Valletta is in the news again for all the wrong reasons. Yet again the online commentary boards are full of whining and groaning about St. Paul’s Street being closed up for works.

 

Why August? They moan. Why Valletta? Why there? Why me? Whine whine? Where are people going to park?

 

I am no longer surprised that for the greatest amount of people on this island, parking has become the be all and end all of anything they do. I find this ridiculous and utterly lacking in sense (which I believe may be a tautology…go on, look it up).

 

I am in love with Valletta, which, in my experience, is finally blessed with a Mayor, the fabulously named Alexiei Dingli, that I can relate to. Alexiei is actually nice and he is as different from the clichéd concept of a Maltese politician as you can get. Valletta people love him. In fact, the ones that are constantly griping are, in their majority, not Beltin, but old male business people. If you know of any woman who is in one of these ‘clubs’ then let me know. To my knowledge the only decision I have ever seen them take is to put on that horrific Christmas music throughout December.

 

The thing that is upsetting the business community most at the moment is this idea that the intention is to turn our capital into another Mdina.  I have even seen stickers on doors to this effect. By another Mdina they do not mean ‘silent’ as the old capital is very buzzy during the day, its shops doing quite a bit of business; they mean ‘not available to cars and the owners who cannot do without them’.

 

I go into Valletta practically daily and over the past months I have noticed a relaxed atmosphere. People can actually walk without thinking they will be run over at any point. The type – I am loathe to use the word ‘class’ as it is usually attached to a bad kind of cliché – of Maltese who are still going in are the kind I do not mind having in the table next to mine, having a coffee.

 

Certain areas which have been mired in controversy (for a change) such as the brilliant St. George’s Square (opposite The Palace) are always packed with foreigners enjoying the music and the marching soldiers, their children dashing through the water. The fountain and square were designed by the brilliant (and home-grown) Carlo Schembri and you can tell: he designs for humans, not for stone. Round the corner in Archbishop Street, The Pub, now called Ollie’s Pub, after Oliver Reed conveniently died in it while filming Gladiator in Malta, is always packed. Always. Christopher Farrugia, who runs Ambrosia, is still dishing the highest amount of corporate lunches in the city. A few streets away Da Pippo is still packed, every day. They must be doing something right. They are working with the city rather than against it.

 

My favourite little café right now, for tiny it is, is Culto, in the corner between St. John’s and Republic Streets. I pop in for one thing, and one thing only: a perfectly-made cappuccino in the morning and espressos after 11am. They use Moak and the fragrance of those freshly-ground beans is just sublime: warm and tender at the same time, with absolutely no hint of burnt peanuts.

 

Coffee, though, is not just down to beans, or which machine you use. These people really know how to use the equipment: the cappuccino uses a different blend from the espresso, the top is half an inch of tightly-packed foam, so tight it is almost solid. There is not a single bubble, which is how you can tell it’s perfect. The Moak/Culto combination is so good that you can now have a better coffee in Valletta than you sometimes have in Italy and that really is saying something. These people are pouring love into that cup and for much a little more than a euro, you can feel it.

 

Culto also has a lovely selection of panini with some really fresh ingredients thrown in. I have never tried them myself as I don’t really eat sandwiches but you can tell they’re not ‘just a sandwich’. They also make tiny almond pastries, which I have tried: they are soft and sweet and absolutely perfect. A bit like the café really.

 

Culto is sadly placed in a steep downhill incline. This means that they cannot put tables outside and it is practically impossible to stand and smoke a fag with your perfect afternoon espresso. Nonetheless, all of this does not take anything away from the good stuff that is being done. A little bit like Valletta in general really.