
Nenu The Artisan Baker Valletta
Nenu The Artisan Baker offers an authentic taste of Malta, serving traditional dishes in a historic bakery setting.

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Nenu The Artisan Baker Valletta

Highlights
Must-see attractions
Nenu The Artisan Baker offers an authentic taste of Malta, serving traditional dishes in a historic bakery setting.
"Experience true Maltese cuisine in a charming, traditional bakery setting that feels like stepping back in time."
Make Reservations
Book in advance to avoid wait times, especially during peak hours or for larger groups.
Try Local Specialties
Explore authentic Maltese dishes like ravioli, ftira, rabbit, and horse meat for a true taste.

Quick Facts
Cuisine
Maltese
Price
Mid-range
Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Authentic Maltese Ftira
Experience traditional Maltese ftira, a beloved bread, often prepared like pizza with local toppings.

Traditional Maltese Cuisine
Savor hearty dishes like rabbit, horse meat, and stews, showcasing the rich culinary heritage of Malta.

Intimate Bakery Setting
Dine in an authentic bakery environment, offering a unique and intimate atmosphere for a true Maltese experience.
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Thinks like you
Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Make Reservations
Book in advance to avoid wait times, especially during peak hours or for larger groups.
Try Local Specialties
Explore authentic Maltese dishes like ravioli, ftira, rabbit, and horse meat for a true taste.
Generous Portions
Portions are large; consider sharing dishes to sample a wider variety of flavors.
Patience with Service
Service can be slower at times, especially when busy, but the overall experience is worth it.
Tips
from all over the internet
Make Reservations
Book in advance to avoid wait times, especially during peak hours or for larger groups.
Try Local Specialties
Explore authentic Maltese dishes like ravioli, ftira, rabbit, and horse meat for a true taste.
Generous Portions
Portions are large; consider sharing dishes to sample a wider variety of flavors.
Patience with Service
Service can be slower at times, especially when busy, but the overall experience is worth it.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Nenu The Artisan Baker is celebrated for its authentic Maltese cuisine, with many diners praising dishes like rabbit, horse meat, and ftira for their rich flavors and generous portions. The intimate bakery setting adds to the traditional experience. However, some reviews mention inconsistent service during busy periods and issues with the pasta's texture or sauce seasoning.
"We had our first meal here and the food exceeded our expectations. The starter, grilled aubergine with date pate and crushed walnut, and rockets is different but excellent. The horse meat and rabbit are tender with amazing gravy. The octopus dish is one of the best I had, tender with a lot of flavor. The only suggestion is that the restaurant should serve the bread, since it is named after the baker."
Explore with Kathy
"We went in on the recommendation of a local shopkeeper—a server at a Valletta souvenir store who assured us we’d find well-prepared Maltese fare at fair prices. This was our first (and only) deep dive into traditional Maltese cuisine, and honestly, we were pleasantly surprised.
Ambiance & Pricing
The place strikes a nice balance between inviting and unpretentious. It isn’t cheap, but it isn’t overpriced either—just what we were told. The menu clearly notes that pasta can be ordered either as a starter or a main (with about a €5 premium for the latter), so keep an eye out for that when you decide portion size vs. budget.
Starters (Pasta Trio)
We shared three pastas as starters:
• Spaghetti with octopus
• Spaghetti with rabbit
• Ravioli filled with sheep’s cheese
All three were excellent—really fresh, perfectly al dente, and generously sauced. The octopus offered a nice briny bite, the sheep’s-cheese ravioli was creamy without being heavy, and even the rabbit pasta (often a gamble) was tender and well seasoned.
Main Courses (Sharing Four-Way)
For mains—again sharing among four—we chose:
1. A plate combining horse meat and fried rabbit
2. A hearty pork stew served “al forn” with a vegetable medley
3. Chicken glazed with honey
The pork stew was a standout: melt-in-your-mouth pork complemented by simple roasted potatoes and seasonal veggies. The fried horse meat also surprised us—crispy exterior, tender inside, full of rich flavor. The fried rabbit, however, didn’t win everyone over; a couple of us didn’t finish our portions. The honey-glazed chicken was solid if not spectacular—my friends loved it, even if it didn’t “wow” me.
Service
Our servers were uniformly friendly and attentive—until the bill arrived. The man who processed our separate payments seemed noticeably put out by splitting the check (we were four and each asked to pay individually). Up until that moment he’d been perfectly cordial, so perhaps he just had a bad day.
Bill Details
