Dinner at The Black Pearl Restaurant - Ta’ Xbiex Yacht Marina - Wednesday, 3rd July, 2013.

Full review can be viewed by logging-in on http://winesandrestaurantsofmalta.com/restaurant/the-black-pearl-restaurant-ta-xbiex-yacht-marina/

Food ordered: starters - a fantastic Risotto Bouillabaise with mussels, clams, chunks of fresh salmon, calamari rings, parmesan and mascarpone with a touch of sambuca that gave the dish an exotic sweetish taste; and fresh Mussels served with a tomato and basil sauce.

Main Courses: Steamed Grouper fillet served with caviar, lemon on a bed of mashed potato puree; and Grilled fillet of sea bream stuffed with prawn farci, on a bed of sauted spinach and served with a champagne veloute.

Dessert - one serving to share between two of an in-house Stracciatelle mascarpone parfait. Excellent and seeing that it was made, in-house, by the chef this dessert deserves added compliments.

RATING: 8.5/10. Recommended

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Dinner at the newly refurbished Q-BAR & Restaurant at the Valletta Waterfront, on Friday 5th July, 2013.

Full review can be viewed by looging-in on http://winesandrestaurantsofmalta.com/restaurant/q-bar-restaurant-at-the-valletta-waterfront/

Q-BAR & Restaurant offers a very good ambience and atmosphere, refurbished with very appealing and pleasant furniture, and excellent glassware, modern plate-ware and cutlery which give a unique appeal. The menu offers choices of some excellent Ray Fauzza’s creations such as the thick fish soup which is a very rich Italian style Cacciucco (tipo bouillabaise ), meat from the grill, fresh fish, oysters, stuffed calamari, antipasti, pasta, and a sumptuous and decadent dessert presentation on the table of fresh fruit and pastries.

RATING: 8.5/10 Recommended.

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Dinner at Blue Creek Restaurant, Lapsi, Limits of Siggiewi - Friday 12th July, 2013.

Current 2013 review can be viewed by logging-in on http://winesandrestaurantsofmalta.com/restaurant/blue-creek-restaurant-lapsi-friday-12th-july-2013/

The restaurant is divided in two sections. The upstairs, rooftop terrace restaurant which has only been in operation for some two or three years, offering a full a la carte menu with pizza and pasta through a separate kitchen serving only this section. The rooftop terrace is well sought after in Summer in the evenings and patrons can enjoy anything from a pizza or pasta with a bottle of wine to a full dinner with choices of antipasti, pasta, fish, seafood or meat dishes in a casual and relaxed atmosphere that is so well sought after by patrons during our balmy Summer evenings; and the main restaurant area, which also includes a bar lounge, and a magnificent terrace overlooking the sea views, and which is exceptional for Summer dining in slightly more formal surroundings. The main restaurant is beautifully appointed in sea blue and white colour scheme and blends in superbly with the ambience of the area.

RATING 9/10 Recommended.

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GAZEBO AT THE HILTON MALTA - Saturday, 13th July, 2013.

SEASONALLY OPERATED IN SUMMER ONLY - JUNE TO SEPTEMBER.

A very good al fresco dinner under the fairy lit olive trees , in an exceptionally romantic atmosphere, on Saturday, 13th July, at the GAZEBO RESTAURANT, at the Hilton Malta. The restaurant specializes in live station cooking to personal preferences and BBQ selections. Menu consisted of exceptional, table served, trio of dips with Gazebo olive oil, agade balsamic vinegar, hot ftira and sesame Maltese rolls; , antipasti platters with fresh delicacies; sushi and sashimi platter; the freshest bread and dessert choices from the menu. From the live stations: One create his own pasta dish from the live station; Live cooking of choice at the BBQ station of the best cuts of beef rib-eye, marinated lamb chops, pork chops, chicken breast, tuna skewers, swordfish steaks; with accompaniments of fresh salds, caponata, potato wedges, jacket potatoes.

Dessert selected, from the dessert menu - an excellent Apple Galette glazed with honey, roasted nuts, caramel toffee ice-cream, and orange and candid peel for three persons; and home-made ice-cream and sorbets for two.

Price per person EUr35, excluding wine and drinks. This establishment is seasonal and is only open from July to September. Highly enjoyable and relaxing, with light, unobtrusive, live music which created a great atmosphere in the most pleasant of surroundings.

RATING: 9/10 Recommended

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GRILL 3301 TERRACE AT THE CORINTHIA ST.GEORGE’S BAY - Friday, 19th July, 2013.

SEASONALLY OPERATED DURING SUMMER - JUNE TO SEPTEMBER.

Friday dinner on the 19th of July, at the GRILL 3301 at the Corinthia St.George’s Bay Hotel. This restaurant is now operating on the stupendous terrace overlooking magnificent views of St. George’s bay and the lighted Casino on the opposite side of the bay creating an excellent setting and ambience. BBQ style menu where one can choose a main course of meat. poultry or fish from the menu and the rest is left to the Chef, whereupon some six different types of North African style antipasti with dips, hummus, couscous salad and flat bread are served as starters.

Main courses chosen consisted of a serving of marinated chicken thighs; a medium-rare 350gm/28 day-aged, prime- USDA -Angus rib-eye steak ; a serving of their huge meat mixed grill with sizzling fillet of beef, veal, pork chop and sausages; and the day’s special of Shish kebab with Angus fillet of beef served on a bed of rice. Cooked to perfection as ordered and served with three types of side serving of condiments, roasted potatoes, quinoa salad and stir fried/grilled vegetables in season.

Desserts: A portion of my favourite Chocolate sacher-torte served with cream; a portion of apple pie with cream and ice-cream; and two portions of sorbets and ice-ream.

One bottle of a good bottle of shiraz, two bottles of water, and espressos, complemented the dinner.

Price per person for food is based on the main course that is initially chosen which vary from just Eur22.5 for the marinated chicken thighs to Eur39.5 for the Angus rib-eye, which will also include the starters as served compliments of the Chef. Desserts extra as ordered from the menu. The price per person for dinner as described above, including the water and espressos, but excluding the wine, (the price of which, varies the bill depending on what is ordered), came up to approx. Eur 172.60 - EUR43.15 average per person. Beautiful terrace for Summer dining, with a great ambience, top level cuisine, and very good service, in a very relaxed, up-scale-casual-dining atmosphere. Exactly what one expects from a “WRMC Silver Spoon Restaurant”.

RATING 9/10. Recommended.

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La Vista -Pizza, Pasta, Grill - Seabank Hotel, Mellieha Bay - Monday, 22nd July, 2013.

Casual dinner whilst on a day’s visit to Mellieha Bay. Al Fresco, very busy establishment catering for walk-in tourist and local trade as well as for the hotel’s residents if choosing to dine there.

Ordered Fresh Pan seared Salmon on risotto seafood and a serving of Pan seared Amberjack fillet with stir fried vegetables. Potato wedges served on the side; one bottle of water, pint of beer and two coffees, total price Eur39.75.

Nice casual place to eat at if one happens to be in Mellieha Bay on a Summer’s evening.

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Pegasus Brasserie, Hotel Phoenicia - Friday, 26th July, 2013.

Definitely has gone down in overall standard since we had reviewed this place in 2012. Service is good, but cuisine wise, it requires a generally new philosophy and execution. Out of twelve servings of food for four persons, (starters, main courses and desserts), there was not even one dish that received any favourable comments from the four diners. Rather expensive at Eur221 (Eur55 per person), for the privilege of a disappointment. In the end it all boils down to the food on the plate.