The Best Independent Specialty Coffee Shops in Malta

Some people order coffee because they like it. Some people simply can’t function without it. Others need their fix before attempting human interaction. And then there are those who want to know where the beans were grown, how they were processed, who roasted them and whether Mercury was in retrograde during extraction.

There are local roasters, certified coffee educators, tiny neighbourhood espresso bars, immaculate pastry counters and people wielding V60s with the concentration of a neurosurgeon. And while plenty of cafes serve very good coffee, that isn’t quite what we’re talking about here. These are places where coffee forms part of the actual identity.

In no particular order, here are the independent specialty coffee spots keeping Malta caffeinated, one very deliberate bean at a time.

Loaf, Various Locations

If Michelin ever decided to start listing specialty coffee shops, I’d expect Loaf to make an appearance.

The original Gzira spot is tiny and precise, Sliema is more tucked away, and Ta’ Xbiex is the even fancier bigger, seafront version with proper brunch territory. Coffee is specialty with a capital S, with espresso, filter, V60, Chemex and cold brew, while their sourdough bread game is genuinely unmatched. Add the croissants and almost offensively polished pastry counter and Paris would probably approve.
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COFFEE&Strangers Espresso Bar, Sliema

COFFEE&Strangers does not fuck about with coffee. There’s a rotating monthly guest roaster, specialty filter menu, single-origin espresso and V60, plus some genuinely excellent cinnamon and cardamom buns.

The space is small, warm and beautifully considered, with stone, dark wood, ceramics and shelves of beans and equipment. It’s also Malta’s accredited and licensed institute for Coffee Education & Science, so yes, the people behind the counter really do know what they’re talking about.
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Lot61, Various Locations

Lot61 is one of those names that turns up everywhere once you start paying attention to specialty coffee in Malta. They roast their own coffee and supply beans beyond their own locations, with a proper focus on origins, blends and roasting rather than coffee being a side note to the food.

The Spinola Park branch in St Julian’s is one of my regular stops, and there’s also a Valletta location. Also, get the banana bread. I have it practically daily and the barista already knows to give me the biggest slice.
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Coffee Circus, Various Locations

Coffee Circus is specialty coffee with a bohemian streak. They roast their own beans in Malta, with coffees sourced from around the world, then serve them through V60, Chemex, AeroPress, cold brew and espresso.

In true Money Heist form, each location gets its own name, including Lisboa in Valletta, Porto in Ta’ Xbiex, Connections in Marsaskala, China in Birzebbuga and Bugibba in St Paul’s Bay. Mismatched furniture, old wooden tables, books, art, fairy lights and vintage bits complete the picture. Somewhere between hippie and hipster, without requiring you to pick a side.
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Victoria Central, Gozo

If you’re properly serious about coffee in Malta, there is a very good chance you already know Vicky Coffee. The Gozo roasters are housed inside Victoria Central, where they source beans from origins including Colombia, Brazil, Angola and Ethiopia, then roast them in-house before supplying cafes, restaurants, offices and home drinkers across Malta and Gozo.

They also produce traditional Maltese coffee and offer subscriptions. Basically, the Rolls-Royce end of the coffee-bean spectrum.
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Brillace Cafe, Various Locations

Brillace is one of those places you’re genuinely happy to support because the people behind it are such a big part of the experience. The original Gzira spot and the St Julian’s location have both been built around specialty coffee, locally roasted beans and a real focus on sustainability and wellness. There are sourdough sandwiches, beautifully laminated croissants, plus a dedicated raw selection with things like raw brownie bars and power balls.

The hospitality is warm without becoming performative, which is rarer than it should be.
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Little Chief, Marsaskala

Born in Australia, brewed in Malta. Little Chief brings a bit of Melbourne coffee culture to Marsaskala, with specialty-grade coffee roasted locally, espresso, filter and batch brew, plus hands-on barista courses for anyone who wants to go beyond ordering a flat white and hoping for the best.

There’s also a proper breakfast and brunch menu, including Turkish eggs, avocado toast, granola and the gloriously excessive Dubai French toast.
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Sakura to Sea Coffee Studio & Archivenir, Sliema

One of the newer additions to Malta’s specialty coffee scene, Sakura to Sea Coffee Studio is run by certified Q Graders Joshua and Lina, who roast their beans in-house. Their signature espresso blends include Samurai and Flora, with single-origin pour-overs and syphon brewing alongside tea, matcha and house-baked giant cookies.

The space also doubles as Archivenir, their beautifully curated Malta souvenir shop, because apparently one obsession was not enough.
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Chocolate District, Valletta

Chocolate District is probably the curveball on this list. Most people know it for the artisan chocolate, but downstairs is a proper coffee setup with traditional Maltese coffee, Maltese Corsair Coffee with chocolate and rum, single-origin coffees prepared by V60 or French press, cold brew and a gleaming Victoria Arduino espresso machine.

There are beans from origins including Ethiopia, Brazil and Mexico lined up in dispensers, plus pure hot chocolate on tap, which is frankly outrageous.
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Koko Experience, Gzira

Koko is tiny, but that’s rather the point. I walked in during its first week and the little hole-in-the-wall setup immediately reminded me of the neighbourhood coffee shops I used to find in Tokyo, particularly around Shimokitazawa.

The owner is often behind the counter, the staff are brilliant, and the menu somehow stretches from serious coffee and pastries to sandwiches, mocktails and proper cocktails. Small footprint, very good instincts.
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5 Beans, Various Locations

5 Beans may not be the most theatrical-looking place on the list, but it absolutely earns its place on coffee credentials. With locations in Valletta and San Gwann, they work with Bocca Coffee and offer V60, AeroPress, Chemex and batch brew alongside the espresso classics, plus a few more playful options like dirty chai and matcha.

The pastry counter is always well stocked, the staff are consistently friendly, and the overall feel is refreshingly straightforward: coffee first, everything else afterwards.
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Kir Royal Cafe, Valletta

Kir Royal is small, cheerful and very Valletta, with old stone walls and exposed timber softened by its signature yellow details. Coffee sits at the centre of things, including CBD coffee as one of the more unusual options, alongside espresso drinks, pastries and sandwiches.

There’s some outdoor seating too, and the whole thing has a proper neighbourhood feel rather than trying too hard to look like a specialty coffee laboratory.
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You don’t need to know your Chemex from your AeroPress, or have particularly strong feelings about extraction time, to appreciate somewhere that takes coffee seriously.

You just need to know when someone has made you a bloody good cup of it.