Grain Street, Valletta: Malta’s Newest Bib Gourmand Restaurant

"Hidden away in Valletta’s old merchant’s district, this smart, brightly decorated ground-floor restaurant earned a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand in 2022 and shares chef Victor Borg with MICHELIN-Starred Under Grain. Reimagined from the former street-level entrance to the cellar restaurant, it now benefits from the pedestrianisation of Merchant’s Street, which allowed for a smart new pavement terrace. The menu is highly flexible—order as many or as few dishes as you like, to share or not—with generous yet refined cooking that leans Mediterranean with welcome hints of originality and delivers excellent value. Snacks might be pigs in a blanket (sausage rolls) or fish croquettes, with charcuterie alongside; mains focus on locally caught fish, with pastas and plenty for carnivores, like milk-fed veal ‘Milanese’ or an assiette of local rabbit. Desserts have an old-school appeal—think trifle, chocolate brownie and frangipane—and a seasonally updated list of just over 20 wines, all available by the glass, keeps prices eminently reasonable. Attentive, friendly staff are proud of what they offer and happy to share their knowledge." - The MICHELIN Guide UK Editorial Team