What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Il-Hnejja
Review
About
Travelers' Choice
2024
Features
CUISINES
Italian, Seafood, Mediterranean, European, Sicilian, Southern-Italian
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
FEATURES
Free Wifi
Highchairs Available
Outdoor Seating
Reservations
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Wheelchair Accessible
Is this an Italian restaurant?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Open until 10:30 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Contribute
4.5
392 reviews
Excellent
287
Very good
65
Average
17
Poor
11
Terrible
12
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Cécile Q
40 contributions
Oct 2024 • couples
We had lunch on the terrace along the harbour, very nice. The tables have tablecloths and the dishes are clean. We took a "seafood platter with fish" for 2 served with fries and salad (60€). The fish and seafood were very good and the fries very crisp. The octopus portion was a bit right. The service was quick at first but at the end of the meal we were forgotten in our corner and we waited a lot to have 2 coffees. One of the servers is very friendly and the other not at all. It was impossible to understand the name of the fish we had eaten, he spoke English and he had no time to write it down on paper.
Automatically translated
Written October 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Serena S
4 contributions
Dec 2024 • family
Local on the seafront small but very quaint and cozy. The staff was friendly, always present, pampered and followed us throughout dinner. We wanted to eat fish and we chose the right place: everything was great, both the mixed catch (mussels, sea bream, octopus, prawns and scallops) and the first courses (pasta stuffed with lobster and ravioloni with shrimp). We also tried the chorizo rolls wrapped in pillow, even the delicious ones. In addition, the chef wanted to pay tribute to a Maltese specialty: rabbit rolls that were a pleasant discovery. We spent about 40 euros each (including a bottle of local wine). Money well spent. Highly recommended.
Automatically translated
Written December 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2Franceschi
Lazio208 contributions
Mar 2024 • couples
We had dinner at this restaurant somewhat by chance while taking a walk in Senglea. The location had already attracted our attention from the outside. The restaurant has a small veranda overlooking the sea but we preferred to dine inside, discovering a welcoming room with an open kitchen. The waiter who served us was attentive and available to explain the dishes to us. We had 2 Bouillabaisse (divine!) and some fried fish balls and pork cheek with a sauce. Everything was excellent, even the bill! Absolutely the best meal of the entire holiday in Malta... to be recommended and to return!
Written March 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
giocacopri
Nuoro39 contributions
Dec 2023 • friends
The place is small, but the location is fantastic. The first courses were all good. We asked for a mix of shellfish, on the menu at a cost of 60 euros for two people. All good but not very filling. Perfect service, kind and helpful.
Written December 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ed W
Spotsylvania1 contribution
Mar 2023 • family
The title says it all. The restaurant is on the water in Senglea, but don’t let the location fool you. It’s not a tourist trap. Il-Hnejja is the real deal, serving delicious local cuisine at a pretty reasonable cost. We tried quite a few different dishes but my favorites were the breaded octopus, the scallops, and the pasta with chicken and prawns. The local wine was also excellent. I can’t forget Chris our waiter. Absolutely top notch. Friendly, knowledgeable and easy to talk to. Terrific food and terrific service. Don’t miss this place
Written March 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pauline H
Canterbury3 contributions
May 2024 • friends
Loved eating here! The waiters were knowledgeable, friendly, attentive and courteous. The food was perfectly cooked and presented, we had fish which the waiters kindly deboned for us. Beautiful setting and ambience by the waterside. Expensive but definitely worth pushing the boat out for!
Written May 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ninapokapika
22 contributions
Aug 2023 • couples
We went to this restaurant and we were not disappointed.
The restaurant is very well located near the boats, we were able to see the fireworks.
The servers were very nice and welcoming.
We were prepared a divine dish with tagliatelle sprinkled with shrimp with a succulent sauce surrounded by a large lobster cut in half.
A hearty dish, well proportioned, with excellent quality products.
An unforgettable moment for an exceptional evening!!!!
Written August 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clive T
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • family
Beautiful views over the water of Birgu and Valletta. The most surprising thing was the array of special classic Maltese dishes and things not even listed on the menu. Don’t walk by because the food was first class, the service excellent and this family run place offered a warm welcome and very reasonably priced based on the quality.
