Malta's best bars start with its cocktail bars, around Strait Street and the steps off St Paul's Street in Valletta and up through Sliema and St Julian's. This guide covers 41 bars across the islands: cocktail bars first, then proper pubs, candlelit wine cellars and beach clubs, from Malta's first speakeasy behind a phone box to a bar in a cave, with our top picks, a map and walking routes.
Last checked 14 November 2026. No bar paid to be included.
If you only have one night, start here.
Neon, jazz and cushions on the Valletta steps.
VallettaCocktails inspired by famous works of art.
VallettaMalta's first speakeasy, behind a phone box.
St Julian's and PacevilleMichelin-listed Japanese bar in a Strait Street basement.
VallettaGin and tapas on Strait Street.
Valletta360-degree views twenty floors up.
St Julian's and PacevilleFriday jazz over the Grand Harbour.
VallettaTequila and mezcal on Tower Road.
SliemaMore than 140 whiskies in a Strait Street cellar.
VallettaTwo Gozo roof terraces facing the Citadella.
The north and GozoTap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Malta's walled capital packs most of its best bars into a few streets: the limestone steps off St Paul's Street, Old Bakery Street and Strait Street, once the island's sailors' quarter and now its bar street.
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Cocktail bar
A small neon-lit bar on the corner of St Paul's Street, where people sit out on cushions on the limestone steps. It is known for regular live jazz, sunset seats outside and house drinks such as the Cafe Society Spritz and the Mediterranean Mule.
📍 13 St John's Street, Valletta
Cocktail bar
An art-filled bar run by Bulgarian owner and mixologist Iliyan Iliev, himself an artist. Alongside classic and tiki drinks there is a menu of house specials based on famous works of art, plus signatures like the KAMY Old Fashioned and regular live music.
📍 60 Old Bakery Street, Valletta VLT 1454
🕒 Mon to Sat 5pm to 1am; Sun 5pm to 1.30am (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Japanese restaurant and lounge bar
Listed in the Michelin Guide Malta
A sleek basement Japanese restaurant on the corner of Strait Street and Santa Lucia Street, listed in the Michelin Guide, with a cocktail bar along one side of the room. Try the Sumotori: Japanese whisky, umeshu and vermouth, smoked with green tea.
📍 175 Strait Street, Valletta VLT 1455
🕒 Daily noon to 1am (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Gin and tapas bar
A gin and tapas bar on Strait Street, Valletta's old nightlife lane. Staff know their gins and the menu runs to drinks like the Valletta Mule and the Malta Spritz, with tapas to share and live music some nights.
📍 132 Strait Street, Valletta
Bar
One of Valletta's best-loved bars, with views over the Grand Harbour and live jazz on most Friday nights, when people spill out onto the steps. Get there before 8pm for a seat for the jazz.
📍 St Ursula Street, Valletta
Whisky and cocktail bar
An underground, cellar-like bar on Strait Street with more than 140 whiskies, one of the biggest selections on the island, plus cocktails and bistro food. An acoustic duo plays on Fridays. It is small, so it can feel snug when busy.
📍 Strait Street, Valletta
Mezcal and taco bar
Right next door to KAMY and run by the same owners, this Mexican bar pairs mezcal and tequila drinks with tacos and small plates to snack on between rounds.
📍 Old Bakery Street, Valletta
Cocktail and craft beer bar
A relaxed bar on Old Bakery Street with open taps for craft beer and a cocktail list known for its smoked margarita, a spicy margarita and a well made Cosmopolitan.
📍 67 Old Bakery Street, Valletta
🕒 Mon and Tue 5pm to 11pm; Wed noon to 11pm; Thu and Fri noon to midnight; Sat noon to 1am; Sun noon to midnight (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Café and cocktail bar
Belle époque decor inside and tables outside on busy Republic Street. Sit out with a cocktail and bar bites and watch the city go by.
📍 Republic Street, Valletta
Hotel terrace bar
The terrace bar at The Phoenicia hotel, just outside the city gate in Floriana, looks out over the Grand Harbour. Cocktails cost about €12 to €16. Book ahead in the evening and ask for a front-row seat.
📍 The Phoenicia Malta, The Mall, Floriana
Pub
A small, traditional Valletta pub on Archbishop Street, best known as the place where the actor Oliver Reed had his last drink. It has become a post-theatre hangout, where small theatre companies have even staged Shakespeare.
📍 Archbishop Street, Valletta
Wine bar
Malta's first wine bar, open since 2002 in a 400-year-old cellar on Strait Street. More than 200 wines, with cheese and charcuterie boards and Mediterranean small plates.
