Rubino

Rubino is a restaurant at 53 Triq l-Ifran in Valletta, and its roots go back to 1906, when the premises opened as a Sicilian confectionery. Today it serves classic Maltese and Italian dishes on a menu that changes with the season, in a room that is private and homely, with a romantic and exclusive atmosphere. For visitors working through our Valletta guide, it is one of the capital's most characterful places to book for a proper lunch or dinner.

The notes below cover the history, the sample menu and the practical details, with additional context for travellers from the UK who want to know what to order and how to plan the evening.

From Sicilian sweet shop to Valletta dining room

The story begins with Vincenzo Rubino, a sweet maker from Palermo who opened a confectionery in the middle of Valletta in 1906. The business has long since turned to savoury cooking, but the premises still carry his name, and the dining room is decorated with photographs of him and with mementos of the building's history. The effect is of a room that has absorbed the past rather than staged it, and guests step back into the days when the city was in its stately prime.

Understanding that background helps when you walk through the door. Valletta was built by the Knights of St John after the Great Siege of 1565, and its grid of streets has housed generations of merchants, bakers and confectioners. Our guide to St John's Co-Cathedral shows what the Knights built in the city.

The family and the kitchen

In 2008 the brothers Karl and Michael Diacono were offered the chance to take over the restaurant. Within a year Edward Diacono joined them as head chef after returning from training in the UK, and he now runs the kitchen with Tony, the head waiter, and the rest of the team. The passion, dedication and skill of that team have earned Rubino numerous awards and made it one of Valletta's most popular places to eat.

Rubino has proudly held the Michelin Bib Gourmand for seven consecutive years, and it won the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants award in 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. Together they show a kitchen that has been consistent for a long time. If a good dinner is the centrepiece of your trip, our holidays in Malta page shows how to build a break around it.

Starters, pasta and risotto

The sample menu shows the style. Aljotta, the Maltese fish soup, is €11.00. Neonati are €14.50, and smoked-in-house octopus served on a carrot purée is €15.50. Gozo asparagus appears in season at market value. Pasta and risotto come in two sizes: spaghetti with bottarga is €22.00 or €26.00, orecchiette with Maltese sausage and 'nduja is €17.00 or €21.00, and a rosemary risotto is €17.00 or €21.00.

The combination of Sicilian and Maltese references is deliberate. Bottarga, cured fish roe, is a staple of Sicilian cooking, while the sausage and 'nduja pairing links Malta's love of spicy cured meats with southern Italy. If you are planning other days around a meal like this, our things to do in Malta page is a good place to start.

Main courses and desserts

Main courses are the centre of the menu. Tagliata di manzo, sliced grilled beef, is €35.50, and pork fillets with honey and thyme are €27.00. Fenek moqli, the fried rabbit that is a Maltese favourite, is €24.50, and haruf brasato, braised lamb, is €34.50. Vitella Milanese on the bone is €36.00, and seabass involtini with pine nuts and mint is €31.50. Gurbell al cartoccio, a fish baked in paper, and grilled calamari are offered at market value, so ask for the day's price.

Fried rabbit is worth singling out if you are new to Malta. Rabbit is Malta's national dish, and Rubino's fried version gives a refined take on the tradition.

Desserts are priced from €4.50 for a lemon sorbet to €7.50 for a dessert called death by chocolate. In between sit a crème brûlée at €6.00, a Cassata Siciliana at €6.50, a white chocolate cheesecake at €7.00 and a vanilla panna cotta at €7.00. The cassata is a nod to the founding story, since the Sicilian sponge cake is a classic confectioner's dish.

How to choose between lunch and dinner

Rubino serves both, and they feel different. Weekday lunch, from 12:30 to 14:30, suits visitors on a sightseeing day who want a serious meal without committing the whole evening, and the pasta and risotto sections of the menu are made for it. A plate of orecchiette at €17.00 in the starter size, followed by a main of fried rabbit or pork fillets, makes a complete lunch that leaves you free to walk the bastions afterwards.

Dinner is the fuller experience. The room feels more private after dark, the main courses come into their own, and a Saturday booking is the best way to see the restaurant at its busiest. If it is a celebration, mention it when you reserve, so that the occasion is known when your enquiry is passed on.

What to order on a first visit

Because the menu changes, the best approach is to match the type of dish rather than a fixed list. Start with something distinctively Maltese, such as the aljotta at €11.00, or share the smoked octopus at €15.50 to see what the kitchen can do with a single ingredient. Follow with a half portion of pasta if you want to compare Maltese and Italian influences, and then choose a main that reflects your appetite and budget.

The sample menu spans a wide price range, from the fried rabbit at €24.50 to the veal at €36.00, so there is room to choose according to the occasion. Anyone who enjoys sweet things should save space for the cassata or the panna cotta, which fit the confectionery heritage of the premises. Dishes marked as market value, including the baked fish and the grilled calamari, are best confirmed with your server before ordering.

Wine and outside catering

The extensive wine list of local and international bottles is chosen to match the cuisine and the heritage of the building. If you plan to enjoy it, staying in the city saves the journey back, and our where to stay in Malta guide compares the main areas.

The restaurant also offers outside catering for private occasions, bringing the same cooking to a home, a villa or an office. Send an enquiry through the form on this page and it goes to Rubino via VisitMalta.co.uk, since the arrangements depend on numbers and the date.

Opening hours, location and booking

Rubino is open for lunch from 12:30 to 14:30 and for dinner from 19:00 to 22:30, Monday to Friday. On Saturday it serves dinner only, from 19:00 to 22:30, and it is closed on Sunday. The address is 53 Triq l-Ifran, Valletta VLT 1454, and bookings are made by sending an enquiry through the form on this page, which goes to Rubino via VisitMalta.co.uk. Because the restaurant is private and homely, expect limited space and reserve ahead for weekend evenings and for any date in the main summer season.

Valletta is compact and best explored on foot, so a booking here fits well alongside a walk to the Upper Barrakka Gardens, a ferry across the harbour to the Three Cities and the city's other attractions. If you would like to stay in the capital, browse our selection of hotels in Valletta, or compare hotels in Malta more widely. For the journey itself, see flights to Malta and our current Malta holiday deals. The full directory of restaurants in Valletta shows the other options in the same streets.