Looking for the best gyros in Malta? Here's the honest answer from the people who make it: most of what's sold as “gyros” on this island is döner kebab wearing a Greek name. Real Greek gyros is a different food — different meat, different bread, different sauce — and once you know the five signs, you'll spot the difference from the doorway. This guide shows you what real gyros is, what it should cost in Malta, and where to eat it at 2AM when Paceville is at full volume.
What Real Greek Gyros Actually Is
Gyros (pronounced YEE-ros — the “g” is soft) means “turn” in Greek. Whole cuts of pork or chicken are layered onto a vertical spit, seasoned, and roasted slowly as it turns, so the outside chars while the inside stays juicy. The meat is shaved off in ribbons and lands in a thick, grilled pita with tzatziki, tomato, onion — and fries, inside the wrap. That last part isn't laziness. It's how every proper gyradiko from Athens to Crete serves it.
At Kreta we marinate the meat for 12 hours before it ever touches the spit, and we bake the pita fresh in-house every single day. Not because it sounds nice on a menu — because gyros made with unmarinated meat and packet flatbread simply isn't gyros. It's a wrap with a Greek accent.
Gyros vs Kebab: The 5 Signs You're Eating the Real Thing
Nothing against döner — it's its own food with its own history. The problem is paying for gyros and getting something else. Here's how to check, anywhere in Malta:
The meat is whole cuts, not a processed cone. Real gyros meat shows texture — you can see the layers of actual pork or chicken. If the cone looks perfectly smooth and uniform, it's minced and pressed, which is döner territory.
The sauce is tzatziki, not mayo. Real tzatziki is thick strained yogurt, grated cucumber squeezed dry, garlic, olive oil. It should stand up on the spoon. If your “tzatziki” is pourable, white and sweet-ish, it’s mayonnaise-based sauce.
The fries are inside the pita. The single fastest visual test. Greeks put the chips in the wrap. A gyros served with fries on the side is already apologising.
The pita is thick, soft and grilled — never toasted flat. Greek pita has no pocket. It's a plush, chewy round with char marks, brushed with oil and warmed on the grill. Thin dry flatbread that cracks when folded fails the test.
You can taste the marinade, not just the seasoning salt. Meat that went onto the spit dry tastes like whatever was sprinkled on at the end. Meat marinated overnight tastes seasoned all the way through. There's no shortcut for the 12 hours.
Pork or Chicken? What Greeks Actually Order
In Greece, the traditional answer is pork — it's the original gyros meat, richer, with those crispy caramelised edges the spit produces. Chicken came later and became the second classic: lighter, leaner, and what most first-timers choose. There is no wrong door here. At Kreta both spin daily, both get the full 12-hour marinade, and the honest kitchen recommendation is this: order pork the first time. That's the taste the food was built around.
What Gyros Should Cost in Malta
A fair benchmark, straight from our Paceville menu board:
| Dish | Price |
|---|---|
| Pita Gyro | €9 |
| Gyro Box Combo | €11.50 |
| Pita Gyro Combo | €12.50 |
| Skepasti | €12 |
| Souvlaki (pork/chicken) | €14.50 |
| Soutzoukakia | €15.50 |
| Souvlaki Combo | €16.50 |
If you're paying much more than this for a wrap in Malta, you're paying for the postcode. If you're paying much less, re-read the five signs above.
Beyond the Pita: What Else to Order
Gyros is the door. The rest of the menu is the reason people stay for two hours. Skepasti is the one visitors haven't met yet — a double pita stacked and pressed with meat, melted cheese and fries, closer to a Greek quesadilla than a wrap. Soutzoukakia are spiced meatballs simmered the Smyrna way. Loukaniko is traditional Greek sausage off the grill. And from the sea side: charcoal-grilled sea bass, calamari, and garides saganaki — king prawns simmered in tomato with feta and chilli. The full menu is on the Kreta menu page.
Where to Eat It: Paceville Until 4AM
The Kreta restaurant on St George's Road, St Julian's, runs until midnight Sunday to Thursday — and until 4AM on Friday and Saturday, cooking the full menu to order while the rest of the street is selling reheated slices. If you've ever left a club at 2AM in Paceville, you already understand why this matters.
No compromise on the late shift: the same fresh pita baked that morning, the same spit that's been turning since noon, the same 12-hour marinade. The only thing different at 3AM is the queue.
“True Greek hospitality isn't about complexity; it's about the perfect pita, the freshest ingredients, and a table shared with friends.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I get the best gyros in Malta?+
Kreta Greek Gyros & Grill makes gyros the traditional Greek way in Malta: meat slow-marinated for 12 hours, pita baked fresh in-house every day, and real strained-yogurt tzatziki. Located on St George's Road in Paceville, St Julian's — with the kitchen open until 4AM on Fridays and Saturdays.
What is the difference between gyros and kebab?+
Gyros is Greek: whole cuts of pork or chicken marinated and stacked on a vertical spit, served in thick grilled pita with tzatziki, tomato, onion and fries inside the wrap. Döner kebab is Turkish and typically uses processed minced-meat cones, thinner flatbread, and mayo- or chilli-based sauces instead of tzatziki. The fries inside the pita are the quickest visual clue you're eating Greek gyros.
Is Greek gyros pork or chicken?+
In Greece the traditional default is pork; chicken is the second classic. At Kreta both are marinated for 12 hours and roasted on the spit — pork gives the richer, traditional taste with crispy edges, chicken is lighter.
How much does gyros cost in Malta?+
At Kreta, a pita gyro is €9, the Pita Gyro Combo with a drink is €12.50, the Gyro Box Combo is €11.50, and bigger plates and grill dishes run €14.50–€16.50. The same menu applies on Wolt and Bolt Food.
Where can I eat late at night in Paceville?+
Kreta on St George's Road serves its full menu until 4AM on Friday and Saturday nights, and until midnight Sunday to Thursday — cooked to order, not reheated.
Does Kreta deliver in Malta?+
Yes — through Wolt and Bolt Food from the Paceville kitchen. Tables can also be reserved online at kretamalta.com.
