a breathtaking combination of stunning scenery, an abundance of history, untouched natural beauty and, what's more, absolutely fantastic food.
last month we spent a week in the merisi suites of valletta and the whole country totally exceeded my expectations. reminding me why i should conquer my fear of flying and explore the world, i already can't wait to return to malta and the neighbouring mediterranean islands.
so i thought i'd put together a little round up - although it spans over two posts - of the foodie places we enjoyed during our stay. if you don't like pasta, pizza or seafood, look away now.
waking up on a gorgeous monday morning, we had a short walk to valletta harbour where i enjoyed my first taste of maltese rose wine. little did i know this would become a favourite drink. with just a few vineyards on the island, you can see why the maltese keep these grapes to themselves.
with the island only 12 miles across and a day bus ticket costing just 1.5 euros, we spent the day pottering around the capital and bar hopping whilst planning the rest of the week.
on the first night, we went to a lovely little sicilian place called la giara. of course i went with a calamari starter with a homemade fresh pasta dish for main.
i was so inspired by this dish of spinach and ricotta ravioli in a sage butter sauce that i've already recreated it since being home. gloriously silky pasta and just the right amount that left me wanting more.
the next night, we went to cantina in valletta square; this was to become a favourite for sharing a glass of red and people watching in the evening. here of course i had fresh fish of the day again, crispy seabass with a salsa verde. very boney to eat but equally as delicious. in case you were wondering, this place served the best olives of the holiday too.
since valletta was so beautiful, it was great to get the ferry across to sliema just for the views. i definitely don't rate this resort as somewhere to visit or stay, although it was quite nice to see valletta from afar. in this case, over salmon and asparagus tossed through fresh pasta and dill.
midweek, we headed over to m'dina for a different taste of malta. brimming with history, this central part of the island lies within stone city walls with a population of around 300 people. the medina restaurant we planned to visit entirely reflected this. a relaxing environment which felt like a rabbit warren of stone walls, crackling fires and mellow candles.
we carefully read the menus over a glass of wine and the quiet buzz of people arriving, whilst the attentive staff prepared our table and offered advice on any maltese dishes and fish of the day. with a warm welcome to our seats, i went for the giant king prawns with cognac, tomatoes and polenta. with the relaxed environment, i didn't feel comfortable getting my proper camera out and didn't get a great picture of sam's fillet of beef either. however, take my word for it, if there's somewhere you need to visit in malta this is it.
the following night we stayed local at an italian place opposite st john's cathedral; san giovanni's. we'd been to the stunning blue lagoon on a boat trip that day and pasta and pizza seemed like is always fab idea.
sam enjoyed a meaty pizza with extra olives whilst i combined my love of seafood and pasta to have... king prawn ravioli in a lobster bisque. yummy and so generous with the prawns on top too. this also ended up being a choice place to sit in the sun in the day.
i'm getting hungry just writing this up and can't wait to share the rest of the pictures. hopefully i've saved a few gems for the next post :)
read malta continued here - ciao!
All that food looks AMAZING! Sounds like you had a really nice and chilled time! I'm going to Turkey in September and I can't WAIT for all the food I'm going to eat! x
ReplyDeleteOooh love holiday food! Looking forward to reading a Turkey foodie post :)
DeleteGreat blog, glad you liked our little island!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Was beautiful I will definitely come back soon :)
DeleteYOU HAVE MY MOUTH WATERING. Were staying in an a,l inclusive but I will have to persuade tom to take me again haha
ReplyDeleteWe want you to be 100% satisfied with the
ReplyDeletepaper you receive. If you are not happy with
your essay, you are guaranteed to get a full
refund papernow