Here’s my note:
St Julians is a great central location to stay and is a pretty harbour with traditional colourful fishing boats. There is a good bus service to Valetta and for all other destinations you will probably need to change at Valetta. Another option is to take the ferry from Sliema to Valetta great view, takes 10 mins and only costs a couple of euros
Valetta – lovely capital city. Recommend for the architecture and also a must-see are the Upper Barrakka Gardens for a great view of the grand harbour. From here you can see three old cities Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicua – you can also see why they were a great ally to defend Europe in the war due the view/defence position. There are a load of new restaurants on the newly done up Waterfront area. Cordina’s café at the end of Republic Street do good cakes/ice cream and you can sit out and watch the world go by. It’s been there for decades.
Rabat/Mdina – ancient cities next to each other and well worth a visit for the architecture. It’s where Malta used to bury its dead and known as the silent city. It’s proper ‘old Malta’
Dingli cliffs – for a spectacular view, try and get to Dingli cliffs on the western coast if it’s a clear day. It’s the highest point in Malta. It’s a bit of a trek but great view
Beach – most beaches are rocky but if the weather is good the best sandy beach is called Golden Bay – you can get a bus there but would need to change at Valetta, or a taxi
St Peter’s Pool – one for the summer really and you need a car but it’s an picturesque secluded giant rock pool you can jump into. {edit 2021 it was a bit run down when I last went but hopefully they will have spruced it up}
Restaurants – food has improved no end over the last few years but for some traditional maltese food I’d try Ta' Kolina in Sleima – you could walk from St Julians (at a push) or get one of the buses along the coast there (5 mins).
If you fancy going further afield, Ta' Marija in Mosta is lovely (although they have a naff 1970s dancefloor in the middle, presumably used later in the night as I’ve never seen it in use!) The food is traditional maltese and I’ve never had a bad meal there. There is a huge domed church round the corner known for a miracle – in WW2 a bomb dropped in the middle of the church service but didn’t detonate and rolled right through the church. It’s there in the church today for people to view.
Avoid Paceville – it’s the disco nightclub area just north of St Julians. Also avoid Bugibba and Qawra as it’s full of fish & chip places.
Whilst there try:
Kinnie – bitter orange fizzy non alcoholic drink. Fantastic
Pastizzi – small puff pastry pasty pocket filled with ricotta cheese. Look out to Maxim’s or Jeff’s shops that are dotted around and sell them hot out the oven for a few cents. They do a pea version which I am not so keen on.