With the planet warming fast, endangering habitats and posing a tangible risk to the future of many species, it’s clear a new game-plan is needed. Among others, the changing face of the earth is affecting Maltese farmers, who are finding it increasingly difficult to survive. But these restaurants and cafes are putting the heart and soul back into our food, with produce sourced directly from local farmers and, in some cases, plucked from the eateries’ fields, just to take a starring role on your plate.
1. Mgarr Farmer’s Bar, Mgarr
Where do farmers themselves love to eat? The Mgarr Farmer’s Bar, belonging to the cooperative which represents fruit and veg producers from the area, is where you can get an authentic taste of this island, sitting among the cultivators who nurtured the fare. Jam-packed at the weekends, this may not be the place to don your glad-rags but it packs a punch in the flavour department. And you know that if its good enough for the farmers themselves, it’s even better for you.
2. Sanya, Naxxar
Much slicker and perhaps more attuned to the Insta-generation, Sanya comprises an eco-spa, a yoga hub, a health clinic, and an organic juice hub with a food and drinks menu centred on the organic and carefully-sourced. Apart from the gamut of healthy beverage choices – from cold-pressed juices, such as the Crystal Clear, containing carrot, celery, apple, ginger, and lime; and smoothies including The Hulk, made from apple, banana, avocado, lemon, ginger and spirulina – the bar offers a selection of vibrant dishes. The vegetarian Mediterranean Nourish Bowl, packed with caramelised onions, sprouts, roasted tomato, sautéed kale and spinach pesto, will provide much more than your five-a-day. The centre also organises retreats to jump start a change in lifestyle, with chefs dedicated to sourcing locally.
3. Diar il-Bniet, Dingli
Famed for its traditional Maltese specialities, Diar il-Bniet aims to put hearty family fare on your table. With thick vegetable soup (the ever-popular minestra), stuffed aubergines and cauliflower stew – served with oyster mushroom, fresh sheep cheeselet and an egg – on the menu, you’ll leave feeling as full as you used to when your grandmother fed you as a kid. And that can’t be a bad thing, surely?
4. The Grassy Hopper, Gzira
Hipster-central, the Grassy Hopper is a mecca for those looking for vegan alternatives to their daily meals. Their outlet in Gzira – popular with the health-conscious iGaming crowd – churns out vegan burrito wraps, low-carb zucchini noodles and chickpea burgers by the bucketload, though the menu changes every day, injecting more than a bit of variety into your daily five. The items on the menu are not always on the cheap side, but the eatery’s carefully sourced ingredients - local and seasonal, and mostly from organic or pesticide-free farmers – will give you some peace of mind that it’s a worthy investment.
5. Wigi’s Kitchen, St Julian’s
A personal favourite, Wigi’s Kitchen in St Julian’s may not be as well known or ‘fashionable’ as some of the newer restaurants popping up all over the capital, a few kilometres away, but this family-run eatery has been open for decades and will keep going strong long after others have shut their doors. The reason? Their attention to detail; constantly-changing menu and the priority which has been placed on local, seasonal fare, and on purchasing fruit and vegetables from family-owned suppliers across the main islands.
And there are many more! Which have you come across?