As more and more restaurants pop up all over Malta, chefs are taking traditional recipes and standard dishes and injecting them with new leases of life. 

Restaurants all over Malta are getting more and more creative in their dishes, and some of them are just too crazy not to try.

If you love trying new dishes, then here are 8 dishes you just need to get your paws on.

1. Snails and bacon – Fat Louie’s

Ladies, take note – bebbux and bacon is a direct way to a Maltese man’s heart, via the oesophagus of course. Fat Louie’s has smartly removed each of these snails from their shells, so you can stuff your face without having to stop for a second.

Each chewy, savoury mouthful will transport you to umami heaven – if you are ok with eating gastropods, of course.

2. Rabbit burger – Charles Bar

Cooking rabbit in Malta has been undergoing a resurgence in popularity recently, with modern takes on rabbit popping up all over the place.

The newest take on rabbit is the Charles bar rabbit burger – but this isn’t just 2 buns with some rabbit in between.

This burger features no bread – those buns are made from rabbit meat, fennel, curry, ginger, garlic, and chorizo, with a hard-boiled egg placed in the middle for good measure. 

Not only that, but the burger features a sundried tomato pesto, as well as mashed peas, to really drive home the Maltese rabbit flavour.

3. Foie gras crème brûlée – Umami

This one is for the more posh among us.

You’ve probably tried foie gras if you are a little bit serious about your food. But you’ve probably never tried foie gras in the form of a crème brûlée – that’s just cray.

Accompanied by forest fruit and pickled beets, this is a dish that is going to do laps around your peasant tastebuds.

4. Lampuki buttermilk nuggets – Fat Louie’s

Another entry by Fat Louie’s, and another fresh take on a traditional Maltese flavour – lampuki, nuggetified.

Take some fresh lampuki, cut it into rough chunks, and batter and deep fry – simple, yet so effective.

5. Jar’s desserts – Jar

As tasty as they look, these desserts are both scandalous and satisfying. More than just perfect for photos, these jars are jam packed with some of the most gluttonous combinations you can dream of.

6. Sunday roast burger – Hugos Burgers

Combining the glory of a traditional Sunday roast with the ease of a burger, Hugo’s burger has combined two very meaty flavours into one tasty Sunday sandwich. Make sure to get some gravy as a side. 

7. Wild boar sloppy Joe – Fredy’s Diner

Sloppy Joe’s are great – a pile of saucy, sloppy minced meat thrown into a burger bun with cheeses, condiments, and whatever else you feel like throwing on. 

But the guys at Fredy’s Diner have taken the madness to another level, and replaced the beef with wild boar, and replace the cheese with fried mac and cheese. Talk about getting wild.

8. Double lobster on a massive steak – The Trees

This restaurant is dedicated to going big or going home, and not much says “big” better than two lobsters atop a massive slab of steak. This place is more than a restaurant: it’s a personal challenge.

9. Octopus burger – Bean & Loaf

In case the lampuki nuggets weren’t enough, the octopus burger over at Bean & Loaf should do the trick. Combining the tentacles of an octopus with, well, a burger – as well as frijarelli and tzatziki salsa – this tangy treat is definitely one for the books.

Which of these dishes do you want to try first? Tag a friend in the comments below!

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Johnathan Cilia

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]