Restaurants of Malta No.13: TARRAGON RESTAURANT

25th February, 2012.

St.Paul's Bay Location.

I had been postponing dining out on our customery Friday night fling for the last couple of weeks mainly due to a bout of flu coupled with the foul weather that we have been experiencing throughout this month.
Yesterday, was one of those long awaited beautiful winter days in Malta, warm sunny and bright, resulting in a balmy and pleasant evening, so the drive over to St. Paul's Bay was not such an ordeal.

Tarragon Logo.

TARRAGON RESTAURANT, has been on our books for a review visit since the begining of winter, not that it was going to be our first visit to this establishment, as we had already dined there twice before in the last year or so, but nevertheless, for our review purposes, features published must indicate the present. Past visits, or more than just one visit, are of course important as through them we can determine the consistency of an establishment.

View from the table.

Tarragon has been consistent and synonymous with quality cuisine and excellent service since, its Chef/Patron Marvin Gauchi opened its doors for the first time in January, 2007. Marvin insists that under his guidance and direction, the kitchen team at Tarragon provide the very best cuisine, produced from the freshest ingredients, ranging from heart-warming soups, pasta dishes, a selection of delicious starters, with chunky and innovative main dishes, complemented by a selection of home-made desserts. Decor is casual but very designer-smart and welcomomg with seating in dining areas both on the ground floor as well as on the first floor.

The menu is divided in four sections with a separate specialities of the day menu, consisting of selections of Starters: such as their Octopus, salmon and Black Angus carpacios; truffle and grouper croquette; calamari,; carrot and apple soup, etc; Price range approx Eur9 to Eur12.
Pasta: with choices of homemade pasta tossed in squid black ink, tiger prawns and lobster bisque; their special chocolate and Brasilian orange ravioli; fresh pasta filled with scalops and prawns, etc. Price ranging from Eur9 to Eur12..
Main courses: which range from the restaurant's signature Meagre (gurbell) cooked and flambeed in sea salt; seafood and fresh fish by weight;  Black Angus rib-eye and fillet steaks; Chateaubriand for two; pork; lamb fillet; veal; chicken and duck breast. Prices range from about Eur20 to Eur30 depending on selection.

Our Cuisine Selections:

Our food choices fell on the following selections:

Starters:

Four fresh scallops.
Delicious and recommended.

One serving of four fresh scallops which was listed in the day's specialities. Scallops are imported in Malta every Tuesday from Scotland. A delicious starter.

The Calamari fritti.

One, line caught calamari cooked in seasoned flour, tossed in garlic, parsley and Himalaya salt.

The linguine rizzi al cartocio.

Fresh pasta parcels stuffed with
scallops and prawn meat.
Recommended.

One fresh pasta filled with scallops and prawn meat, olive oil, cherry tomato and cream shellfish bisque, and green caviar on te side.

One linguine seafood al cartocio.







Main Courses:

The Black Angus Fillet with
potatoes, veg and mushroom
and truffle sauce.

The Black Angus Fillet as initially
presented.

One USDA Black Angus prime cut fillet with mushroom and truffle sauce on the side.
The fillet is served on a flat open platform. It was ordered medium and served perfectly, well rested and without the slightest indication of blood.
This fillet simply melts in the mouth.

The grilled milk-fed veal.

The slow cooked pork with crackling
and sauce on the side.

One  fresh local pork, slow cooked served with roasted white onion, port and citrus jus and crackling.

One local red king prawns baked in garlic-infused olive oil and herbs. This is the first time that I have seen king prawns sliced in two halves, and baked;  normally and usually king prawns are served whole unless they are the giant imported ones.

One,  grilled milk-fed veal, topped with smoked salt, with bairnaise sauce on the side, served on a similar flat platform to the fillet steak.
The red stips on top of the meat main courses are some sort of coloured pasta, boiled and dried. It gives a bit of colour to the presentation, but should it be placed in every platter?

The baked local king prawns
sliced in halves and baked.

Desserts:

The pancakes.

The Red Velvet and coconut cake.

Two servings of pancakes with fruit, sorbet and Grand Marnier.
One dark chocolate and peanut tart;
 and one Red Velvet and coconut cake.

The dark chocolate and
peanut tart.

