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Order Up! Here’s Why You Don’t Have To Leave Malta To Dive Into Global Cuisines

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Malta is the most densely populated country in the EU and one of the most densely populated countries in the world, with about 1,265 inhabitants per square kilometre. It’s no wonder we can tend to get a bit reserved when we’re literally walking on each other’s toes all the time.

A lot of the time, folks come over to Malta on holiday and end up falling in love with it so much that they wind up moving back shortly after. Can you blame them, though?

So, with so many cultures on our doorstep, there definitely is bound to be a whole melting pot of cuisines to be found around the island to correlate with the population concentration.

What we’ve done is taken a look at Malta’s 12 highest population rates of foreign nationals and picked one of our favourite spots on the island to find their kind of foods without having to fork out on a plane ticket.

1. Italy (2016 recorded population of 5,180)

Beati Paoli, Valletta

Beati Paoli is the name of a secretive sect thought to have operated throughout Sicilian medieval history.

One of those classic hole-in-the-wall restaurants with an intimate dining area that fits the kitchen in to it’s open plan as well, you’ll be sure to find anything authentically Italian you might be after here.

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2. United Kingdom (2016 recored population of 3,985)

Ocean Bar, Għadira

If there’s one thing a Brit will miss when away from home, it’s fish and chips. The classic Friday night supper, mush peas and all, is always a crowd pleaser and Ocean Bar in Għadira serve up some fierce battered fish plates.

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This place also has pub classics like a pie and chips or traditional roast dinner on their menu and your grandmother’s favourite: scampi.

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3. Libya (2017 recorded population of 3,622)

Ali Baba, Gżira

Not exactly a Libyan-themed restaurant but frequented by almost anyone with ties to the country for its homely feel, Arabic influence and Middle Eastern cuisine.

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4. Serbia (2017 recorded population of 2,757)

Familija, Buġibba

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Guaranteed to give any Balkan in Malta a hard case of homesickness, if there’s one thing that Serbs do well, it’s their meat. And at Famillija, they kick it up a notch in their own authentic Srpski way.

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5. Phillippines (2017 recorded population of 2,407)

Pinoy Street Food, Marsaskala & Valletta

Street food is a staple of Filipino cuisine. That and the idea of communities coming together to share the experience of a meal together.

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Pinoy absolutely nail both of those ideas with their finger foods and buffet nights. Shoutout to the Lomi (a Filipino twist on Japanese ramen, essentially) for being a real slurper.

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6. Bulgaria (2016 recorded population of 2,044)

The Brothers, Buġibba

Another Balkan region, another top spot in Buġibba. Bulgarian cuisine borrows influences from early Grecian diets so if you like feta you’ll love The Brothers.

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Supersized, cheesed up and totally making us hungry.

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7. Russian (2017 recorded population of 2,027)

D’Amici Karaoke Bar, Paceville

A surprising entry on this list, because it literally is one of those bars you see a sign for karaoke advertised outside, head down the stairs and being to wonder if you’re about to enter an old mafia house.

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Then you get through the door and realise you should never judge a book by it’s cover because they are happy to cater your out-of-the-shower singing with some Ruskov classic party foods.

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8. Somalia (2017 recorded population of 1,845)

Emmanuel African Food, Ħamrun

Again, not a strictly Somalian-themed menu at this joint but that’s only because East African cuisine is one big delicious umbrella of awesome. Emmanuel’s use a perfect amount of herbs and spices that awaken every one of your sense in every mouthful you take of their meals.

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Ever had a whole fried fish with banku? Banku is a doughy food made from fermented corn and yuca roots mixed into a paste and left to set and is the only thing that, as any African mother will tell you, “will help the meat stick to your bones”.

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And they’ve even gone local and replaced the tilapia with an qawrat.

9. Hungary (2016 recorded population of 1,308)

Margaret Island Bistro, Sliema

Stroganoff supremes, goulash galore and OH MY GOD braised lamb shanks.

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Margaret Island also acts as a super cute wine bar, too, but the food is legit the shit. Hungarians know how to nail satisfaction.

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10. Syria (2017 recorded population of 1,289)

Hassan Falafel & Fatayer, Gżira

Another one for the mark that doesn’t focus on one specific style of cuisine, and again that’s because the Arabic influence of Syria’s dishes make Hassan’s a pitstop for many Syrians in Malta.

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Falafel is rad at any time of the day, and Hassan’s is more of a snack stop than a restaurant but the fact still remains that their food is sure to satiate any rumbly tummy growls. And if you really can’t do without meat, go for a few kibbeh balls.

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11. Romania (2016 recorded population of 1,262)

The Riva Restaurant, Buġibba

Romanian food is more than sarmale and papanasi and the only way you’ll find out what the more is will be by checking out this place.

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Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of  several traditions with which the country’s culture has come into contact and yet it still upholds a rather unique character.

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12. Spain (2016 recorded population of 1,119)

La Vida, Sliema

If there’s one thing Spain does almost as well as Malta, it’s seafood.

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You’ll find anything here at La Vida from tapas to full-course meals all the way down to light nibbles to accompany your wine sips.

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Those are the 12 highest rated population concentrations of foreign nationals in Malta

While the data is only dependent on those who are registered as residents (naturalised and bought-in citizenships are discounted), the ratios aren’t that really varied.

But the amount of restaurants catering to specific local cuisines does simmer down as you move towards cultures who had influences from a broader span of external factors.

If you look at the locations of the restaurants, too, it does make sense.

Buġibba, Qawra and the St. Paul’s Bay area are well-known to have a high amount of Balkan residents, so it should come as no surprise that the majority of regional restaurants in the area cater for the needs of such people.

Dining experiences like tapas, of Spain, and even meze from Greece are typically associated with a higher class of any society – the notion of picking and choosing from a platter of many morsels – so it’s very obvious that places like Sliema would host their cuisines as well as their eating styles.

With a large Italian influence in Malta’s history it comes as no shock either that the capital city has a wide variety of Italian restaurants.

What’s your favourite cuisine that hasn’t landed in Malta yet? Let us know below!

READ NEXT: Maltese Junk Food The Rest Of The World Needs To Try… And Where You Can Get The Next Best Thing

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