Locally sourced, traditional Maltese cuisine worth visiting: Restaurant Legligin (10. September 2024)

The Legligin is apparently one of the oldest restaurants on Malta, so, it was clear that I had to give this place a try. And it’s really a bargain! For only EUR 35.00 you get a “lunch tasting menu” and for EUR 30.00 you get the “wine pairing”. So, frankly, it is definitely worth visiting!

The menu starts with “local cheese with jam, rabbit paté, caponata, a local sausage and Arjoli spread” and I must say, all of it was great. The cheese was probably the least exciting of all of these, but the rest was great. And they source almost everything locally, it was great to experience the local cuisine to the extent possible.

Next in line was a seafood soup, called “aljotta”, which didn’t look too exciting, but was actually great in taste.

Then, it was time for “noodles with rabbit” and while the portion looks tiny in the picture, it was a good and nice portion. Plus, the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, so it had that little bite of perfection to it – really a great dish.

Then it was time for “pork cheeks with mashed potatoes”. And while I was a bit sceptical since I have never had – or at least I don’t remember – pork cheeks, I was turned around immediately after the first bite. The pork cheeks are rich and tender and the sauce was perfect with the mashed potatoes.

Then you got to choose the dessert – and given I wanted to go ‘as local as possible’, I went for the “Pudina (Maltese bread pudding)”, which looked a bit dry, but had – actually – the perfect texture. Slightly moist, and great in flavour, so, definitely recommended!

The place is definitely very traditional in terms of interior design and looks – which is quite lovely as a change. And the waiter does a great job as you can see he lives for the place and definitely loves his profession, which is great to experience.

The challenge is a bit, though, that he is the only waiter (at least he was that day and for lunch), so, if there are a few tables at the same time, things become a bit ‘tense’ timewise, which is a bit annoying.

Other than that, Legligin is definitely a place you have to try since it’s a great bargain with good food, fun staff, and a nice atmosphere – and it’s all based on locally sourced produce.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Legligin

St. Lucia’s Street 116, 119

Valletta (ML)

Tel.: +356 21 22 16 99

Homepage: http://legliginmalta.com

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.