In the opinion of the reviewers, the pancakes should be served hot. A contrast will be created with the cold sorbet wrapped in the pancakes, but still, the outside pancake should be hot and the Grand Marnier flambe' should enhance it further. A look at this presentation is necessary.
Both the Red Velvet and coconut cake as well as the Dark Chocolate and Peanut tart were very nice in their own right, but in the opinion of the the viewers they are more suitable  with coffee or tea, rather than desserts after a heavy meal. True enough there were other choices on the menu such as creme brulee', tiramisu, etc.

The Wine List:

The wine list is vast and the actual presentation is huge. Various local and imported wines are offered to suit most pockets. Our choice was a lovely Patriarch Chianti Classico at Eur21.50 which was good value and which complemented the food choices very well.- indeed.

Service:

Service at Tarragon has always been very good, both upstairs as well as downstairs. Attentive head waiters, knowledgeable wine servers, and the table server was very pleasant and efficient. Cuisine is served calmly without fuss, and in good time between courses. The restaurant was fully booked on this Friday evening, but everything was administered smoothly with every table, whether it seated two persons or eight, given every attention.  Well done to Michael Sultana the Head Chef who was running the show on this day as Marvin was on his day-off after having just arrived in Malta after attending a culinary show Italy in which he had participated.

Value of money:

The dinner as described and illustrated above including one bottle of wine, four glasses of pre-dinner Proseccos; four bottles of water (two still and two sparkling); espressos, and complementary liqueurs came up to Eur188.50 or Eur47 per person.

REVIEWERS IMPRESSIONS:

Ambience, Decor and Atmosphere:  Very Good.
Cuisine quality:                                  Very Good.+
Preparation and presentation:             Very Good +
Harmony of Menu:                             Very Good.
Service, attention to clients' needs
and general attitude:                           Very Good+

OVERALL RATING: 9/10 Fine dining cuisine in an up-market casual dining atmosphere.
Recommended.

Contact Details:

Tarragon Restaurant,
Church Street,
St. Paul's Bay.
Tel: 21573 759; 2726 6999; 9926 6999.

2012 - WRMC Reviewed, Rated & Recommended Restaurants

Round-up of the top restaurants, that we have reviewed and rated, up-to-today, for 2012. More restaurants will be added in due course, as and when reviewed and as approved. One has to realise that not all restaurants that we dine at, are considered to be up to the standard required, and several are neither rated nor published.

WRMC stands for Wines and Restaurants of Malta. Com

In this list, we shall endeavour to include only, those venues, that we have awarded 8 points or more overall. Reviews for others that are awarded 6 to 7 points might be published in the website for your information..

Points are given for:

Ambience; Decor; Cuisine Quality; Preparation and Presentation; Service; Staff and Management attitude towards clients and overall demeanour; Value for money food; Wine List and mark-up. Overall points are calculated through an overall formulae to arrive at the points and their meaning as shown below.

What do the points mean:

10: Excellent; 9: Very Good +; 8: Very Good; 7: Good; 6:Average. Under 6 not rated.

You can view the complete, photo- illustrated reviews and ratings by reading the published reviews in this site. We have dined in each and every restaurant featured, more than once to come to a specific and authentic rating, and by also sampling different cuisine in each.

So if you are looking for a restaurant to dine at this weekend, consult the list below:

Sunday Buffet Lunches:

Kon Tiki Restaurant at the Radisson Blu Resort St. Julians - Rating 9/10

Fra Martino Restaurant at the Corinthia Hotel St. George’s Bay - Rating 9/10.

The Tabloid Restaurant at The Palace Hotel, Sliema- Rating 9.5/10.

Oceana Restaurant at The Hilton Malta, St. Julians- Rating 10/10.

The Copperfield Restaurant at the Victoria Hotel, Sliema - Rating 8/10.

Restaurants:

Bottega Del Vino at the Hilton Malta-Portomaso- Rating 9.5/10 Fine Dining in a relaxed Up-Market Casual Dining atmosphere.

Blue Elephant at the Hilton Malta - Portomaso - Rating 9.5/10 Fine Dining Thai Cuisine.

Tarragon Restaurant - St. Paul's Bay - Rating 9/10 Fine dining in an up-market casual dining atmosphere.

Blue Creek Restaurant - Ghar Lapsi - Rating 9/10 Mediterranean, Maltese- Up-Market Causual Dining..

The Villa - Balluta Bay- Rating 9/10 Mediterranean and International cuisine - Up-Market Casual Dining..

Zeri's Restaurant -Portomaso - Rating 8.5/10 Mediterranean & Italian Cuisine - Up-Market Casual Dining.

