Cafe and restaurant in Maltese
A table, the menu, what you cannot eat, and a compliment to the kitchen. Play the ten Maltese words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Maltese phrases in this lesson
- Mejda għal tnejn, jekk jogħġbokMAY-da al tnayn, yek yo-OJ-bok
- A table for two
- Il-menu, jekk jogħġbokil-MEN-oo, yek yo-OJ-bok
- The menu, please
- X'tirrakkomanda?sh-tir-ra-ko-MAN-da
- What do you recommend?
- Ma nikolx...ma nee-KOLSH
- I don't eat...
- Għandi allerġija għal...AN-dee al-LER-jee-ya al
- I'm allergic to...
- LaħamLA-ham
- Meat
- Tiġieġti-JEEJ
- Chicken
- Ħuthoot
- Fish
- Ħelu ħafnaHEH-loo HAF-na
- It's delicious
- Saħħa!SAH-ha
- Cheers
Reservations are expected at upscale restaurants in Valletta, especially on weekends. At casual village cafes this phrase is all you need. "Mejda" is from Arabic "maida" (table).
Borrowed directly from Italian/English. Many menus in tourist areas are printed in Maltese, English, and Italian. Asking in Maltese sets a friendly tone even if you then switch to English.
The "x'" is a contraction of "xi" (what). Maltese waitstaff are proud of local dishes and happy to guide you. Expect recommendations like stuffat tal-fenek (rabbit stew) or braġjoli (beef olives).
Rabbit stew, stuffat tal-fenek, is the national dish.
Literally "very sweet/nice". In Maltese, "ħelu" covers both sweet taste and general pleasantness. Saying this to the waiter often results in a beaming smile and sometimes a free dessert.
The same word as "goodbye" doubles as the drinking toast. Clink glasses and say it with enthusiasm. It is one of the few Maltese words most locals expect visitors to know.