Malta’s iconic Caffe Cordina has officially become a member of the European Historic Cafes Association, an organisation aiming to become a bridge of cultural communication between historic cafes, ensuring the survival and the spreading of their rare cultural heritage and history.

Launched in April 2014 in Crete, the European Historic Cafes Association aims to highlight the historic cafes of Europe, which it says represent important venues of the cities they are established in for more than a hundred years.

The Association, which operates as a non-profit, is based on the need to encourage, protect and preserve the cultural, architectural and artistic heritage of historic cafes around Europe and beyond.

Other iconic cafes belonging to the Association are Prague’s Café Louvre (est. 1902), Vienna’s Café Weimar (est. 1900), Paris’ Les Deux Magots (est. 1812) and Barcelona’s Café De L’Opera – dating back to the end of the 18th century.

Founded in 1837, Caffe Cordina is a well-known family business with a long history.

From its humble beginnings as a confectionery in Bormla, it has become a prestigious Cafe thanks to the foresight, daring and hard work of the late Cesare Cordina, when he relocated it to Valletta in 1944.

Situated in a beautiful, historic palazzo with an exquisite interior, Cesare Cordina, forefather of the present family, enlarged the coffee shop over the years to include a restaurant, tea room, pasticceria, coffee bar and gelateria.

Caffe Cordina produces its own hand-made, traditional sweets and pastries in-house and also has a line of gourmet products. The family of Cesare Cordina continues to maintain the same high standards of quality, service, and innovation.