Restaurant in Sliema, Malta
Malta's clearest case for a special-occasion booking.
Le GV holds a 2024 Michelin star and sits on the eleventh floor of Sliema's 1926 Le Soleil Hotel, making it the most credentialled restaurant in the area. At €€€, it offers a deliberately limited, high-craft menu from an open kitchen with rooftop terrace access in warmer months. Book three to four weeks out minimum — this is the hardest table to secure in Sliema.
At €€€ per head, Le GV is one of the more considered ways to spend a special occasion dinner in Malta. You're paying for a Michelin star earned in 2024, an open kitchen where chefs Andrew Borg and David Tanti work a deliberately limited menu, and a rooftop setting on the eleventh floor of the 1926 Le Soleil Hotel & Spa that places the Sliema skyline directly in your sightline. The question is whether the food justifies the outlay. On the evidence available, it does — but with some caveats worth reading before you book.
Le GV is among Sliema's newest serious dining destinations, and the 2024 Michelin star is the clearest signal that the kitchen hit the ground running. For context, a first star this early in a restaurant's life is not common. It signals that the panel found both consistency and technical precision — two things that matter more to Michelin inspectors than room design or view. That the recognition came so quickly from chefs working a limited menu is, if anything, more impressive than a sprawling tasting format where one or two strong dishes can carry weaker ones.
The setting itself underwent a deliberate design exercise. The two dining rooms draw from the visual language of the Orient Express carriages , warm panelling, considered detailing, a formality that doesn't feel stiff. For the warmer months, a panoramic terrace opens up, extending the experience outdoors with views over the city. If you're booking for a celebration or a meaningful dinner, the rooftop terrace in summer is the argument for timing your visit carefully. Book between May and October to have the terrace as a realistic option, and request it specifically when reserving.
The open kitchen at Le GV is not incidental. Watching chefs Borg and Tanti work is part of the experience , the kind of transparency that tends to sharpen a kitchen's performance and gives guests a clearer connection to what arrives at the table. Where a closed kitchen keeps the mechanics invisible, an open one puts the timing, the plating, and the precision on display. At a Michelin-starred venue with a limited menu, that visibility matters: you're essentially watching the full repertoire of the evening unfold in real time.
Menu's deliberate brevity is worth noting before you arrive. A limited selection can feel like a constraint, but here it reads as a confidence statement. The kitchen offers fewer dishes because it has chosen to do fewer things at a high standard rather than hedge with volume. Dishes cited by reviewers include a raw amberjack finished tableside with a frothy Sicilian pink grapefruit cream and sea urchin, and a dessert pairing that has included whisky zabaglione with butter-soaked brioche. These are technically precise constructions, not crowd-pleasing flourishes. If you want a wide-ranging à la carte with multiple options per course, this is not the right room. If you want a short, focused, high-craft menu with visible kitchen confidence, it is.
Le GV holds a 4.6 Google rating from 72 reviews , a strong signal at a sample size that, while not enormous, is meaningful for a venue this new and this specialised. The Michelin star makes it the most credentialled restaurant currently operating in Sliema, which also means it is the hardest to book in the area. Plan at least three to four weeks ahead for a weekend table, longer if you want the terrace during high season. A last-minute table here is unlikely.
The address is Thornton, Tas-Sliema SLM 3143 , within the 1926 Le Soleil Hotel & Spa building. If you're staying at the hotel, ask the concierge to handle the reservation. If not, contact the restaurant directly through the hotel's booking channels. Dress expectations at a Michelin-starred rooftop dining room lean smart; arriving underdressed at a venue of this calibre is a practical risk worth avoiding.
For solo diners, the open kitchen positioning creates a natural focal point that makes dining alone feel active rather than awkward. Groups larger than four should confirm seating configurations in advance , the two dining rooms suggest some flexibility, but the kitchen's limited menu format is better suited to smaller parties where the pacing works for everyone at the table.
