Day 4

This was a day where, due to the fact that it rained most of the day (which is unusual for Malta at that time of year, so I am told), plus I felt like taking it easy (although I intended to take it easy at the pools outside), I did not do too much on this day. I had wanted to take a day just to take it easy and relax, but staying in the hotel while it rained for most of the day was not quite what I had in mind. I was not unhappy, though — despite the rain, the weather was pleasant, and the Executive Lounge provided for some nice breaks in the day, between the breakfast, afternoon tea and evening refreshments.

Later that evening, I went out to Kandles Restaurant, which is a few blocks away from the Hilton. This restaurant did not open until 6:00 in the evening (1800 hours), as typical of many restaurants in Malta. Because I arrived just when the restaurant opened, I was the first customer that evening. I was seated in the far corner of the enclosed narrow patio area in front of the restaurant, literally right next to the street corner. My table was an excellent location for me to casually observe the people of Malta passing by, going about their business, after the waiter took my order of linguini pasta topped with fruits de mer (assorted seafood, which consisted of shrimp, clams and mussels) in a garlic sauce. The food was delicious and the service was decent but, again, neither was anything outstanding or special.

When the restaurants open for business, the streets of Malta come alive with people and vehicles clamoring down the narrow streets and alleys between the pale-yellow limestone-edificed buildings. The food was good and the people were friendly.

Not long after dinner was over, I returned to the hotel, sat on the balcony outside my room while taking in the evening Mediterranean air, and retired for the evening early so that I may wake up at 4:30 in the morning to drive to the Sea Passenger Terminal in Valletta to park, check in and take the 7:00 ferry to Sicily for a day trip, which I intend to write about in my next post.

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Food in Malta

I ate dinner at three restaurants while in Malta:

• The Avenue Pizza, Pasta and Grill Restaurant on the corner of Gort Street and Paceville Avenue in Paceville Day 3
• Kandles Restaurant, 20 Paceville Avenue in Paceville (directly across the street from The Avenue Restaurant Day 4
• Zeri’s Restaurant on 19 Paceville Avenue in Paceville Day 6

Breakfast was eaten at the hotel lounges. Lunch was typically a quick snack for me to tide me over until dinner as I was on the go. One day I had a quick hamburger for lunch at a McDonald’s in Gozo on Day 6. I did not eat at any restaurant in Malta on Day 5, as that was the day I embarked on a day-long excursion to Sicily, on which a report will be posted in the near future.

The food, service and atmosphere at the restaurants in Malta were good, but not exceptional. Due to the poor exchange rate in favor of the Maltese Lira against the United States dollar, the food was not as great a value as it normally might have been. Perhaps I had not found the best restaurants in Malta, but the best out of the three restaurants which I patronized that are listed above was Zeri’s Restaurant, which I will discuss on Day 6 of this trip report.

Most restaurants served traditional Maltese food, such as Bragjoli (otherwise known as beef olives which, as one waiter grunted in an unappetizing tone of voice, “beef wrapped in beef”), Fenek (rabbit), Ravjul (cheese ravioli), Soppa tal-Armla (also known as Widow’s Soup) which is a thick hot vegetable soup with goat cheese, and whole fish in season. Some of the items which I did want to try, such as Aljotta (fish soup) or Kapunata (a sort of ratatouille served with fish), were not on any of the menus at the restaurants I patronized in Malta. Other Maltese specialties that I wanted to sample, such as Lampuka (a specific type of fish), were not in season (in the case of Lampuka, it is only in season in the autumn) and therefore unavailable.

While I usually try different kinds of food when I travel (such as the foie gras and truffles aboard Concorde), I did not feel motivated enough to sample much of the Maltese cuisine as virtually none of it appealed to me. Unfortunately, this means I cannot give an objective review of most of the specialties offered in Malta as I have not personally sampled them. More information pertaining to traditional Maltese cuisine can be found at this Internet web site has more details pertaining to the cuisine of Malta.

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As far as soft drinks are concerned, one can get the typical soft drink fare such as Coca-Cola in glass bottles or cans. Juices are available as well, or one can purchase a huge 5-liter bottle of water for 1 Maltese lira, or about US$2.86. I do not drink coffee or tea, so I do not know which of these hot beverages Maltese drink or what they taste like.

However, while in the Executive Lounge at the Hilton Malta, I noticed a dark brown beverage (it is actually amber in color under brighter light) in a glass bottle called Kinnie. It did not really attract my attention until I saw a billboard claiming Kinnie to be Malta’s own soft drink. I had to try this, so I asked for one in the Executive Lounge.

It was sweet, yet left a bitter after-taste — almost like a bizarre version of Dr. Pepper, but yet not quite. I am no sensory taste expert, but to me this carbonated beverage tasted of orange rinds, herbs and sugar. I can honestly say I have never tasted anything quite like it. I drank about 3/4 of the single-serving bottle. The drink was somewhat refreshing and good and i would drink it again, but it is not a beverage I would order instead of a cola or other kind of soft drink.

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Corrections Corner

Upon re-reading my trip report, I found a couple of errors that I would like to correct:

• I wrote that the following occurred on Day 4, when it should have been Day 3: I went out to a restaurant later that evening a few blocks from the Hilton called The Avenue. The air was filled with cigarette smoke and the atmosphere was crowded and noisy, but the food was good and the people were friendly. I had salmon for dinner. Not long after dinner was over, I returned to the hotel and went to sleep. The post which contained this error has now been edited and corrected.
• Smoked salmon was also offered as part of the continental breakfast in the Westin Dragonara lounge.

I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for understanding.