Pastaus Restaurant Malta — Restaurant in Valletta

Since i live here i have come 3 times … i can say that it’s not been the best experience…

The 1st time one of the staff sat me down ( a table for one ) he kindly told me that the waiting time could be long since they had a big group wich i can understand and i told him it was okay i’m patient. It already took 30 mins for someone to come and ask me what i’d want to drink, the worst part the person that did approach me told me he could not serve food ( because of the big group ) it feels like the communication between staff wasn’t the best…

2nd time i went with a co worker, again they told me waiting time would be 40 mins, again i replied with no problem i’m patient. It did take much longer unfortunately. The pasta did taste good but as an Italian I know that even if you make a pasta dish fresh it doesn’t take that long… the waiter didn’t know how to open a bottle of wine so i taught him how to do it after he broke the cork( staff should be taught how to do their jobs if they haven’t been in the industry yet )

3rd time i went with my family, we ordered a specific rosé wine but got another one instead the reason was that they didn’t have the wine we wanted ( when ordering they didn’t tell us this, when i asked about it the waiter had a bit of an attitude, apart from the attitude when rosé wine is served you bring an ice bucket and make sure that one of the customers taste the wine to know if the wine is good or not ( this is a basic thing you need to know when working in a restaurant ) the pasta was good and didn’t take 40 mins like my 2nd time, wich means it is achievable since the amount of customers was the same on both days… when we asked for dessert it took a long time so we thought they would have forgotten us. Finally after 40 mins they came in with dessert the tiramisu was not a real tiramisu, it was biscuits drenched in coffee and whipped cream, the fact that the dessert menu is so limited and still not how it should be is a bit disappointing

As someone who has always been in the industry i can only say that there could be some improvements...

During our visit to Valletta, my wife and I discovered Pastaus, and it turned out to be an exceptional experience. The restaurant has a unique setup, with one room featuring a large communal table for social dining and another offering private tables. The decor is simple yet inviting, with charming signs and vintage photos from past events, showcasing the joy this place has brought to its visitors.

One of the most unique aspects of Pastaus is how they present their pasta. Pre-cooked samples are displayed, and the chef personally explains each option at the table. This approach is both creative and helpful, especially for those who may not be familiar with the various types of pasta. Everything is homemade, and the quality shines through in every bite.

I ordered the Four Cheeses and Nduja Sauce, which was rich, creamy, and perfectly spiced with Calabrian Nduja. My wife chose the Cacio e Pepe with Pecorino Romano D.O.P. and pepper sauce, enhanced with Peperoncino. She loved it so much that she ordered a second portion, this time the Pasta alla Gricia, made with Guanciale, Pecorino, Pecorino Romano D.O.P., and pepper.

The chef also recommended wines to pair with our dishes, which were excellent and perfectly matched the flavors of the pasta. Such thoughtful details made the experience even more enjoyable.

The service was outstanding. The staff was warm and attentive, and we had a delightful 20-minute conversation with a friendly Albanian server, who made us laugh and feel right at home.

The price-to-quality ratio is excellent, and the overall experience was worth every cent. Pastaus is definitely a place we will return to. If you’re in Valletta and love pasta, this restaurant is a must-visit. Delicious food, great service, and a welcoming...

1/5 – Extremely Disappointed After a Promising Start

We visited this restaurant as a family—my wife, our 4-year-old son, and I—because we had such a great experience in the past. Unfortunately, this visit was the complete opposite.

We arrived early and sat on the empty terrace. It was peaceful at first, and we ordered three pasta dishes right away. As time passed, the terrace filled up and other tables began receiving their food. After about 20 minutes, we started to notice that every table around us was getting served—except us.

We were seated right by the door, and the staff passed us repeatedly without so much as an update or a glance. After 35–40 minutes, everyone else was nearly finished eating, and our son, who had been patient and quiet the entire time, finally broke down crying from hunger. As any parent can imagine, it was heartbreaking.

I went inside to ask what was going on, and only then did the staff realize they had completely forgotten our order—the very first table on the terrace, and the only one with a small child. No apology, no sense of urgency—just confusion. When I told them to cancel the order because we were leaving, all they said was, “It’s fine, you don’t need to pay for the water, small Coke, and juice.”

That’s it. No apology, no real acknowledgement of their mistake. We left hungry and incredibly disappointed.

It’s especially disheartening because we had genuinely enjoyed the food on a previous visit, and that’s why we came back. But after this experience, we won’t...