Palazzo Preca Restaurant

Came from a full-day cruise excursion on a hot day. We immediately got seated (table of 7) and really appreciated the strong AC. There was another restaurant we tried eating at that was so hot inside and they took a long time to seat us. The food is what truly blew us away. Everything we ordered was so skillfully made. I got the seafood risotto. We even got arancini on the house which we love. Would definitely recommend!!

An amazing find while walking around Valletta
This hidden gem has a fantastic rating and it truly lives up to the hype. The food was excellent we had the stuffed calamari which was incredibly delicious. The drinks were great and the atmosphere is very elegant with a wonderful vibe. Highly recommended for anyone visiting the city

I visited Palazzo Preca Restaurant on 28 March 2026. I made a reservation one day in advance, as the restaurant is quite well known in Valletta. When you enter the restaurant, the walls near the entrance are full of awards and recognitions. Seeing all of these certainly raises your expectations for the meal.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant is pleasant and traditional, and the staff were polite during the evening. However, the overall dining experience did not fully live up to the reputation and felt slightly overpriced in my opinion.

For the starter, I ordered burrata. The cheese itself was good and creamy, but the tomato was quite tasteless, which made the dish less enjoyable than expected.

For the main courses, we tried two different dishes. The first was a mushroom risotto. The texture of the risotto was slightly overcooked and it had too much garlic, which dominated the flavor and made the dish feel unbalanced. The second main course was a sirloin steak. Unfortunately, the steak was underseasoned.

For dessert, we had a millefeuille, which was actually very good. It was crispy, light, and nicely balanced, making it the most enjoyable part of the meal.

To accompany the dinner, I had a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon from a Maltese producer, which paired well with the food.

With a 10% tip on top of the cost of the dishes the total was around 55 euros per person. Overall, Palazzo Preca Restaurant offers a pleasant setting, but the food did not quite match the high expectations created by its reputation in my opinion.

We didn’t have a reservation and just walked in — luckily, they still had the last table available for us. We ordered the Premium Seafood Platter, which included 500 g of lobster, four scallops, and some prawns, and we also got a pan-seared duck breast. The platter cost €120 for two people, and when it arrived, the portion size was shocking — the mussels came in a huge dish, much more than I expected. The scallops were incredibly springy and sweet, and the mussels were the same. The lobster and prawns were okay but slightly over-seasoned with too much pepper.

For the pan-seared duck breast, the staff were very thoughtful and cut it in half for us to share — one portion each. It was delicious. We had ordered it medium, and the meat was still pink and tender. When slicing, the skin stayed attached perfectly — absolutely excellent.

We also ordered two glasses of mocktails, but they weren’t particularly great. We asked for still water when placing our order, but it still hadn’t been served by the time we finished. Aside from these two minor points, everything else was excellent.

Exceptional meal.
The service was exemplary so friendly, greeted like we were regular customers.
The food was unbelievably fantastic. My biggest problem was making a choice. My FritoMisto was to die for, best I’ve ever had.
The guidance on the wine was superb, looking for a Soave for my courses Dylan helped me out with the wine on the specials board.
Loved the busy social fun atmosphere with no overt music noise which in many places ruins the enjoyment of a meal.
Everyone went above and beyond to ensure a great experience thank you to Tristram and the wonderful Terese for that too.