Malta's sister island has its own personality, which doesn't exclude its delicious food. Food enthusiasts will want to try out these hotspots for a unique Gozitan food experience.
Vini e Capricci
Here's a mecca of a gourmet food and wine shop which offers the best way to shop; sample first, then buy. Located within the Gozitano Agricultural Village, this extraordinary deli displays videos depicting how products are produced in Gozo amongst the food and exclusive wines for sale. Meanwhile, the wine room is always open, offering current release and new arrival wines.
The Magro Food Village
The Magro Food Village is home to a tomato factory (which can be toured), a cheese-making centre, a gourmet yoghurt facility, and the Savina Creativity Centre. Here you can watch artisan foods in the making, whether it's Gozitan cheeselets, chutney, sun-dried figs, olive oil, honey or jam. Sample foods and beverages produced in-house free of charge. This alluring food village also offers other really interesting food-lover activities, such as agro-tourism lectures on traditional local farming and crops, hands-on cooking classes with local chefs, and wine-tasting experiences, amongst others.
Ta’ Mena
For an immersive Gozitan countryside experience, Ta’ Mena Estate is a good bet. Located in the picturesque Marsalforn Valley between Victoria and Marsalforn Bay, the estate includes a fruit garden, an olive grove (with about 1,500 olive trees), an orange grove, and over 10 hectares of vineyards. Here you'll find a large range of local products, such as their traditional kunserva tomato paste, pure Gozo honey, jams, cheeses, pâtés, GOZO D.O.K. wines, and their cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Most of the fruits, olives, herbs and vegetables come from the estate, and they are all produced using traditional methods. Don't just drop in though! You can book a guided tour followed by a wine and food tasting or try out a lunch, dinner or cooking session. They also offer agricultural experiences including fruit picking, wine-making, olive-oil pressing and more.
Ta' Rikardu
Situated within one of the quaint alleys in the Citadel, Ta' Rikardu attracts a lot of people with his rustic and authentic set-up. Rikardu produces his own wine and cheese from his vineyard and farm, and then sells as well as serves the produce in his shop/restaurant, along with other local products. Rikardu also offers visiting tourists a milking and cheese-making experience.
Gozitan cooking classes
Mojo’s Bar (D5 Ltd) offers bespoke and stepped Gozitan cooking classes, at both simple or advanced cooking levels, depending on clients' needs. The regular cooking class includes using Gozitan seasonal ingredients over three hours to create a starter, main and dessert. Mojo's supports local farmers, and tries to keep it all local as much as possible.