📍 Strait Street, Valletta
Across the Grand Harbour from Valletta, the old fortified towns of Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua.
Wine bar
A candlelit wine bar in a medieval cellar within a historic palace in Birgu, across the Grand Harbour from Valletta. One of Malta's most romantic wine bars.
📍 Birgu
Across the harbour from Valletta, Sliema's bars line the Strand and Tower Road, with views back to the capital and a short ferry hop between the two.
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Tequila and mezcal bar
A tequila and mezcal bar on Tower Road. Order the La Luz Margarita or the Mezcalito and check for live music nights.
📍 139 Tower Road, Sliema
Bar and grill
A bar and grill on the Strand looking across to Valletta, with signature drinks such as the Black Sheep Old Fashioned and the Malta Mule, food from the grill and live music.
📍 72 The Strand, Sliema
Gastro bar
A fusion gastro bar on the Tigné seafront with cocktails all week and an Asian-inspired brunch at weekends from 11am to 2pm, with a bottomless Prosecco option.
📍 33 Tigné Seafront, Sliema
🕒 Mon to Thu 5pm to 11pm; Fri midnight to 11pm; Sat and Sun 11am to 11pm (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Rooftop cocktail bar and grill
A cocktail bar and grill on the 14th floor of the Preluna Hotel, with wide views over the sea. It is at its best at golden hour. Book at weekends.
📍 Preluna Hotel, 124 Tower Road, Sliema
Pub
The latest version of Sliema's oldest pub, all indie rock and craft beer, with posters of legendary gigs on the walls and live music.
📍 Sliema
Pub
Often called one of the best bars in Malta, with dark green walls, lots of plants and its own annual music festivals.
📍 115 Depiro Street, Sliema
Pub
A warm, buzzing British-style pub at AX The Victoria Hotel, serving pub food and traditional Maltese dishes.
📍 AX The Victoria Hotel, Sliema
Beach club
A seafront beach club at Tigné Point with what many call the best view in Malta's beach club scene: straight across the water to Valletta.
📍 Tigné Seafront, Sliema
Malta's nightlife hub, from Spinola Bay and Portomaso Marina up to Paceville and St George's Bay, with the island's speakeasies, hotel bars and sky bars.
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Speakeasy
Fodor's Choice
Malta's first speakeasy. You walk in through a British phone box into a 1920s barbershop, with Prohibition-era cocktails at about €8 to €12, live music and a smart casual dress code. A Fodor's Choice pick.
📍 Ball Street, Paceville, St Julian's
Rooftop bar
On the 20th floor of the ME Malta hotel beside Mercury Tower, with 360-degree views, DJs and Japanese sharing plates. The short cocktail list includes the Byakuren, made with sake, triple sec, lychee and jasmine. Go from golden hour into the night.
📍 ME Malta, Mercury, St George's Street, St Julian's
🕒 Daily 6pm to midnight (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Speakeasy
The hidden speakeasy inside the Mercury development in Paceville. Finding the entrance is part of the fun and the menu is all adventurous, theatrical cocktails.
📍 Mercury, St George's Street, Paceville, St Julian's
🕒 Daily 7pm to 2am (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Gin bar
A gin specialist near Spinola Bay with a long gin cocktail list and staff happy to recommend. Ask for a gin flight to try several side by side.
📍 Spinola, St Julian's
Cocktail and cigar lounge
A lounge and cigar bar down at Portomaso Marina with a menu of classic and new cocktails made with premium spirits and live jazz many nights.
📍 Portomaso Marina, Level -3, St Julian's
Hotel cocktail bar
A classy cocktail bar at the Hilton Malta overlooking Portomaso Marina. Signatures include a Singapore Sling and a Thai Tea Mojito. The bartenders will make a drink to your taste.
📍 Hilton Malta, Portomaso, St Julian's
Sky bar and club
On the 22nd floor of the Portomaso Business Tower, with views over St Julian's and the sea. Go after 10pm at the weekend, when it turns into a club. Order a Martini.
📍 Portomaso Business Tower, Level 22, St Julian's
Rooftop bar
Opposite St George's Bay, with two bars, VIP sofas, a dance floor and DJs, open from noon to 2am every day. Busy most nights and packed at weekends. Smart casual dress.
📍 St George's Bay, St Julian's
Music bar
A reggae bar with frequent live music, a terrace with sea views in the evening and drinks like the Reggae Rum and the Island Mule, at some of the friendliest prices in St Julian's.
📍 7 St Joseph Street, St Julian's
Rooftop pool and lounge
On the 19th floor of the InterContinental Malta: an infinity pool by day that turns into a lounge at sunset, with grill dishes, cocktails and wine. Open from mid-April to the end of October.