Written August 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Galdanagh
Dublin81 contributions
Nov 2024 • couples
Kitchen staff mostly work hard. On this night, I could see them doing so, from my seat outside.
But what we judge them on is what appears on our plates. On the evidence of this night, this restaurant MUST do much better.
We only ordered a main course each (early start for flight home the next morning). It took 45' to appear. Unacceptable. Utterly.
On arrival of the food, our plates were cold. My ribeye was shot through with fat and gristle and sinew. Far too much. The little meat on it was tasty and well-cooked to order, but much of the steak was inedible.
A's chicken fillet was worse than the one I cook - and I'm no whizz-hot chef. Dry, moisture-free, tough, tasteless; a labour to tackle.
My pepper sauce was thick and farinaceous - the humble but perfectly adequate vegetables of broccoli and carrot were black, bitter, cremated. The chips were wan and limp, the mash potato was a stringy, lumpy gloop.
We come from Ireland. All these meal elements are done better, more simply, in many very humble restaurants at home.
I take no pleasure in castigating what appeared a homely, well-run, genuine establishment. But we ate for a week in Malta, and this offering was by a distance our worst.
Written November 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colleen O
7 contributions
Mar 2024 • couples
Absolutely incredible. We shared a seafood platter which had loads of mussels (we wished we could bottle the sauce on the mussels, it was amazing) the best prawns, octopus, a whole fish, scallops on the shell. It also came with bread, rice a huge portion of chips and a salad. Everything was amazing, perfectly cooked, really tasty and great value for money. The service was impeccable, when the wind picked up they offered to move us inside but when we said we wanted to stay outside they brought us blankets. It's also in a beautiful position. If you're in Senglea this is the place to go.
Written March 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gallivantress
Houston328 contributions
Nov 2023 • couples
After a long day of touring Malta and Gozo, we could not have done better than dinner next to the Senglea marina at Il Hnejja. As boats passed by us, we enjoyed a fine dinner under the stars and moon. Our server gave detailed explanations of how the various dishes are prepared to ensure we ordered something special.
I had snapper with grilled vegetables. My husband had Garganelli (a local favorite
with Maltese sausage, goat cheese). Our server removed the bones for us in the kitchen.
The fished was well spiced and extremely fresh!
Written November 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ChrisLong903
Five Dock14 contributions
Oct 2023 • couples
Great seafood, great service, great location. Our waiter was very knowledgeable and helpful, to the point of running to catch up with us with something we left behind. We shared their signature octopus starter in an ink sauce, excellent! We then had two different local fish dishes where the fish was filleted at our table. Very tasty. I highly recommend this restaurant.
Written October 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Laurie B
2 contributions
Feb 2023 • none
We had a most wonderful evening at Il-Hnejja! It was quiet, but our server was wonderfully attentive and took great care in explaining all of the wonderful items on the specials menu. We had the fresh caught fish and the stuffed chicken breast and both were absolutely fantastic. The warm atmosphere of this cozy restaurant combined with the amazing food and awesome service were all second to none. Highly recommend this restaurant - and thank you for such a special experience.
Written February 21, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ceyda M
1 contribution
Mar 2023 • couples
We have been to Il-Hnejja off season (late March) but the weather was great to sit outside - with views of the pier right in front of you. We were welcomed by Chris who was very attentive and helpful with all the dish recommendations throughout the night. We enjoyed great seafood sourced locally and delicately curated by Malcolm which was all delicious. Great little place to try!
Written March 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JMcFish
225 contributions
Mar 2023 • couples
Good starters led to very poor mains. Six-hour lamb wasn’t that tender and didn’t smell good across the table from me. The ‘fresh’ prawns…hmmm - the red ones, by the softness of their shell and the pappiness of the contents were clearly frozen. The other shell-less ones were obviously slung in last minute, were hard and had no taste. €100 wasted 😡
Written March 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dean Buhagiar
Good evening
We appreciate your review on Tripadvisor however if you complained with the waiter on duty he would have changed both your main courses.
By telling him that food was good obviously he couldn't.
Thanks for visiting our restaurant
Written March 28, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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