For wider context on where Le GV sits within Malta's dining scene, see our full Sliema restaurants guide. If you're planning a broader trip, our Sliema hotels guide, Sliema bars guide, and Sliema experiences guide cover the surrounding options. For other high-craft dining across Malta, ION Harbour by Simon Rogan in Valletta and Rosamì in St Julian's are the two most directly comparable conversations. Elsewhere on the island, Al Sale in Xagħra, AYU in Gzira, Bahia in Balzan, Commando in Mellieħa, Giuseppi's in Naxxar, Grotto Tavern in Rabat, and Level Nine at The Grand in Għajnsielem represent the range of serious dining options across the archipelago. For Sliema specifically, Chophouse and Fernandõ Gastrotheque offer solid alternatives at a lower booking difficulty. If you want a global modern cuisine reference point, Frantzén in Stockholm and FZN by Björn Frantzén in Dubai are the category benchmarks at the leading end.
Quick reference: Michelin 1 Star (2024) · Google 4.6/5 (72 reviews) · Price range €€€ · 1926 Le Soleil Hotel & Spa, Sliema · Booking difficulty: hard · Reserve 3–4 weeks minimum.
The venue format centres on two dining rooms and a rooftop terrace rather than a traditional bar counter. The open kitchen is the closest equivalent to a counter experience , if you're a solo diner wanting proximity to the kitchen's work, ask about seating options nearest the open kitchen when booking. Don't expect a casual bar-drop-in format at a Michelin-starred venue of this type.
Small groups of two to four are the natural fit for Le GV's format. The two dining rooms suggest some flexibility for larger bookings, but the limited menu and paced kitchen format works leading when the whole table is on the same rhythm. If you're bringing six or more, confirm seating configuration and menu logistics directly with the restaurant when reserving. At €€€ per head across a large group, the bill adds up fast , consider whether Fernandõ Gastrotheque or another Sliema option with more flexible group formats might suit better.
A minimum of three to four weeks for a weekend table is a practical baseline. The 2024 Michelin star made Le GV the most credentialled restaurant in Sliema and demand moved accordingly. For the rooftop terrace in summer (May to October), book further out , six weeks is not excessive for a Saturday in peak season. Walk-ins are not a realistic strategy here.
The menu at Le GV is deliberately limited rather than a formal tasting menu in the multi-course omakase sense, but the effect is similar: a short selection of high-craft dishes designed to be eaten in sequence. Given the Michelin recognition and the technical approach described by reviewers , tableside finishing, precise flavour layering, a single refined dessert offering , the answer is yes at €€€, provided this focused format suits you. If you want breadth and choice, look elsewhere. If you want craft at a controlled price point for Malta, this is currently the clearest argument in Sliema.
Fernandõ Gastrotheque at €€€ is the most direct local alternative , Mediterranean-focused, easier to book, and a solid choice if Le GV is fully committed. For a step down in price with more casual delivery, Chophouse covers the grill-focused end. If you're willing to travel slightly, ION Harbour by Simon Rogan in Valletta at €€€€ and Rosamì in St Julian's at €€€ are the two strongest peer comparisons for serious modern cooking in Malta.
At €€€, Le GV is priced below ION Harbour by Simon Rogan (€€€€) and Noni (€€€€) while holding the same Michelin recognition tier. That's a meaningful value argument for the quality level on offer. The rooftop setting, open kitchen, and the speed of the star , earned within the first year or two of operation , all support the price. The caveat: if you need a wide menu with plenty of choice, the limited selection may feel constraining for the spend. Go in knowing the format and it delivers.
Yes, with some planning. The eleventh-floor rooftop terrace in summer, the Orient Express-inspired dining room design, and the Michelin star together make a strong case for anniversaries, significant birthdays, or a high-quality business dinner where setting matters. Book the terrace specifically for warmer months. For winter visits, the indoor dining rooms carry enough formality and atmosphere to hold the occasion. The limited menu format works in your favour here , the pacing is deliberate and unhurried, which suits a celebratory dinner better than a packed à la carte room.
