TMUN MGARR RESTAURANT at Mgarr,  Gozo .

Dinner on Saturday, 19th October, 2013.

If one has to be fair to the operators of this restaurant, one would have to start their story from when they first started to operate TMUN RESTAURANT in Xlendi for about twenty-one years, and before they moved to their new premises in Mgarr some four years ago, bringing their total experience in the upper-scale restaurant business in Gozo for over twenty-five years. Operated by the Buttigieg family, led by Leli who is the patriarch of the family, and his wife Jane who is an excellent Chef in her own right, as well as the buyer of the freshest ingredients from the best available sources, and of course by their younger son Paul who is the Executive Chef of the restaurant, this family form a formidable and exemplary  team in the restaurant industry not only in the Gozo sphere, but in the Maltese Islands.

TMUN MGARR , symbolises what an outstanding, fine dining restaurant in an up-market but at the same time casual and welcoming ambience should be. Beautifully set-up inside, with spacious al-fresco terraces; a good team of some six, uniformed and dedicated serving staff, led  by the owner as front-of-house manager; and wonderful co-ordination with the chefs and staff in the kitchen, who can be watched by clients through the glassed-in, open kitchen, the restaurant’s very busy operation runs like clockwork.

The menu offers various selected soups and pasta dishes such as their famed bouillabaise for two persons, fresh Scottish scallops;  baked home-made ravioli stuffed with fresh Gozo cheeselets or lamb and thyme; or their Assaggi platter for two which was chosen by us on this occasion. Main course of fresh fish and seafood; as well as choices of meats, chicken and poultry, their chicken roulade – chicken breast wrapped in speck brie cheese, fruits in season and walnuts being among one of their popular dishes. This restaurant specializes mainly in fresh fish and seafood dishes especially when these ingredients are available from the daily catch of local fishermen.

Our food choices on this visit where:

Starters:

 Two servings of the Assaggi platter to be shared between four persons. The presentation of this platter was excellent with prawn tempura;  Bolognese rice balls; fish fritters; tuna and monkfish carpaccio, marinated shrimps in glass  and fish soup in cups.

 1.Bolognese, spicy rice ball amuse-bouche;

2. The Assaggi platter for two to share.

3. Individual serving of assaggi platter.

Main courses:

A serving of the freshest, Mediterranean, red king prawns served whole on a bed of risotto cooked in the juices of the prawns making a tasteful sauce, and saffron; and three servings of pan fried supreme of wild stone bass chunks,  served on creamed cabbage, beurre blanc and  mussels.

1 and 2: The Mediterranean, red, king prawns on rice with saffron.

3. The pan fried supreme of wild stone bass.

Desserts:  

Good Home-made desserts that require on the spot attention as they have to be produced there-and then on order, always score good points from me. Desserts were itemised on a dessert menu to indicate any daily specials, and we ordered, of course, two servings of the Valrhona dark chocolate fondant served with home-made Marala Zabajone ice-cream;  and a serving of the classic  apple tarte  tatin made with Granny Smith apples and caramelised in Calvados served with home-made cinamon ice-cream; and a serving of the home-made sorbets – bajtra (prickly pear) and strawberry. Both the fondants as well as the apple tarte tatin were exceptional. One has to wait for about twenty minutes for these to be served, as they have to be prepared and cooked from scratch, but the short wait, whilst one is finishing his wine, is well worth it.  Complementary dessert wines complimented the desserts to perfection.

1 and 2: The Valrhona chocolate fondant; and the hot Vlarhona chocolate oozing out from the split fondant.

2. The Apple tarte tatin.

One bottle of a very good Sauvignon Blanc and  two bottles of water completed the dinner.

Value:  The above dinner for four persons, excluding the wine came up to a very reasonable  EUR43 per person  considering the high quality of the cuisine and service (EUR172.40 in total); the cost of the wine was EUR25.95, thus making the all inclusive price per person about EUR49.59.

Service:  Service at this establishment is very attentive and efficient, with all waiters very conversant with the menu items.

Wine List: A vast wine list is provided with wines listed per country. Prices vary depending on quality and vintage, but in the main, mark-ups were found to be reasonable.

Reviewers’ Impressions:

Ambience, atmosphere and decor:   Very Good.

Cuisine quality:   Very Good +

Preparation and presentation: Very Good +

Harmony of menu:  Very Good – with starters complementing main courses according to one’s taste.

Service: Very Good +

Wine List and Mark-ups: A very good wine list with reasonable mark-ups.

Value for Money:  Very good  for the type of restaurant, high quality of cuisine and service.

RATING: 9/10

Highly Recommended.

Contact details:

Tmun Mgarr Restaurant,

Triq Martinu Garces,

Mgarr, Gozo.

Tel: 21 566 276.