When you think of Malta, what are the first ideas that pop into your head? You might think of summer. Malta is a very warm, island country with numerous beaches and boats to hire. You might also think of history. Malta was instrumental in WWII (as my mother told me at least twice before my trip) and boasts some of the oldest temples in the world. I bet you don’t think of all the places to find excellent craft beer in Malta.

Malta? Beer? Ehh??

Yup, it surprised me too. I had planned out three or four blog posts on my return from Malta and writing about beer in Malta wasn’t one of them. But as it turns out, Malta’s local craft beer scene is thriving. 

I’ve listed some of Malta’s local breweries below so you can look out for local beer and also some of the best bars for beer in Malta.

Just a note, the bars listed below are all concentrated around Valletta, Sliema and neighbouring towns.

The Best Craft Beer in Malta

The Breweries & the local beers

Lord Chambray Brewery, Mgarr Road, Xewkija, Gozo

Discovering that Lord Chambray beers existed was such a lovely surprise. It was like “oh, this small country also has a very popular, very cool brewery that is stocked by bars up and down the country, awesome!” I would compare it to Scotland’s Brewdog except they are a little smaller and don’t have their own bars in Malta.

They have six craft beers that are available all year round and many more seasonal, local beers. Unfortunately, you can’t visit the brewery as they don’t host tours but they have a virtual one on their website! I’ll get onto the best bars to find Lord Chambray beer in Malta when I get onto that section.

Check out Lord Chambray Brewery’s website to find out more.

Simonds Farsons Brewery, Triq L-Esportaturi, Birkirkara

This is definitely not a craft beer brewery, but it is still a Maltese brewery so I thought it was good to mention. Simonds Farson produces Cisk, which is essentially Malta’s most widely served lager. It’s nothing fancy, it’s just a very light smooth lager much like any other and can be found in many bars and restaurants across Malta.

Check out Simonds Farson Brewery’s website to find out more.

The Bars & Pubs

Good Thaimes, Triq il-Gzira

Aside from the awesome name, Good Thaimes is the place to go for a wide selection of craft beers from around the world. I finally got to try an Alhambra lager that the guests were drinking at the yoga retreat I worked at in Granada! And my tastebuds travelled back to Brussels through Delirium! Yuuuuum.

The bar’s name and TripAdvisor reviews would suggest it’s also a mecca for Thai food lovers, but I saw little evidence of that when we visited – maybe just because we visited Malta in the offseason (January) and on a Sunday.

The Pub, 136 Archbishop St, Valletta

Not a great place for craft beer in Malta, but The Pub is one of the most popular pubs for visitors so I thought I’d mention it. This is the Pub I wrote about in my 8 Surprising Things to do in Malta for Film Lovers as it’s where the actor Oliver Reed suddenly passed away.

It’s a British style Pub so there are really odd choices of British-favoured beer and of course Maltese favourite Cisk.

Wild Honey, 127 St. Lucia’s Street, Valletta

This has got to be one of the most hipster places to find craft beer in Malta, but that’s a good thing though! Wild Honey looks almost like a shop front but it has a few seats both in and outside. It has a couple of beers on draft but mainly sells beer in cans and bottles from a fridge.

Wild Honey is so relaxed and it’s decorated very eclectically with records from The Beatles, Deep Purple and all sorts. This was my second favourite place to drink beer in Valletta and I’m about to get onto my first…

67 Kapitali, 67 Old Bakery St, Valletta

Hands down the most relaxed, friendly, well-stocked bar/restaurant/cafe to drink craft beer in Malta. In my experience, anyway. We popped into 67 Kapitali for lunch on our first full day in Malta and it was a great decision.

Not only did they serve great food but they had eight Lord Chambray beers on tap plus many more. The staff were lovely and if we’d had more time I’m sure I would have made a return visit.

Cafe Society, 13 Triq San Gwann, Valletta

Cafe Society is known for its original cocktail menu but also has a well-rounded beer menu, both of which we sampled on our visit to Cafe Society.

Stone IPA is a Berlin-brewed beer but it seemed to be the N.1 craft beer of choice in Malta aside from Lord Chambray. The IPA was stocked in Cafe Society, 67 Kapitali and I’m sure it was stocked in a few other places too.

We didn’t visit these bars, but they’re supposed to be great…

• The Beer Cave, Castille Hotel, Castille Square, Valletta – We attempted twice to visit this bar/restaurant but it didn’t open when Google and it’s Facebook page said it opened! So that really sucked.
• Gugar Hangout & Bar, 89 Republic St, Valletta – This looks like a really cool bar. Hec, they’re all really cool bars!
• Hole in the Wall Bar & Pub, 31 High Street, Sliema – A bar with a space for live music! ‘Nuff said.
• The Brew Bar & Grill, 74 The Strand, Sliema – This bar has it’s own Brewery so they also sell their own beer.

Would you have expected to find excellent craft beer in Malta? Have you ever tried any local Maltese beers? Let me know in the comments below!

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