Le Luci Di Marsascala Restaurant - Marsascala - Rating 8.5/10 Mediterranean Fine Cuisine - Up-Market Casual Dining..

Zest Restaurant - St. Julians - Rating 9/10 Category: Fine Dining Eastern/Western - Up-Market Casual Dining.

Palazzo Preca Restaurant- Valletta - Rating 8.5/10 Mediterranean Cusine - Up-Market Casual Dining..

La Nostra PadronaRestaurant, Marsaxlokk - Rating 8.5/10 Category Fish & Seafood.

TemptAsianRestaurant & Lounge - Sliema Rating 9.5/10 Category: Asian Fine Dining..

Assaggi Food & WineRestaurant, Sliema - Rating 9/10 Category Contemporary Dining- Up-Market Casual Dining.

SaReGaMa Indian Restaurant at the Fortina Spa Resort, Tigne - Rating 8/10 Category Indian Cuisine.

Ta-Familja Restaurant, Marsascala - Rating 8/10 Category Fish and Seafood.


Wines of Malta:

Emm. Delicata Winemaker - Gran Cavalier; Gran Vin De Hauteville; Victoria Heights; Medina.

Camilleri Wines.- Laurenti; Pianoforte; Palatino Limited Release; Palatino.

Meridiana Wine Estate - Celsius, Nexus, Bel, Melqart, Isis, Astarte, Fenici.

All wines featured in our Wines of Malta reviews have been each, taste-tested by us.

Restaurants of Malta No.12: BLUE CREEK RESTAURANT - GHAR LAPSI.

13th February, 2012.

Logo.

BLUE CREEK RESTAURANT AT GHAR LAPSI.

Our choice of restaurant for Sunday lunch (12th February) fell on this venue, which although we've been there on various occassions before, never fails to satisfy in all respects, ambience, atmosphere, cuisine choices and quality, presentation and excellent service.

This restaurant, opened in November 2001, by the Baldacchino family, and is very ably operated and managed by Joseph Baldacchino, who has managed to place this beautiful venue, located away from the maddening crowds and hussle and bussle of other more central locations, on the gourmet and culinary map of Malta with great success. 

Located just at the sheer edge of the
cliff to provide exceptional views.

Located on the southern coast, a short distance from the village of Siggiewi and the Neolithic temples of Hagar Qim and Imnajdra, Blue Creek sits on top of a magnificent expanse of cliffs, overlooking the secluded and picturesque bay of Ghar Lapsi . The restaurant boasts unique views of the islet of Filfla and the cliffs stretching to Wied iz-Zurrieq.

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Restaurant Inner View

Blue Creek is perfect for anyone seeking a dining experience to remember. The restaurant is designed with the intention to blend classic with modern decor. The interior’s blue and white colour scheme that extends on to the terrace reflects the crystal blue water of the surrounding Mediterranean.  As one enters, there is a bar/light snack area which is perfect for anyone wanting a quick lunch. Beyond this there is the à la carte restaurant, which enjoys panoramic sea views that rate among the best in Malta.

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The view from our table.

We arrived at about 13.00 and the restaurant was already full for Sunday lunch. We were led to our reserved table adjacent to one of the large windows on the side giving us a beautiful view of the cliffs and countryside. Cocktail orders were taken, and menus and wine list presented. Water and cocktails were served and a small plate of appetizers placed in front of each. 

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Blue Creek Restaurant as
seen from the Ghar Lapsi
main cave.

Blue Creek Restaurant serves a Mediterranean-based à la carte Menu as well as various set menus designed purposely to meet everyone's needs, tastes, pocket and satisfaction. An extensive variety of succulent starters to pick and choose from are offered, including a selection of first class pasta dishes, which may also be served as a main course.
The menu is divided in sections for easy reference and offer a succulent array of some seven choices of Antipasti/Starters at an average price of about Eur8.50 per platter; a thick and rich, freshly made Zuppa di Pesce which is not to be missed; a choice of Salads; these are followed with a selection of some twelve dishes of Pasta and Rice;
Main courses are varied with: Fresh fish and seafood dishes, with fish from the display being the main attraction; Meat dishes with chicken, duck breast, medallions of pork, slow cooked lamb stew, Aberdeen Black Angus Rib-eye, prime fillet of beef, etc.
Then there are some specialities under headings of Game Selection offering boneless quail dishes, frogs legs; and a further Meat selection of stewed Kangaroo loin, Vernison and Ostrich.
The Maltese Selection is aimed to please those with a traditional Maltese palate with Spaghetti with rabbit sauce, Pulpetti tal-Makku-white bait fritters, Ravioli stuffed with local snails, garlic, parsley and served with a unique pumpkin cream. There are also a choice of slow cooked pork belly, bragioli- Veal olives; fried rabbit and Pan fried local sea bream. Prices averaging from Eur12.50 to Eur35 depending on choice.