Better than most venues at this level. The open kitchen gives solo diners a natural focal point and something to engage with between courses, which removes the self-consciousness that can accompany dining alone at a formal restaurant. Ask for seating with a kitchen view when booking. The limited menu also means you're not spending time navigating a long card , the decision-making is direct, which is a practical advantage when eating alone.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le GV | Modern Cuisine | €€€ | One of the newest culinary destinations in town, GV Restaurant is the place to be. Located on the eleventh floor of the 1926 Le Soleil Hotel & Spa, it boasts two elegant dining rooms with décor inspir...; The rooftop restaurant - on the eleventh floor of the 1926 Le Soleil hotel - features decor in its two dining rooms that will seem familiar to you, and you won’t be wrong, some elements are inspired by the carriages of the Orient Express. For the warmer season, there is also a panoramic terrace overlooking the city. From the open kitchen, Chefs Andrew Borg and David Tanti offer a selection of dishes from a limited menu, blending creativity with international flair. While the selection may seem limited, the quality is anything but: it is of a very high standard. Notably, the refined raw amberjack accompanied by a touch of sea urchin and a hint of preserved fennel, finished at the table with a delightful and frothy Sicilian pink grapefruit cream, is exceptional. The dessert menu features just one option, but it consists of 2 or 3 very indulgent and well-prepared tastings (the whisky zabaglione with butter-soaked brioche for dipping is fabulous).; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Hard | — |
| Noni | Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Marea | Italian, Asian | €€ | Unknown | — | |
| ION Harbour by Simon Rogan | Contemporary | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Rosamì | Creative | €€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Fernandõ Gastrotheque | Mediterranean Cuisine | €€€ | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
The venue database does not confirm a bar-dining option at Le GV. The setup centres on two dining rooms and a seasonal panoramic terrace on the eleventh floor of the 1926 Le Soleil Hotel. If counter or bar seating is a priority, check the venue's official channels before booking.
Two separate dining rooms give Le GV more flexibility for groups than a single-room restaurant at this price tier. For larger parties or private hire enquiries, reach out directly — the hotel setting makes a private arrangement plausible, but nothing is confirmed in available data.
Book at least two to three weeks out, more for weekends or major holidays. A 2024 Michelin star on a rooftop with two small dining rooms means covers are limited — this is not a walk-in venue at €€€ pricing in a market where Maltese diners take the star seriously.
The kitchen runs a deliberately limited menu, which at Michelin one-star level signals focus rather than restriction. The format — small selection, high execution, open kitchen — suits diners who want a composed progression rather than à la carte flexibility. If you prefer choosing freely from a broad menu, ION Harbour by Simon Rogan operates a similar format and is the closest peer comparison for format fit.
For Michelin-calibre cooking with more of a harbour view, ION Harbour by Simon Rogan in Valletta is the direct peer. Noni is a strong alternative for creative Maltese-inflected modern cuisine at a comparable ambition level. Rosamì and Fernandõ Gastrotheque are worth considering if you want more flexibility on format or price point.
At €€€ with a 2024 Michelin star, a panoramic rooftop terrace, and a focused menu delivered from an open kitchen, Le GV sits at the serious end of Malta's dining market — and the 4.6 Google rating across 72 reviews for a venue this new suggests it is holding the standard. The comparison to make is ION Harbour: if the Valletta harbour setting matters to you, that may win on atmosphere; if you want the Orient Express-inspired room and the Sliema rooftop, Le GV delivers.
Yes — the combination of a 2024 Michelin star, an eleventh-floor panoramic terrace, two considered dining rooms, and a kitchen format built around deliberate, finished plates makes Le GV one of the more defensible special-occasion choices in Malta right now. Book a terrace table for the warmer months if you can.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
