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

Another restaurant that made it to our review and rating standard for this week is without a doubt THE BLACK PEARL RESTAURANT of Ta’ Xbiex. Black Pearl, was an old trading schooner which was owned by Errol Flynn in the 1950′s (some might remember some of his films - Adventures of Don Juan and Captain Blood for instance), but this is beside the point as some would say, true. The restaurant has been given a tremendous refurbishment in recent months by the present operators, and offers a very enjoyable, romantic and up-scale ambience for that unique dinner occasion.

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.

The Starters - a very good risotto bouillbaise and fresh mussels in a rich tomato 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.

The main courses as served and with potatoes and veg on the side.

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.

Cuisine Quality: Food quality was very good indeed with good portions at an excellent value for money.

Service: Service quite efficient and unobtrusive with minimum waiting time between courses.

Value for money: Price for the dinner, food only, came up to a very good value for money EUR69 total, including one bottle of water and espressos, for two persons (Eur33 per person).

Wine list and mark-Up: To complement the dinner we had a very good bottle of a well chilled white wine- price of wine depends on one’s choice and taste and of course is extra. Wine mark-ups are reasonable and a good choice of local and imported wines are offered on the wine list. What I can say is, that The Black Pearl Restaurant, has come a very long way from the last time that we visited this place over three years ago, and has been now added as a favourite. It is well worth a try.

Reviewers Impressions:

Ambience: Excellent. Dinner in a different ambience from the norm on a 1909 Schooner.

Cuisine Quality: Very Good.

Preparation and presentation; Very Good.

Service: Very Good.

Wine-List: Very reasonable mark-ups for various premium wine choices.

Value for money: Very Good.

RATING: 8.5/10

RECOMMENDED.

Contact:

The Black Pearl.

Mare Nostrum Restaurant and Bar,

Ta’ Xbiex Seafront.

Tel: 21343970