Our Choices:


Starters: Four different starters were selected and these were-


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Spaghetti alla Chitarra.
Exquisite pasta al uovo al dente.

One Spaghetti alla Chitarra al Frutti di Mare which was a delicious plate of home made spaghetti tossed in fresh seasonal seafood  and local veg. The pasta was cooked to perfection al dente.










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Spaghetti alle Vongole.

One Spaghetti alle Vongole - spaghetti tossed with fresh clams, pachino tomatoes, white wine and herbs.

Spaghetti con calamri al Nero
Di Sepia.

One Spaghetti con calamari al Nero di Sepia, with calamari, onions, garlic, tomatoes, white wine, fish reduction and squid ink.

Zuppa di Pesce
An exquisite bisque- one of the
Chef's signature dishes.

One sublime Zuppe de Pesce, thick fish soup with seafood and fish chunks more on the style of a rich bisque.











Main Courses:


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Misto di Frutti di Mare 1.

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Misto di Frutti di Mare 2.

Two Misto Di Frutti di Mare - fresh seafood combo platters with mussels, clams, local prawns, calamari, langoustini, and octopus pieces, cooked in white wine, garlic, tomato concasse and fresh herbs. According to one reviewer, this platter needs a bit less mussels and more local king prawns and octopus pieces. In all probability the current rough weather might have had something to do with the catch.

The Gurbell al sale
being cleaned from the
rock salt prior to serving.

The Gurbell as served
Quite a good portion for one.

One fresh Gurbell - Meagre from the fresh fish display cooked al sale with rock salt.

The grilled Spnotta-Sea Bass.
Delicious.

The filleted Sea Bass with veg and potatoes.

One Spnotta - Sea Bass also selected from the fresh fish display, grilled.

Potatoes - boiled/baked

The main courses were served with fresh vegetables in season and boiled/ roast potatoes. A basket of very fresh bread buns was served with a selection of brown and white buns and butter.




Desserts are offered from a separate menu which is changed regularly, and our choices were:

Trio of Chocolate with yogurt and cream.

One trio of chocolate;
Two apple strudles
 and one Banoffee.

Apple strudle and ice-cream

Banoffee.

Our wine choice a very nice
Riesling from Chile.

The wine list is comprehensive with a very good selection of both local and imported wines, designed to complement the cuisine offered, and as all of us had selected fish and seafood oriented dishes a very nice, (in fact two bottles) of Castillo De Molina "Riesling" at a very decent Eur19 each were selected.



Service is excellent with a very efficient head waiter, able to discuss the menu and make recommendations on the fresh fish and seafood which would be available on any particular day, to take orders , and the allocation of a well trained wine waiter and server to serve the food.


Value: The menu offers a wide range of cuisine choices, to suit all tastes and pockets, and one can dine at a price as low as  Eur 25 per person for a starter, main course and dessert;  excluding wine, coffee and water. But then again it all depends on what is selected. Fresh fish is priced by weight; and a Combo seafood platter by itself is priced at Eur35. Angus rib-eye is a very decent Eu21.50;  a plate of spaghetti with rabbit sauce as starter and a platter of stewed or fried rabbit will only sets one back a very reasonable Eur21.


Our choice which was a bit over the odds as shown in the above photos, for food only came up to Eur183.5 or Eur46 per person average.
Two bottles of wine, three bottles of water, espressos and complementary liquors Eur51.5 (Eur13 per person).

Reviewers' Impressions:

Ambience:  Excellent.
Cuisine Quality:  Very Good +.
Preparation and presentation: Very Good.
Atmosphere and Decor: Very Good.
Harmony of Menu with restaurant category: Very Good+.
Wine List and Mark-up: Very Good.
Value for Money: Very Good.
Service, attention to clients requirements and attitude: Very Good+

Overall Rating: 9/10  Fine dining cuisine.
Highly Recommended.

