Chef Jonathan Brincat reimagines Maltese cuisine at Noni

February 15, 2026 — 02:00

Malta should be an easy sell. This island nation is blessed with so many attractions that it’s difficult to narrow down the highlights. Like history? Thanks to its strategic location, Malta is home to everything from prehistoric sites to palaces built by medieval warrior knights and World War II. This includes everything from a major role in World War II.

Enjoying a city break? In the beautiful baroque capital of Valletta, you can visit majestic monuments such as the majestic St John’s Co-Cathedral or explore the city’s narrow, sloping streets. Prefer to relax a bit on the beach? There are plenty of these in Malta, all washed by the clear Mediterranean waters.

Valletta’s narrow city streets invite exploration.iStock

It’s actually a simpler task to narrow down what Malta is not known for. At the top of that list would be food. Malta has never claimed to be a great dining destination, but that is now changing. The food scene has transformed over the last few years and there is now plenty to enjoy for food lovers who know where to look.

When I first came here 20 years ago, Malta’s most famous culinary contribution to the world was flaky, diamond-shaped pasta. pastizzi pastry These days, as a new generation of chefs take Maltese cuisine to new heights, other traditional favorites are also coming to the fore.

“Refined and rustic sit very comfortably together [in Malta]says Jonathan Brincat, chef at Noni, Valletta’s Michelin-starred restaurant, one of the most unforgettable dining experiences.

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“Top restaurants can show you how much Maltese cuisine has evolved, how traditional flavors can be reimagined with new techniques. But the roots of our food live just as strongly in simple things like good food.” paste one eaten by hand fenkata [garlic- and herb-studded rabbit stew] Shared with friends.”

Michelin-starred chef Jonathan Brincat of Noni in Valletta, Malta.

Visitors who book a tasting dinner at Noni, housed in a former bakery in Valletta, can expect a full-fledged dining experience with elegantly plated morsels full of subtle flavors that can include everything from amberjack cured in seaweed to suckling pig combined with white onion, dates and roasted bone sauce. Each dish on the menu relates to a Maltese tradition.

Let’s take Brincat’s version aljottaor fish stew. As the son of a fisherman, he loves this dish. “This was always the first thing my mother prepared when my father came home with bycatch,” he says.

Brincat took ingredients her mother used—lemon, mint, and rice—to create an aromatic sauce that enhances a lightly cooked piece of shipwreck.

“It has the same spirit as the food from my childhood, but with a cleaner, more focused expression,” he says.

One of Brincat’s dishes at Noni.

Noni is popular with food-loving travelers, but locals are also happy to see traditional flavors on the menu. On the smaller neighboring island of Gozo, George Larry Zammit, chef-owner of the popular Maldonado restaurant, combines both innovation and nostalgia with his seasonally updated menu.

“Our eating habits have changed over the years, but people remember the smell and taste of their grandmother’s food,” says Zammit. Its menu always includes a few local favorites: balbuljata: Italian scrambled eggs sofrito We mix the tomato, pepper, onion and garlic.

Like its architecture, Malta’s food reflects its turbulent history; This island country has been ruled by everyone, from the Romans to the Arabs, from the Normans to the British, and they have all left a culinary legacy.

Because the Maltese language blends Arabic with Sicilian influences, trying to translate the names of some dishes can be difficult for English speakers. A simple rule: If you come across a dish you don’t know on a menu, ask; this is probably a local favorite.

A culinary workshop at Maldonado, one of Malta’s hottest new restaurants.

This strategy was how I made my first attempt slanderMore snacks consisting of a bread roll stuffed with tuna, tomatoes, capers, olives and onions.

“Everybody loves flavor,” says Charles Bugeja, who hosts cooking classes specializing in dishes. slander And balbuljata At the Ta’ Xmun olive farm, located halfway between the cities of Mdina and Valletta. “You can have it for breakfast, you can have it for lunch; it always works.”

DETAIL

FLY
Airlines offering connections from Australia include: emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways And Turkish Airlines. You can also fly to Malta from hubs in Europe.

TO STAY
Perfectly located just outside Valletta city gate, Phenicia blends a rich history with contemporary cool and exceptional service; price starts at €350 ($595). To see phoeniciamalta.com

Gozo’s elegant Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, built with local limestone, offers a free shuttle to the island’s capital, Victoria, and popular Ramla Beach for €160 ($270). To see kempinski.com