![Valletta, Malta](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/Destinations/Europe/Malta/kingsway-malta-nightlife-guide.jpg?imwidth=680)
The best bars and nightlife in Malta
From rooftop cocktail terraces to the island's oldest wine bar, here's where to sit back, relax and enjoy a drink
![Valletta, Malta](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/Destinations/Europe/Malta/kingsway-malta-nightlife-guide.jpg?imwidth=680)
Long the preserve of Paceville, Malta’s not so salubrious party-town, the nation’s nightlife has recently taken a significant turn for the better with the revival of Valletta’s nightlife. Once silent after 9pm, the capital is now home to a burgeoning bar scene offering everything from smart to arty, classic to street jazz. Most establishments are small inside but music and people spill merrily out into Malta’s balmy nights.
Read on for our bar recommendations in Malta. See also our guides devoted to spending a weekend in Valletta, Malta's top hotels, what to see and do around the island, the best things to do for free, the finest restaurants and the most beautiful beaches and swimming spots.
Find a bar by area
Valletta
Tico Tico
This tiny, quirky little bar spills out onto a stretch of the narrow pedestrian alley outside. It’s a smartened up no-longer-seedy reincarnation of the Tico Tico that once served the sailors of the Royal Navy here on Valletta’s Strait Street, nicknamed The Gut. The interior is decorated with photos of said sailors, film posters and a model gallerija (typical Maltese wooden balcony). Grab a Kinnie (Maltese soft drink) or a cocktail, and head outside to relax and watch the trendy new Strait Street clientele go by.
Contact: facebook.com/ticoticomalta
Prices: ££
Getting in: Get here early if you want the best seats, otherwise just arrive
![Tico Tico, Malta](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/Destinations/Europe/Malta/tico-tico-malta-nightlife-guide.jpg?imwidth=350)
Café Society
A cosy little bohemian bar with a snug at one end, and the laze-across limestone steps of St John’s Street outside, Café Society is ideal both for a quick swig or a whole chilled-out evening. Plenty of choice at the copper-topped bar includes a changing list of interesting cocktails (a twist on the usual recipes). Music is relaxed – loud enough but not too loud – and appropriately mixed for a clientele of local creatives and a handful of tourists, of all ages.
Contact: Facebook page
Prices: ££
Getting in: Turn up and join the laid back throng
![Café Society, Malta](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/Destinations/Europe/Malta/cafe-society-malata-nightlife-guide.jpg?imwidth=350)
The Bridge
A fairly ordinary pub for most of the week, The Bridge comes into its own on Friday nights when jazz bands play live on the little bridge outside. Pop inside for a beer or an inexpensive cocktail then take your place on the steps to chill out and chat, sip and snack, and listen to some excellent music. Everyone is welcome and it sometimes seems half of Valletta is here, soaking up the remains of the sun radiating from the creamy limestone and drifting gently towards the weekend.
Contact: Facebook page
Prices: £
Getting in: Open to all if you can find a spot on the steps
![The Bridge, Malta](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/Destinations/Europe/Malta/bridge-bar2-valletta-malta-nightlife-guide.jpg?imwidth=350)
Kingsway
Sip an Aperol spritz or a Singapore Sling at little circular tables on Republic Street (formerly called Kingsway), while watching the world go by on Valletta’s main drag. Or find a quieter corner in the small smart mirrored interior. Café by day, bar by night, Kingsway is beloved of locals and visitors alike. A favourite place for a pre-dinner drink among Valletta’s movers and shakers, it’s convenient for tourists too – right in the heart of the city, a stone’s throw from the Grand Master’s Palace.