Contact Details:

Blue Creek Restaurant,
Ghar Lapsi.
Tel: 21 462800 and 21462786

The Michelin Guide:Stars Awards/The WRMC Silver Spoons Prestige Awards.

The Michelin Guide: Stars

Michelin Red Guide of
Great Britain and Ireland.

MICHELIN Red Guides are restaurant and hotel guides, and are often referred to as just the Red Guides due to their distinctive red covers. A team of full-time professional restaurant and hotel inspectors anonymously evaluate establishments according to a rigorous set of criteria. Only the best restaurants and hotels are included in the guide, where every establishment is a trusted Michelin recommendation. These guides outline Michelin’s selections for dining and accommodations, and do not contain site and attraction information found in the other guides known as the Green Guides.

Bon Appetit.

The MICHELIN Guide was first published in 1900, to help drivers maintain their cars, find decent lodging, and eat well while touring France,  in an era when the automobile, as cars were known in those days, were coming  in vogue. From a small, 400-page red guide distributed free of charge to motorists, to make their travels easier and more enjoyable, the MICHELIN guide has developed over the years to become the benchmark in gourmet dining. Today, the series of over 25 titles, highlights more than 45,000 establishments from New York to Paris to Hong Kong .

The guide was distributed free from 1900 until 1920, however the Michelin brothers eventually began charging for them. The guide began recognizing outstanding restaurants in 1926 by marking their listings with a star; two and three stars were added in the early 1930’s.

Only the very best
are listed.

Michelin Red Guides have become widely known as the world’s most respected source of restaurant and hotel evaluations, with the famed Michelin stars serving as an international symbol of culinary excellence.

From the grandest restaurants to the smallest bistros, the collection of Michelin Red Guides highlights the crème de la crème in hotels and restaurants. These obsessively researched guides detail Michelin’s selection of the finest in cuisine and accommodations. These guides will help you discover the delights of some of the world’s most romantic and culturally stimulating cities for a few days get-away, or special occasion in nearby Europe, or for that longer holiday outside of our continent.

Only four restaurants in England have three stars: the Fat Duck in Bray; the Waterside Inn also in Bray; Gordon Ramsay in Chelsea and Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester in Mayfair. So one can have an idea on how stringent these awards are.

Contemporary, elegant and exceptional
interior and decor.

The Michelin Guide awards restaurants between one and three stars, and they are coveted, that is, aspiring top restaurateurs and Chefs desire and long for the award of even one star. Getting one, two or the highly coveted three stars, can create a legend; losing one can result in significant heartbreak. The Guide itself says that "certain establishments deserve to be brought to your attention" because of the quality of the cuisine served. Since the Michelin Guide started out as a guide to road-touring, the stars are not only associated with cuisine quality, but also with driving value.

Foie Gras appetzer.

THREE stars means the restaurant merits a special trip. The food, wine, decor and service will be exceptional and you should expect to pay.  The restaurant should be one that warrants that special journey from clients well outside its locality.


TWO stars indicate the restaurant deserves a detour. Everything will be top-notch, if not perfect, and one should not expect a bargain.


ONE star means that if it’s on your way, you should stop. For the kind of restaurant it is, a one star establishment should serve very good food in a pleasant environment and with excellent service. It must be of much better quality than most restaurants in its locality.

The WRMC  Silver Spoons Prestige Awards.

Silver Spoon
Replica.

WINES AND RESTAURANTS OF MALTA.COM  - WRMC  - has been inspired by the above, to award its own annual awards to the top restaurants in Malta and Gozo, commencing from this year 2012. We have also carried out research into procedures adopted by other exclusive, and highly respected rating agencies such as the United Kingdom’ Automobile Association’s AA Rosette awards, as well as the Australian Good Food Guide Chef Hats awards on which criteria our awards shall be based. 






The system and procedures that we are adopting works like this:

1. Selected restaurants are first reviewed and rated by a team of four inspectors, which team shall include myself as the Director of this project.  The team will initially rate the restaurant through an adjudicating criteria comprising: Ambience; Atmosphere and decor of the venue and top notch cleanliness; Quality of cuisine and concept; Cuisine Preparation and presentation; Freshness of ingredients; Management; Service and serving staff training, experience and efficiency; Wine list, mark-ups, and wine service; Value for money commensurate with the restaurant's type and category.

