This is part one in a two-part series of articles.
Before tourism really took off in the 1960s, “eating out” represented an extraordinary experience. Sure, restaurants, trattorie, bistros and taverns existed, however, they mostly catered for British servicemen and foreign visitors in Malta or for Maltese who strayed far from their residences, like those visiting St Paul’s Bay (Gillieru and Veċċja), Rabat (Pont de Vue), Għajn Tuffieħa (Riviera), Birżebbuġa (Dowdall’s), Gozo (Il-Barakka tal-Mġarr) and a few more.
Promotion for the restaurant of the Hotel d’Angleterre in St Lucia Street, Valletta.
Generally, one dined out of home as a necessity, not as a choice. Many hotels provided meals but some standalone eating establishments could also be found. For an excellent overview of early hospitality establishments in Malta, see Joseph Cassar Pullicino’s essay