We were a group of four and each paid €27, which felt very reasonable given the variety and quality of dishes we enjoyed.
Overall
Between the three pasta starters, the trio of mains, and a few sides, we left pleasantly full and satisfied. Quality and value hit the mark, with pork and horse meat dishes stealing the show. Aside from the minor hiccup at checkout and the less-than-stellar fried rabbit, this spot delivers on authentic Maltese flavors without breaking the bank. Highly recommended if you want a genuine taste of local cuisine in Valletta!"
Francesco Cruciani
"The restaurant's space is very pleasant, and a key reason we chose to eat there was to try the rabbit. Unfortunately, it was not available during our evening visit, so we ordered something else. We were so determined to try the rabbit that we returned the next day, and we were not disappointed. We enjoyed everything we ate. Of the two desserts we tried, the traditional Maltese sinizza and the bread pudding, we liked the former much more. The staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was lovely, so it is definitely worth a visit."
David Almeida
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
Maltese ftira is a traditional bread that can be enjoyed on its own, as a sandwich base, or as a base for pizza-like dishes with various toppings.
Yes, it is highly recommended to make a reservation, especially during peak hours or for larger groups, as the restaurant can get fully booked.
Diners often recommend trying the traditional rabbit dishes, horse meat, ravioli stuffed with sheep's cheese, and the Maltese ftira.
Yes, the portion sizes at Nenu The Artisan Baker are known to be generous, making it a good option for sharing.
Yes, the restaurant has noted gluten-free choices and offers pre-packaged gluten-free bread.
Nenu The Artisan Baker sometimes offers 'Bake Your Own Ftira' sessions, providing a unique hands-on culinary experience.
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What to eat and drink in Malta
Where to try it: Try ftira at Nenu the Artisan Baker in Valletta. The long-established restaurant offers 'Bake your own Ftira' sessions for visitors wishing to uncover local secrets, and also a full menu of traditional Maltese favorites. In Rabat, Ta' Doni team ftira sandwiches with local craft beer for a perfect lunch before or after exploring the walled city of Mdina, while across on Gozo in the village of Nadur, Mekrens and Maxokk are two decades-old bakeries serving ftira fresh from their wood-fired ovens.
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You can get a great version of ftira at Nenu the Artisan Baker, a wonderful eatery founded by the owner of Malta’s popular Maypole bakery chain, but you should also make a pilgrimage to Qormi, a town in central Malta that’s known for its nearly 50 bakeries. It’s here that locals celebrate their love of bread every October at the Lejl f’Casal Fornaro (Quormi Bread Festival) with traditional music, art, and food stalls.
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Nenu the Baker calls itself the home of authentic Maltese cuisine, and this eatery blends its traditional Maltese cooking with history, memorabilia and entertainment. It has become a meeting place for locals of all ages, and it is a great place for you to visit during a stop in Valletta during your cruise, as you can experience an authentic dining experience. You can try a variety of local foods, including Maltese bread in its traditional format with fillings such as sardines, tuna, potato, fresh tomato, onion, capers and olives.
Eat & Drink
Nenu The Artisan Baker, welcomes local patrons and tourists alike to savour local, traditional, authentic cuisine in one of the oldest parts of Malta within a setting embracing a typical bakery scenario. Apart from the meeting spots such as the ‘Bar’ and the ‘Discovery Room’ (primarily aimed at the younger generation), the premises offers an extensive dining coverage spread in many key points such as the ‘Courtyard’, the ‘Attic’ and other areas which may easily cater for special occasions and events.
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Run by Carmelo (also known as Nenu) and his wife Angela, family-owned bakery Nenu The Artisan Baker specialises in ftira, a ring-shaped, leavened bread often used for sandwiches, tarts and pizzas. Order a classic Karmni s-Sultana pizza, which comes with potatoes, tomatoes, anchovies and fennel seed; or go for a tomato-free base, topped with potatoes, pork belly strips, ricotta, rosemary and broad beans. Whatever you choose, it will be made with ingredients indigenous to Malta.
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When I visited Valletta with a friend in 2019, we spotted Nenu the Artisan Baker whilst exploring the city and made a reservation for the following evening (they were fully booked already that night). Nenu is a traditional Maltese restaurant so if you want to try iconic Maltese dishes or ones in which a contemporary twist is brought to classic favourites then this is one to add. Here, the ftira is made to become like a Maltese version of pizza filled with local toppings.
