A French boulangerie-pâtisserie in Senglea worth writing home about

The Snop House, a stunning boutique hotel in the heart of Senglea, in the south of Malta and Le Grenier a Pain Malta, the first genuine French bakery and pastry shop on the islands, have joined forces.

Rendez-vous by the Snop has been launched and plays a key role in elevating the level of expertise and high-quality products in Senglea, promoting it as a destination of excellence.

It goes without saying that food in Malta is a big deal. The locals love their food and their cooking methods are not only flavourful but include an abundance of passion, love and dedication. One prime example of local Maltese food is the traditionally baked Ħobż tal-Malti (Maltese bread), which has a deliciously crunchy crust and a soft, fluffy centre.

In the same vein, bread is a crucial part of French cuisine, deeply ingrained in the country’s traditions. So much so that visiting a ‘boulangerie’, which is a bakery that bakes mostly or only bread, and queuing with the locals is one of the great cultural experiences in France. Every town has a boulangerie and freshly baked bread slices with butter and jam, also known as ‘tartines’, for breakfast is commonplace.

Integrating bread into lunch and dinner is also very common, primarily due to the fact that there are so many different bread options, it’s never boring!

During these tough times, the team at Rendez-vous by the Snop, as well as Le Grenier a Pain, dove headfirst into the world of bread and are happy and willing to talk about their passions. They’re also happy to share their best recipes with you and take you on a journey of the senses.

Opening right before the Christmas season will give everyone the opportunity to embrace the festivities with a brand new taste for French traditional Christmas foods, including Christmas log with classical chocolate, chestnut and vanilla flavours, Christmas log, featuring brand new flavours and textures and of course, sweet, delightful macaroons.

Based on the concept of combining history, anthropology, culture and ‘art de recevoir, the bakery and pastry shop is, in essence, a rebirth of a confectionary shop named ‘rendez-vous’, which was in the same venue and was renowned for its ginger bread before the First World War.

Once the festive season is over, Rendez-vous by the Snop will be selling not one, but two exclusive pastries, which were developed by the master pastry chef of Le Grenier a Pain, based on the revival of Maltese tradition, as well as the unique flavours of the Maltese Islands.

Rendez-vous by the Snop is open Tuesday through to Saturday, from 7:30am to 3pm and 5pm to 8pm. On Sundays, from 7:30am till 1pm

Find them on 21bis Victory Street in Senglea (L-Isla).