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Writer's pictureMimosa Mermaid

The best pubs in Malta!

Hurrah! My two favourite bars in #Sliema and St Julians are back open again following the #lockdown


For those of us who are #lucky enough to be able to travel to #Malta in the coming weeks and months I thought I’d share them with you!


There are a plethora of bars on the island to choose from, so the choice can be a little daunting for first time visitors.


These two bars are little gems, and I can truly vouch that they are very well tried and tested 😀


The Plough and Anchor Pub





Address

261 Tower Road, Sliema, Malta


Hours

Monday - Closed

Tuesday - Friday 11am – 2pm, 6pm – 1am

Saturday - 6pm – midnight

Sunday - 11am – midnight


☎️ +356 2133 4725


The Plough and Anchor, or Guys Bar as we affectionately know it by, is pretty special!


It’s our local pub, and a firm favourite, so much so my mum has a #summer stool and a #winter stool in there 😆


It's owned and ran by our dear friends George and his son Jean. You can find it just next to The Carlton and Plaza Hotels and just around the corner from beautiful Balluta Bay and square.




George’s Dad the late great Guy was in his 40's when he opened the doors to the pub on the 23rd of June 1979!


Which is in fact the very same year that we first visited the magical island of Malta, I'll let you do the sums as to how tried and tested this pub is 😅


Guy was a real joker whose favourite tipple was a #Negroni, for which he used his very own personal optics to make! He spent some time in the Merchant #Navy, and collected most of the maritime memorabilia on his travels, much of it from #England where he had family in Stoke on Trent.





In the back room, there’s a wall full of #memories, displaying photos of the multitudes of patrons over the years, all with happy, laughing, smiling faces, and yes we do feature 😅





Oh and Guy also used to bring his parrot into work too!


George worked alongside his Dad for 20 years until Guy so sadly passed away in 1998.





Both George and his son Jean are truly lovely people and dear friends of ours, and they are just the most wonderful hosts. The Plough and Anchor is always our first stop as soon as we land. We know we are #home when we open up the door to be greeted with the warmest of welcome backs!



Bearing in mind back in 1979 I was only 9 years old it took me a wee while to sample any of the pubs wares 😆


There is nothing that the Plough and Anchor doesn’t stock, they have a staggering 56 optics, and on top of that have everything from tummy settling Fernet Branca, Frangelico liqueur, Aperol Spritz, a large selection of local and foreign beers and local wines, cocktails, oh and an even more staggering 200 whiskeys to choose from! 🥃





I know from experience the huge range of drinks George and Jean offer as when I eventually reached the age to be able to partake in their wares, I decided to try out all of the bottles I had never heard of 😁 and there were a lot 😆 which has now led to my love of #Campari and #Passoa ❤️



Another major plus is that all of the drinks are extremely reasonably priced too!


The Plough and Anchor attracts an eclectic mix of customers, from fellow tourists, to millennials who are more than happy to travel across the island to enjoy the rare spirits on offer, to the locals of all ages who adore it.


There is one TV which screens the more popular football games, and the music is really cool too, all classic pop and rock. It’s not unusual to witness a little dance off taking place when the pub is really busy, to which I have been a party to from time to time 😆🙈



You can take a stool at the bar, our favourite place to sit, or pull up a chair at one of the comfy tables. There is also an additional two tables outside if you want to watch the world go by or smoke a cigarette. Like us, the Maltese have adopted the no smoking inside rule.


Since reopening, George and Jean have majorly added space, complying to the new COVID safety protocols by opening up a large room upstairs. Its wonderful.





If you love or are intrigued by anything maritime, and are partial to a rare #whiskey served with a smile then this is absolutely the place for you! Trust me you’ll love The Plough and Anchor, I can’t tell you how many evenings we have laughed and smiled and danced away the hours in here.😊





Oh and before you leave, remember to check out the glass cabinet next to the door as you can pick up a Plough and Anchor T-shirt to proudly wear (as my Dad does) as a memory of very happy times!



The Sun in Splendour





Address

Ross Street, St Julians, Malta. (Just up from Portomaso Marina)


Hours - open from lunchtime until the early hours.


☎️ +356 2137 3387


The Sun in Splendour is a #British pub which you can find in St Julians, just steps away from the Hilton Hotel and Portomaso Marina.


Our good friends Donald, Charlie and the whole team here are just awesome, service comes with the biggest and friendliest of smiles, everyone is made to feel so very welcome!



There is a wonderful cosy interior with a fabulous Beer Garden out back.


The Beer Garden has in fact become hugely important since the pub reopened as it allows the venue to remain COVID compliant. For me I'm most #excited at the fact that there is a newly opened #Gin Bar out there which offers a huge variety of flavoured gin!






The walls of the pub are adorned with every football scarf you can think of and some cool #memorabilia.

Look carefully and you’ll find a signed photo given to Donald whilst Sean Bean was on the island during the filming of Game of Thrones.




There’s also half a dozen or so tables outside with brightly coloured yellow umbrellas again where you can watch the world go by chilling in the shade. You can catch your favourite #football game here on one of the many screens, (there’s a large projector screen down in the Beer Garden) games shown include Premier League, Europa League, UEFA Champions League and FA Cup.


Friday nights from 10pm are #Karaoke nights in the Beer Garden too.


Fabulous live entertainment with all time favourites and special requests played and sang by Ernest (our dear friend Ernest Baldaccino). Ernest and his wife Angie are just the loveliest couple, and listening to Ernest belt out classics like Hotel California, Proud Mary and Mustang Sally is truly the highlight of our holiday! He’s just amazing and boy can he play the guitar!



You can always see lots of laughing, smiling, singing and dancing taking place, and I just love how everyone mixes together and has a good time. 🎶 💃



You’ll love the huge selection of drinks on offer here, and the prices are incredible!


There's a new #beer on tap, Hop House 13 Lager brewed by Guinness, to add to the other 7 already on draught! There's also an enhanced food menu too, sandwiches, salads, my all time favourite Tuna Ftira and much more.


Here are some example drink offers, (subject to change)


Bucket of #Corona (5 Bottles) - €10.

Bucket of #Becks (6 bottles) - €13

And if you like a bottle of the old “journey into space” Newcy Broon, that’s Newcastle Brown Ale for none Geordies 😆 BOGOF, at just €5

#Aperol Spritz - 2 for €7


You can enjoy a wide selection of #cocktails too for less than €4, and a bottle of local #wine for less than €10!


Drinks are available from the bar, but Donald and team are so attentive that they will also serve you at your table. Oh and enjoy the complimentary nibbles with your drink, traditional Maltese “Galletti” water crackers with cheese, and an assortment of crisps.


At #Christmas I always look forward to receiving my lovely gift of a Sun in Splendour calendar - its such a lovely thoughtful touch which keeps me smiling until my next visit!



Hopefully, God willing, my next visit to the islands will be next month, and we really can't wait to see our wonderful #friends again and to relax in the warm #Mediterranean #sunshine. ✈️ 😃


2020, I feel, is going to be a year none of us will ever forget!


Until next week my lovelies, stay safe, and please don’t hesitate to message me if you’d like any further information 😘


Oh and if you do pop in to either pub, please tell them Tracy says hi!




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