Best English Breakfast in Malta?: Tal Pjazza, Bugibba

This is what the good folk at Tal Pjazza in Bugibba refer to as a Jumbo Breakfast.

I call it... pause for drumroll... the Best Breakfast in Bugibba.  No mean feat given the considerable competition in this seaside town, but Pjazza gets the award for me. 

Best English Breakfast in Malta?: Vinnies, Bugibba

Very good service in Vinnie's restaurant.  Friendly people.

Let's start with that, because it's an important thing when you go out to eat something, puts you in a more positive frame of mind.

Best Full English in Malta? The Ordnance Pub (Valletta)

The heart sinks just a little bit when you order an English breakfast only to be told that “The kitchen is not completely open at the moment”.  

In fairness it didn’t take them too long to open it ‘completely’ (as opposed to whatever stage of openness it had been in previously) and after about 10 minutes breakfast was served.

Best Full English in Malta?: Buccaneers Bar & Cafe, Bugibba

This is not an expensive breakfast at just four quid, but it would be fair to say that the plate does not exactly overflow with food.

One sausage, which always disappoints and saddens me, and they don't go overboard with the other ingredients either.  In fact it's one of pretty much everything except the beans.

Okay, and the potato McHash efforts as well.

Best Full English in Malta?: Cafe Royale (Valletta)

Cafe Royale is just about the first place you come to when you go through the impressive main gates of Valletta.  Past the new parliament buildings and there it is on the left.  Next to Burger King, another proud symbol of this ancient city.

A prime location like this can lead to a lowering of standards and a raising of prices in some instances.  Here the standards are pretty good, but the price of an English breakfast is about 50 cents more than you'd see by walking another  50 metres down Republic street.

Best Full English in Malta?: Bognor Restaurant, Bugibba

I feel kind of bad for that sausage on the right.

There's his buddy, bronzed and delectable, and next to him this deformed and charred creature, curled up in embarrassment next to his good-looking friend.

Best Full English in Malta?: Xemxija Cafe

This will set you up nicely for a couple of hours trekking the Xemxija Heritage Trail.

Best Full English in Malta? George's Pub and Restaurant, Bugibba

Above you can see the Jumbo breakfast on offer at this popular tourist eatery on the seafront in Bugibba.  Only €3.90, which is a pretty good deal.  Three sausages, would you believe!

Best Full English in Malta?: Milk and Coffee, Qawra

Just when you think you've seen every type of ingredient for an English breakfast, along come Milk & Coffee cafe with a bundle of sweetcorn tipped onto your plate.

Best Full English in Malta?: Oblico Cafe, Bugibba

If you get all your Maltese dining recommendations from Tripadvisor, then you may well be familiar with the Oblico Cafe.

At time of writing, Oblico is ranked 1st out of 91 listed restaurants in Bugibba.  Not only that, it's Gzira branch is ranked 1st of 31 in that area too.  Does this mean that the food served in Oblico is better than any of the other 120 restaurants in the combined lists?  Doubtful.  After all, Oblico is a cafe which primarily sells coffees and cakes.  

In fact Tripadvisor has Oblico down as the second best restaurant on the whole island, which says more about tripadvisor than about Oblico.  It is a nice cafe, but it is not up there with a Michelin starred restaurant*.

However, I still had expectations of getting a top-ranked breakfast.

Best Full English in Malta? Bayside Cafe (Bugibba)

Here is the deluxe English breakfast from Bayside Cafe in Bugibba.

Can you guess what puts the deluxe into this fry?  Look carefully at the photo, there is something hidden in there that you won't usually find in your typical breakfast.

Best Full English in Malta?: Villa Mare, Bugibba

They offer you a choice of fry-ups in this popular Bugibba restaurant.  You can go for a Traditional English breakfast, a Vegetarian or a Deluxe breakfast.  After careful consideration and weighing up of the pros and cons, I went for the Deluxe option.

This featured all of your standards, plus some chunky mushrooms and - rare indeed on these shores - a black pudding.  Difficult to say no to that little lot.

Not the cheapest around, at about seven euros with tea or coffee an extra, but worth it I think.  D. tried the vegetarian option and had no complaints, and the deluxe version was good enough to make it probably the best breakfast I've found in these parts.  So far.

Deluxe

Best Full English Breakfast in Malta? Sea-View Hotel (Qawra)

What would you like me to say about this?

Best Full English Breakfast in Malta?: Granny's Restaurant (Bugibba)

Best?  Probably not.  But certainly the cheapest that I have found so far on my travels.  Two euros ninety five cents for this...

That my friend, is a good deal.

Best Full English in Malta?: 282 Coffee Garden (Valletta)

(You didn't think I'd stopped with the English breakfasts, did you?  No chance, not while I have an artery left to clog...)

Finally, a properly good breakfast in the capital.  Not quite sure how I managed to miss this place before, located as it is on the main street of Valletta.  But I was glad that I ventured inside this time.

Best Full English in Malta? Black Gold

The Black Gold pub in Sliema is a popular spot for some late night boozing along the seafront.  Loud, a little messy, generally full of a mix of ex-pats and locals out to fill themselves full of alcohol.

Should you feel the need for some replenishment the next morning however, it's not the best spot on the island for a breakfast.

Best Full English Breakfast in Malta?: Sir Alex

Cafe 516 has changed name.  It is now called 'Sir Alex', presumably after Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson.  Now I am not a supporter of this football team, being more of an Arsenal man myself, but nonetheless felt duty-bound to check out their full English breakfast.

Look at it.

What the Four Ex is that supposed to be?

Best Full English Breakfast in Malta? - Caffe Portomaso

The Caffe Portomaso full English is - without question - one of the finest English breakfasts I have had on this island, or on a whole lot of other islands.   It is very, very good.   Quite honestly, I don't think my photos do it justice.

Better than it looks.  And it looks good.

Everything on the plate is good, and there is a lot of it.  So this is not to be consumed just before you head off to yoga classes.  Delicious mushrooms, bacon like it's supposed to be, top quality ingredients all the way - lightly grilled (but not burned) tomato and instead of slopping out the beans you just have quality mushrooms with eggs scrambled or fried...  It's pretty dull reading a list of foods plus complimentary adjectives so just trust me, it is as good as I have found anywhere in Malta.    The cafe itself is bright and airy - right at the bottom of that big blue tower, you can't miss it - and the service was great.  Do you need anything else?  I didn't eat for 12 hours after one of these bad boys, so loosen your belts and get stuck in.

Best Full English Breakfast in Malta? Museum Cafe (Valletta)

 I first saw this place months ago, and made a mental note to come back and try out the breakfast.  Looked such a nice Olde Worlde little place, full of curios and knick-knacks - maybe this is one of those hidden gems you sometimes stumble across down little side streets.

So back I came, hoping for good things from the breakfast on offer.

(I suffer for these pages Gentle Reader, sometimes I suffer).

Best Full English Breakfast in Malta?: Wild West Bar/Restaurant

Or to give it it's full title:  'Wild West Bar, Restaurant, Pizzeria & Takeaway'

Yee-haw.

As the name and accompanying pictures may suggest, the Wild West's main problem is not the food, it is the marketing end of things that rather lets the place down.  But more of that later - what about the breakfast?  "Better than expected" would be my assessment.  Pretty nice - particularly the bacon/rashers, which were of the traditional variety - although garlic butter with the bread maybe a step too far.  But yes, generally speaking not bad and well priced for the Paceville area at just €3.75 including coffee or tea.