Three Years in Malta: My Favourite Coffee, Food & Pilates Spots
If you had told me a few years ago that Malta would become my home, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.
I’ve now been living here for around three years, but moving to Malta was never really part of some big life plan. I mainly ended up here because my partner is Maltese, and at the time, moving here simply made sense for us. That doesn’t mean I immediately fell in love with island life.
Actually, quite the opposite.
There have definitely been moments when I fought against living here a little bit. Malta is tiny, it can feel very busy, and coming from the Czech Republic — and having lived in places like Dubai before — it took me some time to adjust to the fact that you really are living on a very small island.
But somewhere along the way, I stopped trying to compare Malta to everywhere else and started building a life here that actually works for me for the time being here.
And I think I’ve managed to build a pretty good one.
Malta has given me opportunities I probably wouldn’t have had elsewhere at this stage of my life, including being able to invest in property in a way that made sense for me. I’ve found my routines, my favourite places, my work, my Pilates community and, slowly, the island started feeling much more like home.
Will I live here forever?
Who knows.
But for now, Malta is home — and after three years, I definitely have a list of places I keep going back to.
So instead of giving you another huge Malta guide with fifty things you absolutely “must” do, I thought I’d start with something much more closer to me:
where I actually go for a good coffee, food and Pilates.
Coffee & Brunch
As I mentioned in my first post, finding a good coffee shop is genuinely one of the first things I do wherever I go.
And being Czech, I think I’m slightly spoiled when it comes to café culture.
Malta has improved massively in this area over the last few years, but depending on which part of the island you’re staying in, finding genuinely good coffee can still require a little research.
These are some of my favourites including the link to google maps.
Little Chief — Marsaskala
If you’re staying in the south of Malta, save this one.
Little Chief is in Marsaskala and is probably one of my favourite finds in the south.
There are plenty of restaurants around this part of Malta, but when it comes to speciality coffee and the kind of café I would personally look for, the options are definitely more limited than around Sliema, Gżira or Valletta.
They do genuinely good coffee, and they also have really nice cakes, so it’s perfect for a coffee-and-something-sweet kind of afternoon.
It’s one of those places I’m always happy to recommend when someone tells me they’re staying in the south and doesn’t want to drive across the whole island just for a good coffee.
Emma’s Kitchen — San Ġwann
Emma’s Kitchen is probably one of my favourite all-round brunch places in Malta.
You can come just for coffee, but I would personally go hungry because the brunch is one of the main reasons to visit.
The space itself is also beautiful.
It’s colourful and very Instagram-friendly — yes, I know that’s not the most important thing when choosing where to eat, but we can appreciate good food and a pretty interior.
It’s the kind of place where I’m equally happy meeting a friend for brunch or sitting down with a coffee for a while.
If you like cute cafés, good brunch and places that actually make you want to stay for longer than twenty minutes, this one is definitely worth saving.
Going to Valletta? Save These
Valletta deserves its own food guide at some point because there are so many places squeezed into such a small city.
For now, though, these are a few of my regular recommendations.
TRiBE Valletta
A good choice if you want proper breakfast or brunch rather than only coffee is Tribe.
It’s very central, so it also works perfectly if you’re already spending the day walking around Valletta. Although I must say it is on the more expensive side.
Coffee Circus
Coffee Circus has several locations around Malta, so this is more of a general recommendation than one specific café.
If your priority is simply finding a good coffee, it’s one of those names worth remembering.
Whenever you see Coffee Circus while exploring Malta, you know you have a solid coffee option nearby.
Kir Royal Café
This one is tiny and very cute.
Kir Royal is on St Paul Street in Valletta and has much more of that little European café feeling that I naturally love.
It’s not somewhere you go for a huge brunch. It’s somewhere you stop for coffee, sit for a bit and enjoy being in Valletta.
The Bagel Hole
And if coffee isn’t enough and you actually need food, save The Bagel Hole too.
It’s a small bagel shop in Valletta serving New York-style bagels, and it’s an easy breakfast or lunch stop when you don’t want a full restaurant meal.
Drunken Dumpling
This one clearly doesn’t belong in the coffee category, but I’m including it anyway because I really like it.
If you’re in Valletta and want something completely different after several days of Mediterranean food, Drunken Dumpling is one of my favourite casual food stops.
As the name suggests: dumplings.
Sometimes that is all the explanation you need.
Loaf — Gżira
If you’re somewhere around Gżira or Sliema, Loaf is another really good option for coffee and something from the bakery.
I really like it, although I will say that it’s also on the more expensive side compared with some of the other cafés on this list.
Still, the quality is good, and it’s one of those places I’ll happily return to.
Sea View Cafe/Bar — Mellieħa
And finally, one for the north.
Sea View Cafe/Bar in Mellieħa is a little different from the speciality coffee spots above.
For me, this one is mainly about the location.
You have a beautiful view from up there, which makes it a really nice stop if you’re exploring the north of Malta or spending the day around Mellieħa.
Sometimes the coffee is only half the reason you choose the café.
The other half is the view.
Where I’d Do Pilates in Malta
The second thing I now find myself searching for whenever I travel is Pilates.
Since becoming a Reformer Pilates instructor, I’ve started looking at studios everywhere I go — partly because I want to train, and partly because I’m genuinely curious to see how different studios teach.
So if you’re coming to Malta and would like to fit a Reformer class into your holiday, these are the places I’d look at.
SOMA Studios — My First Choice
Okay, I’m slightly biased with this one.
SOMA Studios would definitely be my first recommendation — and it also happens to be the studio where I teach.
It’s one of Malta’s newer Pilates/Yoga studios and I really love the whole concept of the space.
The studio is modern, aesthetic and thoughtfully designed, but at the same time it still feels welcoming and personal, which for me is much more important than simply having a pretty studio.
If you’re visiting Malta and fancy breaking up the sightseeing, eating and beach days with a Reformer class, have a look at the SOMA schedule.
And who knows — if the timing works out, you might even end up in one of my classes.
In which case, please tell me you found me through this blog. That would genuinely make my day.
Inner Peace
If SOMA’s timetable doesn’t work with your plans, Inner Peace is another studio worth checking.
When you only have a few days in Malta, sometimes it’s less about finding the “perfect” studio and more about finding a good class at a time that actually works around your holiday.
So I’d definitely keep this one saved as another option.
Mío Studio — Gżira
Another alternative is Mío Studio in Gżira.
It’s also one of the newer wellness spaces and offers not just Pilates, so it’s particularly convenient if you’re staying around Gżira, Sliema or the surrounding area.
Again, if the SOMA schedule doesn’t fit your trip, I’d check both Mío and Inner Peace and simply see which class works best for your timings.
Malta Has Changed a Lot in Three Years for me
I think that’s probably the biggest difference between visiting somewhere and actually living there.
When you’re a tourist, you remember the beaches, Valletta, the boats and the places everyone tells you to visit.
When you live somewhere, your version of that place becomes much smaller and more personal.
It’s where you get your coffee. Where you meet your friends for brunch.
Which studio you go to after work. Which places you automatically recommend when someone messages you saying, “I’m coming to Malta, where should I go?”
It took me some time to find my version of Malta.
But after three years, I think I finally have.
And these are some of the places that have become part of it.
Sima x
Little note: Writing has never been my strongest skill, so I use AI to help me turn my thoughts into clearer, better-written articles. The stories, opinions, places and recommendations are always genuinely mine — AI just helps me put them into words.
