Menu translation for Malta
Translate the description, never the dish name.
A Maltese menu loses its character the moment lampuki becomes "fish of the day". Qarta keeps every local name as your kitchen writes it and translates the description around it into ten languages, so tourists understand the plate without your menu being flattened.
- 10 languages at one price
- Local names untouched
- Your manual edits are never overwritten
The rule we never break
Maltese names stay Maltese, with an explanation attached
Guests do not need the name changed, they need to know what arrives. This is how the six dishes tourists ask about most are handled.
Lampuki
Stays 'lampuki', with a description explaining it is the seasonal dorado landed from August.
Bragioli
Stays 'bragioli', described as beef olives braised in wine and peas.
Ftira
Stays 'ftira', described as the flat Maltese sourdough loaf, Gozitan style when relevant.
Ġbejniet
Stays 'ġbejniet', described as sheep's-milk cheeselets, fresh, dried or peppered.
Aljotta
Stays 'aljotta', described as garlic and tomato fish broth with rice.
Imqaret
Stays 'imqaret', described as fried date pastries served warm.
Who is at your tables
Ten languages, chosen for Malta's actual visitor mix
English
The default for cruise passengers, UK and Irish regulars, and most staff.
Italian
Malta's largest neighbouring market - and the guests most likely to read the fine print on a pasta.
German
Long-stay winter visitors in Bugibba and Qawra who read the whole menu before ordering.
French
Cruise-day groups arriving in Valletta with little time to ask questions.
Spanish
Summer city-break crowd around Sliema and St Julian's.
Dutch
Repeat winter visitors, often on half-board looking for one dinner out.
Polish
A fast-growing summer market and a large share of hospitality staff.
Arabic
Regional visitors and residents; right-to-left layout handled properly.
Chinese
Coach groups doing Mdina and Marsaxlokk in one day.
Japanese
Small high-spend groups who rarely ask staff to explain a dish.
Translation is not only about reading. Every language also feeds the AI table assistant, so a German guest can ask "welche Gerichte sind ohne Milch?" and get an answer drawn strictly from your own menu and allergen data - never invented.
Questions
Menu translation FAQ
- Do you translate Maltese dish names into English?
- No, and that is deliberate. Local dish names such as lampuki, bragioli, ftira, ġbejniet and imqaret stay exactly as your kitchen writes them. What gets translated is the description underneath, so a guest learns what the dish is without the name losing its identity or your menu reading like a supermarket label.
- Which languages does a Malta menu actually need?
- In practice: English, Italian, German and French cover the bulk of the season, with Spanish, Dutch and Polish close behind. Arabic, Chinese and Japanese matter for regional visitors and coach groups. Qarta includes all ten at one price, so you do not have to guess in advance.
- How does the guest get their own language?
- The menu opens in the language the guest's phone already uses, with a switcher at the top if they prefer another. There is no app to install and no login, which matters for visitors on roaming data.
- How accurate is the translation for food?
- Descriptions are translated with food context, then held against the original so cooking methods and cuts do not drift. You can edit any language by hand, and your edit is kept - a later re-translation never overwrites wording you approved.
- Do allergens translate as well?
- Yes. Allergens follow EU Regulation 1169/2011 and are carried as structured flags, not free text, so 'crustaceans' becomes 'crostacei' or 'Krebstiere' correctly in every language.
- What about Maltese itself for local guests?
- Local dish names remain in Maltese throughout, which is what most Maltese guests actually read first. Descriptions default to English, the working language of nearly every Maltese dining room.
One menu, ten languages, none of the character lost
EUR 39.90 per month plus EUR 149 setup with printed QR stickers and staff training.