Malta’s Snack Bar Saga: Central Edition 🥪
I don’t know about you, but if there is one thing I have learnt throughout lockdown it’s not to take things for granted. And you know what I think we all take for granted in Malta? Snack bars. 🥪
That’s right - the humble snack bar. Not quite a restaurant, not quite a bar. 🤔
Sitting slappbang in the middle of “I’m starving” and “I’m just eating for the sake of delicious food” is where you’ll chart whenever you walk past one. 🚶
I like to think of them as the hidden grottos of Malta’s food scene; they’re always there, full of surprises, you just need to look hard enough to find them. 🔎
But to save you the hassle, here’s a few central snack bars I love to grab a bite to eat from when I’m on the move:
In no particular order, from Siggiewi to Gzira and St Julian’s shores - these guys have ftiras and snacks and more! 🤩
Andrew’s Snack Bar, Birkirkara
A tuna ftira never goes amiss under the canopies of Birkirkara’s old stazzjon. But if you’re sitting in, you’ll still be able to enjoy the glorious wafting of fresh sandwiches being folded in the back of the kitchen. 🐟
Alfred’s Kiosk, Hamrun
If you’ve ever wanted to tell the world you took on a 12-inch sausage and won, head to Alfred’s. We’re not kidding - they have an XXL sausage roll available almost every day. 😏 These guys also have one of the best (in my opinion) lemon granitas going. 🍋
You’ll find them on WOLT if you’re too lazy to stretch those legs, but with the amount of good food you’ll find at Alfred’s you’ll want to get a bit of exercise in, somewhere along the line. 😅 Or just… grab a salad. 👀
Duke’s Snack Bar, Msida
You didn’t think we’d leave these guys off a list of snack bars, did you? 💪
Duke’s have been in the snack bar game for a hella long time and they’re here to stay, no matter what.
When the roof of their venue caved in they didn’t back down. They adapted - overcame - and thankfully still remain to fill our bellies with all the classic snack bar menu items we know and love. 🤤
Hunter’s Snack Bar, Zebbug (Malta)
Zebbug is a bullseye centrepoint of the Maltese islands and where I spent my first years living on the island, so I naturally became a regular at Hunter’s Snack Bar - and for good reason, too.
If it wasn’t for their marvellous creations on the sweet side of things, it was for their chicken. Hunter’s Snack Bar easily make the best chicken on the island - both roasted and fried. Fight me. 🍗🍗🍗
Tony’s Snack Bar, St Julian’s
Tony’s is the Mater Dei of hangovers. But they’re also the Jerusalem of every night out - at least for me, that is.
Need to decide on an easily-accessible spot to meet the gang before a night out and get a few drinks in for the evening? Tony’s. Need to soak up the night before and cleanse your insides? Tony’s. Tony’s? Tony’s. 😎
77 Snack Bar, Gzira
Located just behind the swimming pool on the border of Gzira and Kappara you’ll find 77 Snack Bar - a hotspot for athletes, foodies and very hungry folk. 🏊
From pizza to pasta to ftajjar and more, these snack bars are all some of the central island fellow’s favourite spots to grab a quick bite to eat. 🍲
But we just wanted to remind you that our food scene has been doing its best to still be here when the world opens up fully, again. These snack bars are the grassroots of our culinary sphere and we owe them a lot more than just a quick run-in for a bottle of Coke. 🥤
The next time you’re craving a bite to eat and find yourself near a snackbar, sit yourself down and bask in the comfort of your hosts. American diners sure are an experience, but nothing comes close to that of a Maltese Snack Bar. Gibuli birra, Cha’lie. 😘
Comments