Post written by Laura
Valletta, the capital city of Malta was the perfect choice for a winter city break for my daughter Zoe and I.
At this time of the year, the costs for flights and accommodation are reasonable and we were fortunate to have had fabulous February weather with 5 days of sun and blue skies and daytime temperatures of up to 19 degrees ☀️
At home in the UK with Zoe living over 100 miles away we don’t see each other too often. The main purpose of this trip was to spend time together in a relaxed and casual manner, exploring some new places and enjoying a few meals and a few cocktails together.
Our itinerary was therefore fairly light and without too many back to back activities.
During our time in Malta, we visited a small and picturesque fishing village called Marsaxlokk and took the high speed ferry to neighbouring Gozo where we slotted in Comino island on this day too. These will be captured in two further up-and-coming posts!
Getting to Valletta
We were staying in a hotel in nearby Sliema and one easy option was the Sliema ferry which was €4.80 return per person. This short 15 minute crossing runs every 30 minutes.
Our ferry passed the small Manoel Island which contains a fort. Apparently its free to visit although we didn’t do this.
Compact Valletta is situated on a peninsula on the island of Malta and this city squeezes itself into a hilly area which is just 1 km long and 600 m wide.
From the ferry we walked up towards the city centre and found ourselves in the lively Republic Square outside the historic National Library.
By now it was time for refreshments. We enjoyed a tasty Aperol Spritz each in Eddies Cafe at a very reasonable cost of 2 for €8, so about £3.50 each.
We continued exploring and came across the Valletta court building which was completed in 1971 following total destruction of the original building during the Second World War.
With its historic honey coloured buildings this is how I remembered Valletta from my previous visit which was 34 years ago!
We made our way to Upper Barrakka Gardens, anticipating colourful flowers but there was none to be seen! February is preparation and planting time and later in the week, hundreds of small plants had been bedded.
From the heights of Barrakka we had great views across to the ‘Three Cities’.
Auberge de Castille is a government building.
Soon another snack was in order and this time it was to sample Maltese gelato! I had a scoop of tiramisu and scoop of amarena cherry ice cream which was topped with a tiramisu macaroon.
Colourful and picturesque St Lucia’s street is an ‘instagram’ favourite!
Another thing I remembered from my 1992 visit was a delicious cake, somewhere in Valletta.
After a quick check, founded in 1837 the historic Caffe Cordina is one of the recommended cake places. (I have no idea where I had the previous amazing cake experience)…
An interesting concept… if I were to visit Valletta again, in 34 years time, I would be 92 years old…
Anyway… Kannoli is a traditional Maltese pastry filled with ricotta and often with pistacio cream. We had a small one of each which was delicious.
A reminder that Malta was under British rule between 1800 and 1964!
City Gate built by the British in 1885.
Back in Valletta and another Aperol Spritz. Happy Hour varies between different bars and this one began at 11 am 🍹
3 Cities
Following the early happy hour, during our last full day we took a different ferry from the other side of Valletta, this time across to the ‘Three Cities’ which are: Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua.
These historic cities are part of the Grand Harbour of Valletta.
The short ferry ride ended in Cospicua and from there we walked along the Birgu Waterfront which is lined with bars and restaurants.
The temptation for a dish of cheeses served with honey, figs and chocolate was too great so this was our lunchtime snack. The dark chocolate buttons tasted pretty good with the cheese and other bits and bobs. And the Maltese Chardonney…
After lunch we continued walking towards Fort St Angelo where you can walk to the top for great views across the harbour. If you want to go inside the fort the cost is €10 each.
We walked around to the other side of the fort and continued back towards Cospicua and the ferry. Before going back to Valletta we found an authentic gift shop which gave us some samples of local produce.
Evenings in Valletta
Evening temperatures during our 5 day stay during the last week of February were around 14 degrees however most of the restaurants had outdoor heaters and many with covered seats and tables.
Strait Street is a historic long and narrow street which stretches across the city. Once known as ‘The Gut’ it was brothel and bar centric and used by British sailors during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Now it is lively and bustling especially at night where it comes alive with music, bars and restaurants.
