EATING OUT
I
GastroBar
remember a time when most Maltese would be happy to eat in any restaurant when visiting Italy. We would leave the place singing its praises and telling anyone and everyone that they MUST eat there and HAVE TO try this and that. Today I find that this is no longer so. One must take care, walk around, wander away from the main square and search out the locals before deciding where to eat. It is not the first time that I've left a restaurant disappointed in Rome or some Sicilian village. We have become more discerning because the quality, diversity and availability of food in Malta has improved substantially over the last twenty years or so. We are used to better food both at home and out. The choice and availability of quality ingredients is second to none. Having said that, Italian food remains the most popular here and this in no small way is because of the Maltese love for carbs, so pizza and pasta are available at every corner. Chinese, Indian, Greek, Turkish restaurants and steakhouses are also popular, Café’s serving snacks and salads are very busy too. Good food choice apart, the culture of eating out is also a factor for this accelerated increase in eateries. We have become more discerning with our wine too, we know more about it, and whisky buffs are sprouting like mushrooms. More and more
J.D Vella
people want to, indeed need to, get out and have a good time and not only at the weekend. What we may still be lacking, certainly outside the major entertainment areas, are places where one can enjoy oneself, eating and drinking well, comfortably in relaxed and attractive surroundings with a beautiful view and….without having to spend too much money. The Chophouse GastroBar at Tigne’ Point I daresay pretty much matches up to all of this. Tucked away from the madding crowd with the magical view of Valletta across Sliema creek, an assortment of sofas, high stools and tables and regular dining tables set the mood for a menu of bar bites,tapas, salads or meat and fish dishes which include a Burger Boutique. The Chophouse wine list, one of the top ten on the island I reckon, is available at the GastroBar as is a selection of more than 100 single malt and aged blended whiskies. The Chophouse Wine School and Whisky Club are very active and one can observe with an option to sign up. The GastroBar is a very welcome newcomer to the F&B scene and is full of promise. An added bonus is that patrons are provided with free parking at The Point car park, and in bad weather there is covered access from the car park directly to the restaurant elevator.
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