Where to Eat in Gżira: A Seafront Local's Guide

Gżira is the seafront town that gets skipped in the guidebooks — wedged between Sliema's shopping and Ta' Xbiex's yachts, facing Manoel Island across a strip of glittering water. Locals know better: the strand has quietly become one of the island's best eating streets, dense with kitchens of every kind, minus the tourist-trap pricing of the flashier towns. Here is how to eat your way through it.

Start on the water

The Gżira promenade is the town's front porch — a flat, easy walk with Manoel Island and its old fort across the water, and Valletta's skyline in the distance. Do the loop toward the Sliema ferries with a coffee in hand, and arrive anywhere for lunch having technically earned it.

The long lunch or the fast one

This is where we declare our interest: Saigon's flagship sits at 305, Triq d'Argens, a couple of streets in from the water, and it is built for both speeds. In a hurry — bao buns and a rice bowl. Settling in — gyoza, ramen, signature mains and a menu that crosses Asia without a connecting flight. Open every day from 10:00.

The golden hours

From 3pm to 6pm, every day, our happy hour runs 2-for-1 on every cocktail on the list — which makes Gżira a legitimate rival to Sliema for after-work drinks, at roughly the walking distance of a song. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, the morning version of this argument is bottomless Prosecco brunch.

Why Gżira beats the obvious choices

Parking exists (by Maltese standards), the seafront is calmer than Sliema's, and the kitchens cook for locals who come back weekly — the strongest quality-control system ever devised. Whether you make a whole day of the town or just cross the water for dinner, Gżira rewards the detour. We will keep the steamer on.