Valletta

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Trattoria da Pippo is where locals go for lunch, they have an excellent selection of seafood dishes. 136 Melita St, 21-24-80-29.

Caffe Cordina (http://www.vol.net.mt/caf...) on Republic square has a venerable history behind it, and has a reputation to match. You can eat out in Republic Square at the Cordina tables, and this is the place to be seen having lunch although the food isn't as good as one may expect. The coffee bar inside is the best place for a quick Espresso whilst admiring the ceiling. 244/5 Republic St, Tel: + 356 234385.

Malata Restaurant, if one is looking for a place in Valletta to have dinner on a terrace, then this is a nice place to go slightly later in the evening when the square in front of the Grand Master's palace is almost emptied of parked cars. There is Live Jazz on Tuesday nights. Palace Sq, tel +356 233 967.

Valletta has a collection of decent restaurants, due to most of the tourists residing either in Sliema or on the north coast of the island there are fewer of the trashy variety, although it does have the ubiquitous fast-food places Burger King, McDonald's, Pizza Hut. The Valletta waterfront is absolutely amazing especially at night, it contains different types of restaurants, from Chinese to the Hard Rock cafe, there is also a book shop and jewelry shop in the same waterfront.

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Budget

If you keep your eyes open you may run into one of the charming traditional bakeries tucked away here and there where the tourist economy hasn't forced prices up yet and one can get lovely steaming fresh bread for mere cents.

La Mere Restaurant (http://www.lamere.com.mt) situated in Merchant Street, Valletta, few metres down from the old market and very close to The Place. La Mere Restaurant offers a fusion of Mediterranean, Maltese, Indian and Arabian cuisine in a cosy and homey atmosphere and at wallet friendly prices. Open for both lunch and dinner. Tel: 00356 21 223 256 or email: [email protected].