Most Malta guides are written by people who came for four days. This one isn’t.
Miki moved here from Prilep, Macedonia, on a job offer he accepted without thinking about it too hard, and he’s been on the island over a decade. He runs Alpha Hair & Beauty in Birkirkara with Zsuzsanna Lovasz-Nagy, which means he spends his days listening to people talk — a decent qualification for knowing where locals actually go.
His Malta divides down the middle of the year, and once he said it, it was obvious. Summer is the sea: the boat, the quieter bays, the ones that take a walk to reach and have no kiosk when you get there. Winter is the table — long dinners, woodland walks, and nights that move from one bar to the next instead of settling in one.
Twelve places follow, across Malta, Gozo and Comino, in his words. One needs a boat. One needs you to check the hunting calendar before setting off. Two of the restaurants close on days you’d expect them to be open. We’ve checked all of it.
A Local’s Malta, in His Own Words
My favorite Malta depends a lot on the season. Summer for me is the sea, the boat and finding quieter bays. Winter is more about restaurants, walks, picnics and nights out with friends.
Summer: the sea
Crystal Lagoon, Comino. This summer I’ve been spending much more time on the boat, so Crystal Lagoon has definitely become one of my favorite spots. Beautiful clear water and perfect for a summer boat day.
Mġiebaħ Bay, Selmun. When I want a beach that’s quieter and not too busy, I love Mġiebaħ. It requires a bit of walking to get there, which I actually like — it feels more peaceful and away from everything.
Ta’ Ċenċ and Il-Kantra, Gozo. I really fell in love with this area last summer. Gozo already has a different, slower feeling, and this is one of those places where I can really switch off and enjoy the surroundings.
Winter: walks and long dinners
Miżieb and Buskett. More for winter — I love going for walks or picnics there when the weather is nice. Although if the weather allows, you’ll probably still find me somewhere close to the sea.
Al Sale, Gozo. Probably my favorite restaurant. I visit it more during winter, and it’s one of those places I always enjoy going back to whenever I’m in Gozo.
Madliena Lodge. One of my favorite restaurants in Malta. I like the atmosphere, the setting, and it’s somewhere I enjoy going when I want a proper dinner out.
Gourmet Bar & Grill. This is where I go when I’m craving something traditional and Macedonian. Sometimes you just need food that reminds you of home.
NOVI Burger. When I’m craving a burger, this is my place. For me, one of the best burgers in Malta.
Pasta & Co., Ta’ Xbiex. My go-to when I’m craving pasta. Simple — if I want pasta, this is usually where I want to go.
Nights out in Malta
Oh, Honey! Social Club, St Julian’s. One of my favorite places lately. I’m also waiting for the new Naxxar location to open — finally something closer to me.
POPP Social Club, Sliema. Another favorite lately. Nice atmosphere, good for meeting friends and having a drink.
Valletta, for drinks. I don’t really have one favorite bar in Valletta, because it depends on the company and the mood. Lately, with friends, I actually prefer starting somewhere and then moving from one bar to another. It makes the night more spontaneous.
More of our Malta, if you’re staying a while
Casa Bonavita is where to stay if you want the quiet version of the island. Radio Rooftop is the bar that opened twenty floors above Paceville and changed what the St Julian’s skyline looks like at night. And our piece on sharing apartments with strangers is about the groups of young travelers who fill the flats around Sliema and Gżira every summer — the ones you’ll have walked past on the way to Alpha.
Malta in Summer and Winter: Beaches, Walks, Restaurants and Nights Out
Twelve places across Malta, Gozo and Comino: quiet beaches and a boat-access lagoon for summer, woodland walks and restaurants for winter, and the bars worth a night out in St Julian’s, Sliema and Valletta. Addresses, opening days and access notes for each.
Summer — the sea
Crystal Lagoon
Miki’s Pick · CominoWest coast of Comino · boat access only · no shoreline entry, no facilities
The quieter side of the same small island as the Blue Lagoon: deep water in a bowl of high limestone cliffs, threaded with sea caves. No sand and no kiosk, which is why the crowds stay where they are. Suits confident swimmers and anyone arriving by boat.
Mġiebaħ Bay
Selmun · Quiet BeachImġiebaħ Bay, near Selmun, Mellieħa · rough track down · no facilities
A half-hidden bay on the northeast coast, reached on foot from Selmun or the Mellieħa boathouses. Sand, rock, clear water, good snorkeling, nothing else. The walk in is what keeps it empty.