Contact: kingswayvalletta.com
Prices: ££
Getting in: To be sure of a table, especially at weekends, call and book, otherwise take your chances
![Kingsway, Malta](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/Destinations/Europe/Malta/kingsway-bartender-malta-nightlife.jpg?imwidth=350)
Trabuxu Wine Bar
Malta’s very first wine bar, Trabuxu, still ranks among the best. In a traditional 400-year-old limestone cellar hung with musical instruments and a changing display of contemporary art (for sale), the wine list offers more than 300 Maltese and international options, many by the glass as well as the bottle. Still run by owner Kris, who opened it almost two decades ago, there is plenty of knowledge behind the bar. He serves a selection of cold meats, cheeses and oysters too, or after a couple of glasses here, pop round the corner to the family’s Trabuxu Bistro for a full meal.
Contact: trabuxu.com.mt
Prices: ££
Getting in: Reserve a table or (certainly at weekends) expect to stand at the bar or out on Strait Street
![Trabuxu Wine Bar, Malta](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/Destinations/Europe/Malta/trabuxu-malta-nightlife-guide.jpg?imwidth=350)
StrEat Whisky Bar
A list of around 200 different whiskies is this bar's USP, but there are plenty of other options too. One of the early openings on the newly revitalised Strait Street (once Valletta’s red light district), it reopened late 2023 with a smarter look (and more whiskies!). Still relaxed, friendly, and completely casual with simple cellar décor, it is ideal for post- as well as pre-dinner drinks. The attached StrEat restaurant serves fairly ordinary burgers and pasta.
Contact: Facebook page
Price: £
Getting in: Book a table or roll up and stand at the bar or out on (pedestrian) Strait Street
![StrEat Whisky Bar, Malta](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/Destinations/Europe/Malta/streat-malta-nightlife-guide.jpg?imwidth=350)
St Julian's Paceville
Hugo’s Terrace
Right by the beach at St George's Bay in the heart of Malta's party town of Paceville, this club – complete with roof terrace – looks straight out over the sea. With a relaxed beach club vibe, it plays chilled music from the Eighties onwards – the music (and clientele) getting louder as the night wears on. This is the place for a relaxed (but not necessarily quiet) drink, a bite and a dance surrounded by sand, sea and stars. Hugo’s serves drinks, including plenty of cocktails, and food throughout the afternoon and far into the night.
Contact: hugosterrace.com
Prices: ££
Getting in: If you want a table (especially at a weekend) you’d better book, otherwise just turn up
![Hugo’s Terrace, Malta](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/Travel/Destinations/Europe/Malta/hugo%27s-roof-terrace-malta-nightlife-guide.jpg?imwidth=350)
Mdina
Fontanella
A Malta classic, Fontanella sits high on the bastion walls of historic Mdina – the nation’s first capital. It is primarily a café (with cakes that are famous across the nation), but in the evening you can sit up here with a glass of wine and a savoury snack and watch the sun go down over a Maltese panorama, or enjoy the twinkling of the island’s lights below and the stars above. It is open until 11.30pm – when the atmospheric limestone alleys of Mdina really do live up to the nickname, 'the silent city'.
Contact: fontanellateagarden.com.mt
Prices: ££
Getting in: Walk in
Mellieha
Sea View Cafe-Bar
Hidden away behind the church, next to the cemetery, this tiny shack café/bar perches like an eagle's nest on top of the cliff on the edge of Mellieha village. Imbibe, along with your beer, spectacular views over the Mediterranean and sweeping Mellieha Bay spread far beneath you. There is plenty of space outside and a few seats within the clean little wooden hut that is the heart of this 'secret' drinking spot. It’s only open until 8pm so this is a place for an early aperitif.
Contact: Facebook page
Prices: £
Getting in: Find it and you’re welcome
How we choose
Every bar, venue or experience in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets and styles, from casual pubs to exquisite cocktail bars – to best suit every type of traveller – and consider the service, drinks, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest openings and provide up to date recommendations.
-
Stay at the home of one of Malta’s most important noble families in a 16th-century Valletta palaz... Read expert review
-
Malta’s iconic Art Deco hotel, the Phoenicia, is perfectly located beside the main gates of the n... Read expert review
-
This adults-only b&b in a traditional Gozitan village has eclectic rooms that feel more like suit... Read expert review