Hugo's Burger

Hugo's Burger Bar does one thing and takes it seriously: the burger. It sits on St Augustine Street in St Julian's, a short stroll from the bars and clubs of Paceville, and keeps its kitchen going from late morning until the early hours, which makes it one of the more useful addresses in the area after a night out. Our guide to restaurants in St Julian's maps out the rest of the neighbourhood.

Smashed Black Angus burgers

Every beef burger here is shaped by hand from 100% Black Angus, using only good cuts. The patties are smashed onto the hot plate while still fresh, so the outside caramelises into a dark, savoury crust while the middle stays juicy. The house photograph shows a burger in a shiny bun stamped with a bold letter H, the Hugo's signature.

Not everyone wants red meat, so the menu also offers a vegetarian burger and a salmon burger, plus a handful of salads put together with a bit more imagination than usual. Ingredients come from chosen suppliers, with the emphasis on natural, wholesome produce. The full food menu can be opened from the website, though prices are not printed in its text.

The room and the atmosphere

The aim is something a step above a fast-food counter: personal service and a slightly upmarket feel, so that a quick burger still feels like a proper meal out. Photos of the venue show a dining room with long red banquettes, black metal chairs and high tables on a wooden floor, with chalk-style drawings of burgers covering a dark wall and a screen mounted above. At the front, an order counter sits under illuminated menu boards beside a brick wall. The group also runs a second Hugo's Burger Bar on Qormi Road in Marsa, but this page covers the St Julian's branch.

Parties and group bookings

Hugo's takes private events, and the website has a dedicated request form. It asks for the date, a start and finish time, the occasion, how many people are coming and a short description of what you have in mind, so the team can plan around a birthday, a group dinner or a get-together before heading out in Paceville.

Paceville and St George's Bay

St Julian's takes its name from its patron, Saint Julian the Hospitaller, and the town is split into informal districts, among them Paceville, Ta' Ġiorni and St Andrew's, as well as the shores of St George's Bay, Spinola Bay and Balluta Bay. Its feast brings the Musketterija, a custom begun in 1982 in which hunters fire blank charges from the parish church roof as the saint's statue is carried out.

Three landmarks lie within a short distance. Portomaso, about 450 metres away, is marked by its 23-storey business tower, opened in 2001 and the island's tallest building until 2020. St George's Tower, about 550 metres away, is a Lascaris watchtower dating from 1638 that now stands within a hotel's grounds. Fort Pembroke, about 700 metres away, went up between 1875 and 1878 as a British defence on the Victoria Lines and today houses an international school. Our pick of the best beaches in Malta helps plan the daytime.

Late hours and nearby alternatives

Doors open at 11:00 am every day. From Monday to Thursday the kitchen closes at 2:00 am, on Friday and Saturday it keeps going until 5:00 am, and on Sunday it shuts at 3:00 am. If you are comparing burgers, our page on Hermanos Burgers in St Julian's is close by, while steaks at Sciacca Grill and the Italian menu at Hugo's Pizza & Pasta suit a longer sit-down meal. For somewhere to stay, see our guide to hotels in Sliema and St Julian's. To ask about a table or a private party, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will send your message on to the restaurant.