Getting ready to get lucky this Valentine’s? Well, you’d better up your wining and dining game, because when’s a better time for Cupid to strike, if not at the most romantic restaurants in Malta and Gozo, as you whisper sweet nothings and tempt the object of your affections (let’s call them that) into culinary indiscretions.
Choose well, and the indiscretions may well spill from the culinary to the carnal before you can say ‘time for liqueurs’. Here’s our definitive Top 10 Most Romantic Restaurants in Malta and Gozo.
Nan Yuan Restaurant
Does your date have a taste for the exotic? We’re not talking cheesy and kitsch here, but genuine Cantonese cuisine specialists that will take your tastebuds on journeys you didn’t think possible. If you want to impress with your flair for world cuisine, Nan Yuan’s luscious menu will be your wingman for the night. Think traditional delicacies like the Chestnut Chicken, Nan Yuan Duck Pot and Siu Mei Dumplings.
Country Terrace
Go the literal extra mile to impress and hop over to Gozo for the day or for an evening. This gorgeous restaurant with the spectacular views makes a perfect lunch stop-over for obvious reasons, so you could even start the seduction a tad early with a leisurely lunch overlooking the turquoise seas around Comino. If you’re more of a classical frame of mind, the view is just as beautiful at night, with all the harbour lights shimmering and the coast of Comino in the distance.
one80 Kitchen, Mgarr Gozo
Speaking of Gozo views, here’s another that well-deserves a spot on our most romantic restaurants in Malta and Gozo list. Cool, minimalistic, and embracing the beauty of the Mġarr harbour, one80 Gozo is perfect for the foodie couple that enjoys watching and being watched. We’re talking social paparazzi, not the other kind of watching, you freaks. One80 is the perfect combo of a buzzing social spot, while offering all the required romance for the evening – with on point upmarket dining to boot.
Sciacca, Valletta
Intimate, stylish, hip and – most important of all – enjoying a well-earned reputation for serving the best cuts of meat this side of the island. The capital city will be your partner in crime as you romance the date of your dreams at what is certainly one of the most romantic restaurants in Malta. Keep space for one of Sciacca’s infamous desserts, and then get the mood going with a short stroll around the quiet streets of Valletta, steal a kiss (or more, we won’t tell) on one of the darkened corners and the night is yours.
Sciacca St. Julian’s
But maybe your love prefers the hustle and bustle of a busier town? In which case, you can enjoy exactly the same amazing dining experience at Sciacca, only in vibrant St Julian’s. This is dinner with a definitely cosmopolitan vibe, so get your glad rags on and get ready to shine amidst the crowd of glitterati this spot is known for. Strictly for the couple that wants to flaunt it.
one80 Kitchen & Lounge, Mellieha
Hop over to the Northern side of the island, and one80 Mellieha offers all the glitz and class of its Gozitan counterpart without the need of a ferry ride. The ambience here is just as gorgeous – spacious, minimalistic, discreet. Service is charming, and the menu tantalizingly eclectics – for any vegan/vegetarian requests, this is one of your best options, seriously. If you don’t manage to score at the end of this evening, it’s definitely on you, mate.
Mother of India
Their motto is ‘where spices sing and flavours dance’. We like to sweep in with our personal addition here – ‘and where sensual pleasures soar’. Mother of India is where you will smoothly segue the sensual pleasures of food into sensual pleasures of a different kind. You will definitely find a helping hand in the charming service and the exquisite dishes, prepared following authentic Indian traditions. This is the perfect place to share a feast with your date, and what could be more romantic than that?
Palazzo Castelletti
Is your date into unique dining in equally unique surroundings? Say no more. Palazzo Castelletti is housed in a gorgeous palazzo in the old part of Rabat, so you don’t need much effort to set the mood, really. All you need to do is turn up, and the architecture, food and service will play the game for you. The food looks as exquisite as it tastes, creatively plated and presenting a riot of colours and flavours, which certainly helps, earning Palazzo Castelletti a top spot on our list of most romantic restaurants in Malta and Gozo. Also the restaurant went extra mile to keep everyone satisfied by offering full a la carte menu alongside specials of the day plus 4 course set menu as well on Valentine’s weekend.
The Golden Fork
Nestled in the center of Attard lies one of Malta’s best-kept secrets. The Golden Fork boasts of offering ‘a new way to experience food’ and it’s no idle boast. Well, they don’t hand out Michelin Plates for nothing do they, and this one certainly deserves the accolade. What to expect? An intimate experience savouring food with a real difference, blending contemporary cuisine with traditional elements, created by uber-talented chef patron Letizia Vella.
The Galley
What could be more romantic than dinner at one of the most sought-after restaurants on the water’s edge in Msida? Chic, contemporary, savvy staff and a serious savoir faire for the finer flavours in life. In short, everything that you hope that your date will be thinking about you, come crunch time. A leisurely dinner here will probably go a long way towards achieving exactly this. After all, nothing like some good, old-fashioned pampering to get those pheromones flying.
