shore is busy with walkers and joggers, and stays lively late on warm summer nights. Balluta Bay, about 550 metres away, has a small square of cafés shaded by Judas trees, overlooked by a neo-gothic Carmelite church and the Art Nouveau Balluta Buildings. The Portomaso Business Tower, Malta's tallest building from 2001 until 2020, is about 750 metres away, and Sliema Point Battery, built by the British between 1872 and 1876, is about 850 metres away. Our page on hotels in Sliema lists places to stay, and our Valletta guide covers the capital across the water.

Hours and visiting

It-Torri opens at 10:00 am on weekdays and 9:00 am at weekends and stays open until late; the last food orders are taken at 11:00 pm from Monday to Friday and 11:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Groups large and small are welcome. Nearby, Surfside in Sliema and Vecchia Napoli in St Julian's are other seafront options. To ask about a table, a rabbit dinner for a group or anything else, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the restaurant.