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Lampuki; also known as Dolphin Fish or Mahi Mahi, is a seasonal fish that finds its way to every Maltese and Gozitan’s kitchen come September. Once lampuki season hits, all other fish are quickly forgotten – locals love it, we make sure that any visitor to our islands falls in love with it and undoubtedly freeze a few filleted portions for the sad lampuki-free months to follow.
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Nenu The Artisan Baker: For excellent Maltese cuisine, come to this family-run restaurant. Perhaps better suited for lunch as the ambiance isn’t necessarily romantic, their friendly staff make you feel right at home as you dig into their ftiras, a sort of Maltese pizza made in a 100-year-old over, and other local specialities which go well with a Maltese spritz!
Food - Malta
Nenu artisan bakery is located in Valletta on a narrow street, away from the tourist buzz. It started out as a bakery and during the last few years they have been serving dishes from the Maltese cuisine. The shop is the no.1 location to try the traditional Ftira, which is made with their own dough and fresh products, in their 100-year-old wood oven!.
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As the name suggests, Nenu The Artisan Baker is all about history and tradition. The concept is a fusion of Maltese cooking, history, memorabilia and entertainment. In addition to its excellent Maltese ftiras (Maltese-style pizzas), the bakery also has a Bake Your Own Ftira class which teaches interested individuals how to make their own ftira.
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If you’re looking for authentic Maltese food in Valletta, head to Nenu The Artisan Baker in St Dominic’s Street. Here, you can try the traditional Maltese ftira, made with freshly baked Maltese bread. The restaurant is located in a relaxed bakery environment, but their menu also serves Maltese meat and fish dishes, stews and soups.
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Malta has perfected its bakes – this is the island that invented the ftira flatbread and crispy pea-stuffed pastizzi, after all. Nenu the Artisan Baker is a popular hub in the heart of Valletta that serves arguably the best-baked goods in Malta. Testament to its success are the hordes of local families within.
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Nenu the Artisan Baker is one of the few places to have a taste of the authentic Maltese cuisine. The restaurant in Valletta is located in a restored bakery in one of the oldest parts of Valletta. They have an amazing selection of local specialties and each of them will satisfy your palate.
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You can eat rib-sticking Maltese pizza at Nenu the Artisan Baker, or sample a Mediterranean menu at wine-bar-cum-restaurant Trabuxu. Michael’s, in the ex-Civil Service Club, serves up creative dishes conjured from local produce. The eponymous chef here greets everyone with enthusiasm.
Best restaurants in Malta for traditional Maltese food and drink
Travel Hack tip: Nenu the Artisan Baker is actually the best place in Valletta, the capital of Malta, for everything on this list!. It’s one of the most welcoming, traditional Maltese restaurants in the country so it’s definitely one of the best restaurants in Malta!
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Tucked away down St Dominic’s St, Nenu the Artisan Baker is renowned as one of Valletta’s best places to try f’tira, traditional wood-fired Maltese flatbreads (from €10 Dh45). Their most popular fillings and toppings include ricotta cheese, honey and fresh fennel.
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Wander along Quarry Wharf to the Lower Gardens, or better yet, hop onto one of the many affordable e-scooters to reach Nenu the Artisan Baker. Opt for a Maltese ftira, traditional bread which is often topped with potatoes, tomatoes, olives, meat and herbs.
Ivory Suites in Valletta, Malta
Nenu The Artisan Baker is located in a typical bakery environment.Nevertheless, whether one is a tourist or a local, the most popular reason for such visit is the tasting of typical Maltese authentic food, especially the Maltese traditional ftira.
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They are especially known for their ftira, or sandwiches on Maltese bread. I can attest that their beef olives are delicious, and my husband enjoyed their aljotta (fish soup). The restaurant is at 143 St. Dominic Street.
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– Nenu the Artisan Baker, St Dominic Street: this place is housed in a former bakery near the port, it has been renovated and it is now among the best in Valletta, specialized in typical and abundant food.
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Nenu offers a private dining experience focused on traditional Maltese cuisine. How do you like the sound of fried rabbit?. It’s marinated in garlic and red wine, then fried in olive oil.
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