📍 InterContinental Malta, St George's Bay, St Julian's
Lido
The sea access lido at the Westin Dragonara in St Julian's, a long-standing favourite for a polished day by the water.
📍 Westin Dragonara Resort, Triq id-Dragunara, St Julian's
Buġibba, St Paul's Bay and Mellieħa in the north of Malta, plus Gozo, for an English-style pub and some of the islands' most memorable settings.
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Rooftop bar
Up several flights of stairs in Victoria, Gozo, with two roof terraces: one looks over St George's Basilica, the other over the Citadella. Sharing dishes and cocktails.
📍 Circolo Gozitano, 6 Triq Sir Adrian Dingli, Victoria, Gozo
Bar in a cave
A bar set inside a cave in Mellieħa, with views over Mellieħa Bay lit up at night and inventive cocktails. Good value outside the peak season.
📍 Adenau Street, Mellieħa
Whisky and cigar lounge
Gozo's only dedicated whisky and cigar lounge, hidden in the old alleyways of Victoria. A good spot for a nightcap.
📍 Victoria, Gozo
Harbour bar
A bar dating back to the time of the Knights, above Mġarr Harbour, where people watch the ferries come and go at sunset. Known for the best Aperol Spritz on Gozo.
📍 Mġarr Harbour, Gozo
Beach club
Malta's most famous and biggest beach club, a large infinity pool looking over St Paul's Bay, with DJs and a celebrated sunset. Open from April to October; summer pool parties sell out, so book ahead.
📍 Triq it-Trunciera, St Paul's Bay
Beach club
The beach club that sits on the sand rather than on rocks, in the natural bay of Għajn Tuffieħa on the west coast.
📍 Għajn Tuffieħa, Mġarr
🕒 Daily 9am to 9pm (OpenStreetMap; check before you go)
Wine bar
A Tuscan wine bar in a quiet corner of Victoria, Gozo, opened in early 2025 and named after a day of wine tasting in Montepulciano, with Italian food and well-priced dishes.
📍 Triq Dun Karl Bondi, Victoria, Gozo
Wine bar
A casual wine bar on St George's Square in Victoria, Gozo, with tables looking at St George's Basilica. A good place for a sundowner and a glass of local wine.
📍 St George's Square, Victoria, Gozo
Pub
An English-style pub in Buġibba serving traditional pub grub such as fish and chips all day, plenty of draught beer and outdoor tables.
📍 Bay Square, Buġibba
Three routes in walking order, with the time between each bar. Valletta and Sliema are linked by a short ferry across Marsamxett Harbour. See them all on a map.
7 bars · about 14 minutes on foot in total
4 bars · about 53 minutes on foot in total
6 bars · about 16 minutes on foot in total
Start with Cafe Society and KAMY Cocktail Bar, then The Thirsty Barber. Our top 10 above covers the rest.
Valletta for character, with Strait Street and the steps off St Paul's Street. St Julian's for late nights, rooftops and hotel bars.
Valletta is the better pick for cocktails and a quieter, grown-up night. St Julian's and Paceville are louder and go on later.
Yes. The Thirsty Barber in St Julian's was Malta's first, entered through a British phone box. Kuch Kuch at Mercury is another.
Radio Rooftop and TwentyTwo in St Julian's, The Skyroom in Sliema and the terraces over the Grand Harbour in Valletta.
In our sources, most cocktails cost about €8 to €16, with hotel rooftops at the top end.
Yes, a handful. Bell & Bastion in Victoria has two roof terraces, Nomad Lounge is a whisky and cigar bar and Gleneagles looks over Mġarr Harbour.
The Sliema ferry crosses Marsamxett Harbour in a few minutes, which is quicker than the road.
Yes. Malta Cocktail Week is coming soon. Sign up on our Malta page to hear first.
The Pub in Valletta (where Oliver Reed had his last drink), Hole in the Wall and Simon's Pub in Sliema, plus Fat Harry's in Buġibba.
Manta at Tigné Point in Sliema looks straight across the water to Valletta. Café del Mar in St Paul's Bay (open April to October) is the biggest. Singita at Għajn Tuffieħa sits on the sand.
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run Cocktail Week, the ten-day cocktail festival held town by town across the UK and Ireland. Since 2022 we have taken it to more than 20 towns and cities and worked with hundreds of bars. Malta is next. We put this guide together from our own research and trusted local guides, ahead of bringing Cocktail Week to Malta.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Cocktail Week in Malta
Run a bar in Malta that should be here? Get in touch at hello@cocktail-week.com and tell us about it.
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