2. If a restaurant is awarded a minimum of 8 points during the first rating process, and if considered to be of consistent high quality, two further inspections would be carried out by two different and anonymous, inspectors during the year, on different dates and seasons. The inspectors are handpicked for their experience in the restaurant industry and are known only by myself. The inspectors themselves do not know who each other is, and when reviewing a venue they shall make their own reservations and pay for their food and drinks in full as per normal clients. Inspectors cannot introduce themselves as being such. Restaurants to be reviewed by the inspectors shall be indicated and assigned to them by myself.

3.  Once the selected restaurants are reviewed by all inspectors, a meeting is held at the end of the year so that the respective reviews and ratings will be consolidated and the top and most deserving restaurants identified.

The awards will be in the form of framed certificates indicating the “Silver Spoons” awards.

Reviews and ratings shall be carried out by anonymous inspectors after the initial review is done and the best restaurants are selected for quality. No form filling by clients, and/or public polls are involved, therefore restaurants recieving one, two or the highly coveted three Silver Spoons award certificates, after passing our adjudicating criteria, will be the “creme de la creme” of the restaurant industry in Malta and Gozo.


Three Silver Spoons.
Not more than five (if any), three-Silver-Spoon awards will be awarded, nationally, in any particular year. Restaurants awarded three Silver Spoons must have held the two Silver Spoons award for a minimum of two years, through which they would have demonstrated total consistency of the quality of their cuisine and service, unless during concurrent inspections a restaurant recieves maximum points from the inspectors. These must be outstanding restaurants that achieve standards that demand recognition well beyond their local area. Exceptional quality of cuisine, service and ambience.


Two Silver Spoons.
Not more than ten, two-Silver-Spoons awards will be awarded, nationally, in any particular year. This award is awarded to outstanding restaurants that aim for, and achieve higher standards and better consistency than for the one silver spoon award.Cuisine and service out of the ordinary.


One Silver Spoon.
One-Silver-Spoon awards will be awarded to fine dining and/or up-market casual dining establishments which achieve standards that stand out in their local area. They must serve very good cuisine prepared with care, understanding and skill, using good quality and fresh ingredients in accordance with their concept, in a pleasant environement, and must demonstrate and provide well above average service through trained staff.

The French 20 points system shall be used for the final consolidation of the awards points, but for the published intial reviews on this website the 10 point system shall be retained.   

The ultra- premium awards of the Four-Silver-Spoons and the Five-Silver-Spoons are extremely restricted awards. These are awarded very rarely and only to restaurants which must have achieved National and International acclaim respectively, through superlative cuisine, service and ambience.

A full and complete adjudicating criteria process has been drawn up, and shall be published in due course. Restaurateurs, owners and operators interested to recieve a copy of the adjudicating criteria and restaurant category definitions should contact me directly by e-mail. These will only be sent to operating restaurants and for obvious reasons a small charge shall be made.

Restaurants of Malta No.11: THE VILLA AT BALLUTA BAY.

4th February, 2012.

THE VILLA RESTAURANT formerly known as The Villa Brasserie, has been reconverted and reorganised by its present operators who have been running this venue for just eighteen months. I remember, first going to this place some years ago, in 2007 to be exact, when it first started operating as a brasserie when it formed part of the Le Meridien St.Julians Hotel.
What I can say at this time is that Christopher Hammett the Executive Chef/Patron has succeeded to transform the establishment into a supreme combination of indoors fine dining, outside casual and lounge bar into one.

The Exclusive Villa Staircase.

Situated in the heart of St.Julians and providing exclusive views of Balluta Bay from its terraces, this 19th century fantastic villa was once the summer residence of an affluent family. It had fallen on hard times for some years, just like many other excellent properties in this area, but was reborn when the Le Meridien St. Julians hotel was built. This beautiful villa was the subject of a long legal issue for some time as the owners of Le Meridien St.Julians originally wanted to knock it down to build the hotel further out towards the sea, but in the end logic won over greed and The Villa is still there, magnificent, and which in a way has become the jewel in the crown of the actual hotel itself.

The Terrace at The Villa.

The Villa offers a number of dining options, both indoors and outdoors especially in the warmer seasons, and when the weather permits in winter. There is a contemporary a la carte menu with a varied choice of appetizers and starters, pasta, fresh fish, beef, duck, chicken, lamb etc; a varied lounge menu offering various platters to share, and also a bistro menu. But the main forte of this restaurant is its fine Mediterranean cuisine menu, which contains a reasonable number of exclusive items at very reasonable prices.

View from the terrace at night.

