Discover Local St. Julian's: What to Do Around Mercure St. Julian's Malta

At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for St. Julian's, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?

St. Julian's in 5 picks

Spinola Bay at breakfast time

Before the terraces fill up, this is just a working bay: painted fishing boats, gulls, and the Spinola Palace watching over it all. Walk it early and you'll have it mostly to yourself.

Gululu

Right on the water in Spinola Bay, this is where locals go for fenkata — Maltese rabbit, slow-cooked or pan-fried with garlic and wine. Not a dish you'll find dressed up elsewhere.

Balluta Bay

One bay over from Spinola, Balluta has the same sea views with fewer crowds and some striking Art Nouveau buildings worth a slow look.

Carob Tree Food Court

A modern food hall with stalls covering half a dozen cuisines under one roof — useful when your group can't agree on what to eat.

Sundays in Scotland

This coffee shop started life as a chocolate maker, and it shows: good espresso, better pastries, and chocolate worth taking home.

Where to eat
Spinola Bay is where St. Julian's does its eating: a curved waterfront lined with Maltese, Italian and international kitchens, fishing boats moored a few metres from your table. For traditional Maltese food, rabbit is the dish to order — try it pan-fried or in a rich stew with garlic and bay leaf. Balluta Bay, a short walk along the promenade, has a quieter version of the same view.
By the water
The seafront promenade linking Balluta Bay to Spinola Bay is the best way to get your bearings — it's flat, walkable, and puts you within reach of most restaurants and bars in town. St. Julian's is also home to some of Malta's best-known casinos and nightlife, a few minutes on foot from the bay.
Right outside your hotel
Mercure St. Julian's Malta sits about 200 metres from Spinola Bay, with Portomaso Marina just 400 metres away and St George's Bay Beach a 9-minute walk. You're close enough to the casinos, bars and restaurants to walk to most of them, with a rooftop pool at the hotel if you'd rather not.
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FAQ

Yes — St George's Bay Beach is about a 9-minute walk, and Portomaso Marina is roughly 400 metres from the hotel.

Yes, regular buses run from St. Julian's to Valletta, and a ferry from nearby Sliema offers a scenic alternative across the harbour.

Rabbit (fenkata) is the Maltese specialty — look for it pan-fried or slow-cooked in wine and garlic at a Spinola Bay restaurant.

Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in St. Julian's, all within reach of these picks.

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Where to sleep

See Mercure hotels in St. Julian's, all within reach of these picks

View hotels