One evening Zoe and I enjoyed a couple of tasty pizzas, sitting outside in a Strait Street restaurant and together with a happy hour Aperol Spritz each, the bill was only €28 in total.
Our final evening meal of the trip was in a Mediterranean restaurant called ‘1522 a food story’ which we chose for its many excellent reviews. This is located in colourful and popular St Lucia’s Street.
We were not disappointed and had the best pasta dish I think I’ve ever tasted!
Accommodation
Zoe and I spent 5 nights in the fantastic AX Victoria Hotel in Sliema.
The 5* sister hotel the AX Palace is next door and you can walk inside between the two. They share a fairly large gym, an indoor pool and spa. There is also a heated rooftop pool with 360 degree views of Sliema and Valletta.
Upon check in we were given a complimentary bottle of local Maltese red wine which we shared later in the week in one of the communal seating areas of the Palace hotel.
Save the planet! Also at check in we were asked if we would like full room cleaning every day. We said no, that wasn’t necessary as every 2 or 3 days would be fine. And to our delight our eco option was rewarded with a voucher for a free cocktail each!
Later that evening in the Penny Black bar we both tried a ‘Maltese Falcon’ which was made with vodka, bajtra, orange juice and kinnie. Bajtra is a traditional liquer which is produced in Malta and kinnie is a soft drink with a bitter taste.
Kinnie was first produced in Malta in 1952 and is exported to countries including Canada and Australia.
We were upgraded to a lovely spacious twin room with an ornate iron balcony.
Breakfast was included in our room rate and every morning this was fabulous with an extensive and fresh choice of hot and cold, savoury and sweet, healthy and unhealthy options!
The breakfast buffet included some traditional Maltese items including pastizzi which are warm pastries with curried peas and honey rings which have a treacle type filling.
AX Victoria and AX Palace Restaurants
We were fortunate that both hotels shared some excellent and highly rated restaurants between them so we didn’t need to venture far for some decent evening meals.
The Penny Black
Along with our Maltese Falcon for our first night, not long after arriving we shared a plate of nachos and a haloumi salad in the Penny Black, a pub inside the AX Victoria Hotel. Both dishes were very well presented and tasted amazing.
The Tabloid
Foe our second evening we enjoyed ‘Maltese Night’ in The Tabloid restaurant which served an extensive buffet of traditional specialities from Malta.
The Pudina tal-hobz is bread pudding made with coconut, raisins, dried fruit and jam.
The buffet cost included a bottle of local Maltese wine which was crisp and tasty with the food.
We finished with a selection of local cheeses, this one was spicy as it was coated in chilli flakes!
Tempt Asian
We had a fabulous meal in Tempt Asian which, along with its sky bar, can be found on the top of the AX Palace Hotel. The food and the service was excellent and we felt really looked after throughout the whole evening.
After our vegetable samosa starters, we shared chana masala, sweet & sour tofu and jasmine rice all of which were superb.
From Tempt Asian our table overlooked the Parish Church of Stella Maris with the skyline of Valletta in the distance.
Practicalities
Plug type: UK 3 pin
Currency: Euro
Card or cash? Most places accepted payment by card although it was handy to have cash available for things like small boat trips
Tipping: there was no real expectation although we generally left a small tip for good service
Flights: return Gatwick to Malta with EasyJet
Transport: you could get buses although Bolt and Uber were widely available, and at a reasonable cost. For two of us, for convenience this was our preferred choice.
Summary
We had a fabulous time in Malta and I would highly recommend this tiny Mediterranean country for a winter break.
Malta is incredibly safe, even at night so would be a good choice for a solo traveller.
The AX Victoria Hotel was wonderful and with its super friendly and helpful staff, great location and excellent selection of restaurants I would not hesitate to stay there again.
Outside of the hotel, the meals and drinks were at a lower cost than at home.
Overall, everything was perfect! Both flights were on time, all transfers went smoothly and the weather was awesome. Best of all were the treasured moments shared with my lovely daughter Zoe.
Coming up next:
- Visiting the fishing village of Marsaxlokk
- Ferry to Gozo and Comino
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