We dined at this venue just yesterday. A display of exceptional fresh fish, which had just been delivered greeted us at the main hall. There were a number of John Dory's (Pesce di San Pietro), Scorpion Fish (Cippullazz), Sea Bass (spnott), Red Bream (pagell), and others, all priced by weight on a board alongside.

Catch of the Day.

View of the inner part of the
restaurant.

On arrival, our coats were taken by the Head Waiter who hung them neatly in the cloakroom, and after enjoying a pre-dinner drink at the bar, we were seated at our table, menu's and wine list presented, and a small platter of dips and olives with Maltese galletti and pitta bread were placed on the table.
The a la carte menu listed and detailed a good selection of some realy succulent dishes which needed some time to be decide upon before one was able to select.

Our Choices.

The fresh fish display, had already sharpened our apetite and resolve to choose fish when we arrived, so this was no problem for two of us as far as the main course was going to be.

For Starters we selected:

The Jerusalem Artichoke
velout. Terrific.

 a Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute for myself which proved to be an excellent choice. The velout was creamy and thick, and on the palate it was out of this world.

The Ravioli Coniglio.

a Ravioli di Coniglio for my wife, served al dente with rabbit sauce. I tried one and it was very nice indeed;

The Fritto Misto.

a very large Fritto Misto for my son;

The Rabbit Livers.

and Rabbit livers for my daughter-in-law. The rabbit livers were served with garlic pitta bread and humus., and of course I had to taste them as well. Very nice too.






Main Course Choices:

The Chicken Supreme.
Mouth watering.

The ladies did not go for the fish so they selected a Chicken Supreme which was superb,  and Lamb Shank respectively.

The Lamb Shank.

Presentation and quality of these dishes was very good, but my wife commented that she would have preferred this cuisine to be served on a flatter plate with the mashed potatoes separate. Anyway it's all a matter of taste and preference, I suppose.

The Al Cartoccio Scorpion Fish
(Cippullazza) served to me.
Exquisite.

For myself and my son, the choice was a hefty scorpion fish (cippullazza) for each. Two were picked from the display and taken to the kitchen to be poached with garlic, onions and herbs al cartoccio.

The second Scorpion fish served
to my son.
Sublime.

As I said before, it was a very good decision on my part to choose the Jerusalem Artichoke Veloute as a starter for myself,  as the Scorpion Fish al Cartocio, when it was served was phenomenal. Superbly cooked, with all the freshness and goodness locked-in within the parcel.
A selection of roast potatoes, hot veg, and a very fresh and crispy lettuce salad were served as contorni on the table to complement the main course dishes.

Trio of Sorbet.

Blondie.

Desserts: One Trio of Sorbets; one Blondie; one Villa Mess, and one Apple and Rhubarb crumble and espressos completed the meal.





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The Villa Mess.

The Apple and Rhubarb Crumble.
Someone spluttered the cup with the rhubarb.

The Wine List:

Our Wine Selection.

The wine list at The Villa is a well tought out affair offering an extensive choice of wines both local as well as imported from various countries at prices that suits most pockets and tastes. Our choice was a Poully Fuisse', nicely chilled, which complemented both the fish as well as the chicken nicely, and which, at Eur22 a bottle was a perfect choice, in both value and quality. Two bottles of this very good white wine were consumed and enjoyed throughout the meal.
Two bottles of water as normal were also consumed during the dinner.



Value for Money: 


The menu at The Villa offers an array of dishes to suit most tastes and most pockets. A choice of starter, main course and dessert from the a la carte menu, plus half a bottle of water, half bottle of wine, and espresso per per person would come up to about Eur45 per person. (Average of Eur34 for food only, without the wine).


Our bill for the above orders which included two bottles of wine, and fresh fish from the display(charged for by quality and weight)  with one scorpion fish shared between two - would normally come up to: Eur191.8 or Eur48 per person. Very reasonable and good value. With two whole scorpion fish served (one for each person as shown above)  expect to pay a bit more.
Free parking is available at the Le Meridien's parking facility, compliments of the restaurant.

REVIEWERS' IMPRESSIONS:

Ambience: Very Good.
Cuisine Quality: Very Good.
Preparation and Presentation: Very Good.
Freshness of ingredients especially fish: Excellent.
Service and attention: Excellent.
Wine list and mark-ups: Very Good.

Overall Rating: 9/10
Recommended.

Contact Details:
The Villa,
39, Main Street,
Balluta Bay - St. Julians.
Tel: 2311 2273.