The bar scene in Malta has a lively, palpable energy to it. People do not just go to bars to consume alcohol but also to enjoy the atmosphere as they catch up with friends, listen to music and unwind. The choice of bars is endless, from bars that play deafening music which is a conversation killer to others which are designed as venues for socialising and possibly even meeting your match.

Rosette Dimech and Mark Stevens

We still go to bars as a couple because we always meet interesting people or people we already know.

Rosette Dimech and Mark Stevens had been frequenting the same bar – City of London in St Julians – for over 10 years but had always missed meeting each other as Mark would go after 5 p.m. for a couple of hours while Rosette would go in the evening.

They finally met for a fleeting few minutes as Mark was leaving and Rosette had just arrived. However, they met again one Sunday afternoon in April two years ago. They were re-introduced by the same common friend who had introduced them the first time. This time around they sat down and talked for the next 16 hours.

“I kept talking to Mark because he asked me questions, was really interested in what I did and he was also a good listener,” says Rosette. Mark thought that Rosette must have a nice character because she laughed and smiled all the time.

Although they had both arrived at the bar with their own friends, they sat outside, away from the crowd and noise inside the bar.

“We were both with our own friends but they all gave us space to talk,” says Mark.

When everybody left and the bar closed at 3 a.m., Mark and Rosette went across the road to Muddy Waters until that closed too.

“We still go to bars as a couple because we always meet interesting people or people we already know, so it is always fun. Occasionally we also go to wine bars especially the open air ones,” says Mark.

As Mark is British but has been living in Malta for the past 12 years, I ask him if he misses the British pub life.

“I do not miss the bars in London. The Maltese are very friendly – you can go to any bar and within five minutes you can be talking to people. This does not happen in England.”

Both Mark and Rosette think that a bar should have friendly staff, should be clean and play good music. They also like organised events such as quiz nights, Beaujolais nights, St Patrick’s Day and the personality of the year event which Rosette won in 2011 at City of London bar.

Wine bars, on the other hand, offer an alternative to bars, with quieter surroundings. They are usually designed for more intimate socialising where friends or couples discuss and discover things about each other over a glass of wine and food.

Bernice and Joseph Camilleri

We were looking for somewhere quiet and comfortable to talk and get to know each other.

Bernice and Joseph Camilleri were introduced by common friends on Joseph’s birthday over two years ago. They met several times with other friends, but after two weeks they decided to go to a wine bar on their first proper date. They went to a wine bar they both had been to before – Fortress in Xemxija.

“We were looking for somewhere quiet and comfortable to talk and get to know each other. As it was a weekday in May, this wine bar was not so busy,” says Joseph.

They went upstairs to the lounge area.

“It’s a chill out place with mellow music that lets you talk. In fact we just couldn’t stop talking,” says Bernice. That evening they discovered things they had in common and others which they wanted to try out together such as camping and off-roading. They said they chose a wine bar instead of a bar because they preferred soft music, dim lights and comfortable sofas that create the prefect ambiance for a couple on their first date.

“Contrary to when we were single and used to go to bars, we now look for quieter places where we can chill out with our friends or on our own. Now that we are more relaxed and settled, we automatically go to these quieter places,” says Bernice.

Bernice and Joseph explain that the right ambiance is what they look for.

“Little details make a place attractive such as bottles with dripping candles, different coloured bottles on the wall, the old contrasted with the modern such as old walls and arches with modern sofas and lampshades, and a touch of bright colours such as red cushions and lots of candles to give a warm effect.

“Sometimes it is these small details and creative ideas that matter most. If the environment looks and feels good, you automatically want to go there and try it out,” they say.

Singles and couples are drawn to bars and wine bars that give attention to detail, be it service, good food, reasonable prices, organised evenings, decor and good music. When the conditions are right, people pick up and emanate the good and lively mood that spreads like vibrant threads through the bar or wine bar. Only then can they enjoy being with their friends and partners, making new friends and, if single, possibly meeting their match.