While Paceville is known to be the party town of the island, with bars and pubs everywhere you look, there are also some great food joints to discover, and Gozitan Restaurant is one of them. Situated in Paceville Street, just round the corner from the Vivaldi Hotel, this resto will definitely tickle your taste buds.

The resto brings a taste of Gozitan flare to the heart of Malta’s bustling town. Serving up some of the most authentic and genuine dishes, you’ll walk out feeling like you’re done eating for the week – a true traditional, local meal. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the wonderful staff who showed my dining companion and I to our table in the outside seating area. The weather was perfect, with a pleasant breeze freshening us up. The entire restaurant, which has been around for 12 years, gives a homey feel, and a very traditional Maltese one at that – a perfectly pairing for the cuisine!

The menu

The interesting menu includes various options, from starters to pasta dishes and traditional meat dishes, written primarily in the Gozitan dialect with English translations below. Everything sounded divine, and being the foodies we are, after changing our choice three times, we decided to go for the set menu, for one simple reason – more options! The menu includes a tasting of four different starters to share, a main dish that you choose separately and a dessert platter. Heavenly, right?

While we waited for our food, the staff brought over the freshest local bread with a tomato paste and a garlic paste – the perfect combo to satisfy our cravings before we began our night of indulgence. The best part is that everything was local, down to the olive oil and wine, for which we opted for Marsovin’s La Vallette.

Round one

After a bit of chit chat, the first of our four-course starter tasting menu came along. Naqret, which is a Gozitan antipasto, included a selection of bigilla (a local bean paste), aioli, fresh goat’s cheese, local sundried tomatoes, Maltese sausage, capers, olives, peppered gbejna (goat’s cheese) and Gozitan galletti (water biscuits). It combined Gozitan and Maltese tastes in one, and was definitely a great way to start off the night. We really enjoyed tasting the authenticity in each bite.

Round two

Some time later, round two came along, and we were instantly intrigued. In Gozitan, this would be gbejniet shon biz-zalza tal-larunc meaning warm local goat’s cheese with a side of orange sauce. And boy, were they exquisite. Once pierced through, the crunchy and battered exterior reveals a gooey  and cheesy centre that left my dining companion and I speechless.

Round three

After the warm gbejna came another traditional dish that I hadn’t tasted in a while! We were presented with two types of homemade ravioli stuffed with goat’s cheese: one was a boiled variety served with a tomato and garlic sauce, and the other was deep-fried. Both were utterly divine and we savoured every last bite.

Round four

The final round of starters was a small portion (to share) of spaghetti rabbit sauce. The deliciously rich pasta dish included homemade rabbit sauce that can definitely compete with your Maltese nanna’s dish! Yes, that good!

The main attraction

After a little break and more wine, the main attraction came along. My dining partner opted for the lamb - a lamb shank slowly braised in the oven with onions, carrots and fresh herbs. The meat slid right off the bone and was incredibly tender.

I, on the other hand, chose the ribeye steak: 400g of fresh ribeye cut, cooked to a medium-rare perfection with a side of mushroom sauce. The meat was incredibly flavoured, juicy and impeccably served. All main dishes on the tasting menu are served with fries or baked potatoes.

A sweet ending

At this point, we were stuffed, but as they say, there's always room for dessert! Also included in the tasting menu, we were presented with what is called Hilu - is a traditional dessert platter consisting of two fried Maltese imqaret (fried dates), helwa tat-tork (Maltese nougat) and fig ice-cream. We shared one, and it was absolutely divine.

Bottom line, Gozitan Restaurant is one to try if you’re looking for an exceptional local meal in a central spot. The food is authentic and the staff will treat you like royalty, making for a great dinner with mates or your special someone!