Saint Julian's Band Club A.D. 1927, St. Julians, Malta

Locals hanging at Saint Julian's Band Club, St. Julian's, Malta

We were staying at the lovely Hotel Juliani, right across from the harbor in St. Julian's, Malta. A fun and lively section of the town, but still a ways from the thump, thump, thump of the discos down the road.

When I'm traveling, I like to get out of the hotel early and grab an espresso and maybe a pastry at a nearby coffee shop before the tourists wake up. Little did I know that a fantastic coffee shop was right next door to the hotel.

Saint Julian's Band Club, AD 1927 is the kind of hole in the wall that I adore. Locals gather every morning to chat or read the paper and I joined them. Kind of. I sat in the corner, munched on a pastry, watched the fishermen work on their nets in their boats and listened to the conversation, in Maltese. While English is an official language on Malta (a relic from years of British occupation), most Maltese, especially older ones, use their native language when talking to eachother.

The great thing about Saint Julian's Band Club is that it turns into a bar at night. We grabbed a couple beers there while a local played Eagles songs backed by a drum machine. Highly recommended!
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