Gozo - break 15th/17th February, 2013.

Week-end break in Gozo between Friday 15th and Sunday 17th February, proved to be very enjoyable with quite nice mild weather, a bit of warm sun and no rain. The Kempinski San Lawrenz Hotel and Spa was also good in most respects, as well as our visits to various restaurants on this green isle.

A couple of set-backs were the closed main roads from Victoria to Xlendi and from Gharb to Dwejra with the usual lack of proper road signage to show the way through the maze of secondary roads to these two normally very popular sites. Traffic management in Gozo needs a lot of polishing up, it was bad enough last Summer with most roads including the main street in Victoria, in disarray, and road signage that led motorists in a veritable circle to the same place where one would have started at in the first place, but TM never seem to learn from experience.

Back to the topic of this group, we visited various restaurants at which we had not been since last June, and none of which had ever let us down, with the food served, the service, value and the hospitality.

RESTAURANTS VISITED:

Murella at Marsalforn for lunch on Friday was very enjoyable. Murella is part of what I call the Calypso Bedouin Tent Strip in Marsalforn. The operators have now opened a piano bar with a comfortable lounge, at which one can enjoy a cocktail in the evenings. The outer section houses the restaurant which has become a very sought after restaurant in Marsalforn with food preparations by Chef Terrence Buhagiar.

Ordered selections of different bruschetta to share between six; plus plates of seafood and shellfish - spaghetti frutti di mare; one serving of corn fed chicken breastwith ream and gorgozola sauce which was a bit rich in taste; and two servings of veal rib-eye on the bone perfectly cooked. One bottle of white wine, three bottles water; espressos and complimentary Avernas. Total cost:Eur108.15 all inclusive, or Eur18 per person excluding tip. Good food, good service, good ambience, good value for money.

With some six or more restaurants on this strip, all vying for clients, restaurant operators have to serve the best quality cuisine at reasonably good value for money for their category. Murella Restaurant, as a casual, family type restaurant is achieving these requirements admirably.

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Dinner at Patrick’s Restaurant, Lounge & Winebar at Victoria, on Friday evening, also proved to be very enjoyable with Chef-Patron Patrick Buttigieg’s very up-market attitude on things and personal attention to detail.

Ordered a bottle of Prosecco Knights of Malta which was shared by six persons in our group, as a pre-dinner drink, and whilst we browsed the menu. The Maitre D’ showed us the meat available displayed on a wooden tray, and explained the different cuts which was very interesting.

Ordered various selections of dishes for starters including 2 x soup of the day; 2 x scallops; linguini zucchini gamberi; and baked samosas.

For mains the selections were: two servings of grilled USDA rib-eyes steaks; one Mediterranean red prawns; grilled chicken breast; boneless whole quail; and slow cooked duck. Amuse-bouche were served at the beginning of the dinner as well as prior to the dessert.

Dessert orders consisted of: servings of 3 x apple pie with ice-cream, 2 x strawberry cheesecake, and 1 x Chocolate fondant.

Two bottles of fine wine, an excellent Riesling Hugel Alsace 2011 to go with the seafood dishes, and a Concha y Toro Don Melchor Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, to pair with the meat dishes; three bottles of water, espressos, complimentary liqours.

Total price: Eur325 all inclusive or Eur54 per person all inclusive, less tip.

Very good food, very good service, nice ambience. Good value for the category of the restaurant, food, wine and drinks ordered, and for that special dinner in good company.

Patrick’s Restaurant, Lounge & Winebar is a WRMC Silver Spoon Restaurant.

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Miscellaneous Snacks here and there on Saturday including club sandwiches and 2 x Gozo ravioli at the Kempinski Il-Baldakkin snack bar/cafe. Good but a bit overrated and overpriced at Eur15 for each club sandwich and Eur12 each for the two ravioli dishes, with coffees, tea and iced tea for one working out at an average of Eur17.50 per person. A bit over the top for the food ordered.

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Dinner at the L’Ortolan Restaurant at the Kempinski San Lawrenz, Saturday evening.

Internal ambience needs to be improved somewhat to attract more patrons. Kitchen staff led by Daniel DeBattista ex-Hilton Malta has improved somewhat over the last months, and service staff are well trained and efficient. More attention is needed to create an enjoyable atmosphere for the winter months (no problem in Summer as the terraces are used which in themselves create another world altogether).

Food selected: 3 x freshly made boullabaisse with red snapper; taglatelle seafood; endive salad with pear; lobster and prawn panciotti.

For main courses: 4 x pagel (red bream) fillets; one x supreme of pheasant; one stuffed saddle of rabbit.

Dessert: Selections of 3 x Home made apple tarts with ice-cream; chocolate cheesecake with ice-cream and strawberry sauce; 2 x White Valrhona chocolate pannacotta. Amuse bouch of jacket potato with cream and strawberry sorbet were served prior to the dinner and prior to the dessert.

One bottle of Mouton Cadet, three bottles of water, and espressos complimented the dinner. Price: Eur318 or Eur53 per person. Good service, reasonably good food but prices have to be looked at. Wine list price mark-ups extremely high.

Internal ambience as a fine dining restaurant has to be improved and made more intimate.

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Sunday lunch at Chez Amand at Qbajjar, Marsalforn. Master Chef Amand Veranneman and his daughter Caroline run this place in an up-market but very informal way, with Amand always on hand to suggest to clients what his daily preparations outside the normal a la carte menu happen to be.

Food selections: Starters - 4 x specially made prawn bisque with added hot cognac explained by the c hef as - “Bisque D’Ecrevisses” flambed with with fine Champagne Cognac.;

For main courses: 1 x spnott (sea bass) with roast potatoes, salad and strawberry garnish;

2 x lobster and prawn cannelloni - fresh cannelonis au gratin “thermidor” with shrimps, smoked salmon and a lobster sauce with Emmenthal cheese, and panna,

and 3 x peeled prawns cooked in a curry sauce and served on a bed of rice with apple strips.- Scampi ”Amande”" with with mild curry and Pernod, cream sauce, garni and rice.

Dessert: 2 x tiramisu, 2 x freshly made French style Sabayon Maison; 1 x apple pie and cream and one creme’ brulee. Two bottles of Antonin Blanc, two bottles of water, espressos and complimentary Avernas. Price total: Eur210.65 or Eur35 per person excluding tip. Good food, good service, good value.

Chef Amand makes the very best, fresh Sabayon dessert in the Maltese Islands, while you watch.

Chez Amand is listed in the WRMC 2013 Restaurant Guide as one of the top 30 restaurants for cuisine quality and service in the Maltese Islands.

All in all it was a very enjoyable weekend break, in excellent company, meeting old friends and making new ones, with some very good food to add to the complete holiday experience.