Ta’ Ċenċ & Il-Kantra
Sannat, Gozo · CliffsTa’ Ċenċ, Sannat, Gozo · open access, free · about 20 minutes’ walk from the road
Gozo’s southern cliff edge, dropping straight into open sea, with a flat clifftop walk out to the drop and one of the island’s best sunset spots. Il-Kantra below is the swimming end of the same stretch.
Winter — walks and long dinners
Miżieb & Buskett
Mellieħa & Rabat · WoodlandMiżieb Woodland Public Reserve, near Mellieħa · Buskett Woodlands, below Verdala Palace, Rabat
Malta’s two proper stands of trees, and the cold-weather answer to the beach. Buskett is greener and laid out for picnics; Miżieb is rougher walking country in the north. Best after winter rain, when the island briefly turns green. Check access first — Miżieb has hunting-season restrictions.
Al Sale
Xagħra, Gozo · Seafood32 Victory Square, Xagħra, Gozo · lunch and dinner, closed Thursdays · book ahead
A seafood kitchen on the village square, known for a tasting menu with Maltese wine pairings and salt-crust cooking. Tables spill onto the square in summer; in winter it is reason enough on its own to take the Gozo ferry.
Madliena Lodge
Madliena · Proper DinnerTriq il-Bir, Madliena · dinner only from 18:30, closed Sundays · booking essential
Up in the hills above Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, and the island’s standing choice when dinner is an occasion rather than a meal. Ask for the terrace when you book; there’s a fire-lit room for the months it’s closed.
Gourmet Bar & Grill
Buġibba · MacedonianTriq il-Ħġejjeġ, Buġibba, St Paul’s Bay · daily from 12:30
Balkan grill cooking, with Macedonian dishes alongside the grilled meats and slow-cooked soups. Generous, unfussy and priced accordingly.
NOVI Burger
Gżira · BurgersTriq ix-Xatt, Gżira · daily, 11:00–23:00
A narrow room on the Gżira waterfront doing smash burgers, loaded fries and a few tacos, with more vegetarian options than the format usually allows. Counter service and trays.
Pasta & Co.
Ta’ Xbiex · SicilianIx-Xatt, Ta’ Xbiex · daily, 11:30–22:30 · small room, book ahead
Fresh pasta made in-house in the Sicilian tradition, on the waterfront. A short menu of shapes and sauces, gluten-free options, and a pistachio cake that turns up in every account of the place.
Nights out
Oh, Honey! Social Club
St Julian’s · Day to NightTriq Ball, St Julian’s · daily from 08:00, later Tuesday to Saturday · reserve, it’s small
Starts as one of the better brunches in St Julian’s and carries on into the evening later in the week. Short menu, terrace when the weather allows, dogs welcome. A second location in Naxxar has been announced.
POPP Social Club
Sliema · Craft BeerPjazza Annunzjata, Sliema · daily from 10:00, later at weekends
A craft beer bar on a quiet Sliema square, with rotating taps, a DJ on the busier nights and food that goes beyond the usual bar list. Cheaper than its postcode suggests.
Valletta, for Drinks
Valletta · No Fixed AddressStrait Street and the lanes around it · evenings, busiest Thursday to Saturday
Valletta’s bars sit within a couple of minutes’ walk of each other, which makes the city better suited to moving than to settling.
Addresses and opening hours verified against each venue’s current listings. Al Sale closes Thursdays and Madliena Lodge closes Sundays; both need booking. Crystal Lagoon and Mġiebaħ have no facilities of any kind — bring water and shade. Access to Miżieb is restricted during the hunting season.
Getting to Malta
From the US, there is now a nonstop. Delta began flying JFK–Malta in June 2026 — the first-ever scheduled US service to the island — three times a week on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Westbound takes about 9 hours 15 minutes out, 10 and a half back. Before that, everyone connected through a European hub, and that’s still usually cheaper: Frankfurt, Madrid, Rome, Amsterdam and London all work, adding roughly two to five hours.
From Europe it’s straightforward. Malta International (MLA) sits about 20 minutes from Birkirkara by car. Ryanair and easyJet fly in from most of Western Europe, and KM Malta Airlines — the national carrier, rebranded from Air Malta in 2024 — connects the main capitals. Flying time is roughly two hours from Rome, three from Paris or Frankfurt, three and a half from London.
