Valletta … a final salute!

Not a lot more to say but Valletta does have a couple of public gardens with great views towards the Three Cites. Upper Barrakka Gardens also has a saluting battery, a balcony of canon which used to fire salutes to visiting naval vessels. They still fire the gun twice a day for tourists.

Lower Barrakka Gardens was close to our hotel and has a temple to commemorate Sir Alexander Ball, the naval captain who captured Malta from the French in 1800, ending their brief occupation.

It is a good place to watch the sunset as it lights up Fort St Angelo.

Looking out to sea is the Siege Bell Memorial for all those who fought and died for Malta in WWII. It commemorates the 50th anniversary of Malta receiving the George Cross.

After sunset comes dinner and we’ve eaten so incredibly well since we’ve been here. Casa Sotto serve Pinsa Romano, traditional oval flatbreads from Rome, similar to pizza but very light and crispy. The special was soft potato, pistachio cream and crispy fried onions, seasonal with a Maltese flavour and we shared one of these and also a more traditional Norm with tomato, aubergine and ricotta. All was washed down with a carafe of house red and it was full all evening so good job we booked!

Muza is the restaurant within the art museum of the same name which Chris chose for dinner on his birthday. We sat in the Donato Room, decorated in bronze and teal and dominated by a stunning modern chandelier which casts a floral pattern onto the walls, echoing the frieze at the top of the walls.

The art theme continued with our choice of a Chenin Blanc called Caravaggio and then the presentation of picture perfect plates, each a work of art. We began with mushroom tart with a smoked cheese foam and pork belly with pak choi and truffle jus then artichoke and chèvre tortilla i with tomato fondue and pan seared meagre with pickled fennel. A shared chocolate brownie finished the meal sweetly!

D’Office is a cosy bistro, with lace hanging at the window and filled with vintage bits and pieces. We shared a mezze of broad bean dip, sundried tomato, goats cheese, butter beans, olives, capers and crackers. Afterwards, Chris had the parmigiana while I had rabbit braised in wine with dates, served with crispy roast potatoes and vegetables. Far too full to consider dessert!

Legligin is a cosy basement wine bar offering a set seven course tasting menu but happy to offer vegetarian alternatives. Well we had a feast! They helped us choose the perfect Maltese wine to accompany our meal, a fruity red blend called Fenici, which pays tribute to the Phoenicians, who in the first millennium BC, spread the winemaking culture throughout the Mediterranean.

We began with Maltese tapas including olives, fresh Maltese cheese with fig jam, caponata, stuffed vine leaves, tomato and anchovy paste and local sausage in tomato sauce. For the next three courses I had fish cake, with sautéed octopus and cabbage salad, Maltese fish soup called Aljotta then mussels cooked in white wine while Chris had courgette and tomato gratin, mushroom soup and aubergine parmigiana. Pasta was next, both lemony but mine also with pancetta, then salad, both with strawberry dressing my mine with a quail breast and Chris’s with sweet melon. My last course was pork cheek in tomato sauce, while Chris had tiramisu, which he gamely saved till I had finished and shared! It was an epic meal, lasting 2.5 hours and a first for both of us. We thought what a good idea it was and how environmentally friendly it must be to serve what is good that day, only to buy and cook as much food as is needed. Rather than offering a wide choice on the menu, all the effort is put into offering a variety in one meal … fabulous.

The very elegant Cafe Cordina opened in 1837, and in summer most choose to sit in the lovely square but for us, the intimate gilded interior was a perfect. We were spoilt for choice, but I chose the Maltese Kannol Rikotta – a Flaky pastry filled with sweet ricotta, chocolate chips with hazelnuts, pistachios, cinnamon and icing sugar while Chris tucked into Diplomatica – a Rum-soaked sponge, marzipan and cream between two layers of puff pastry, topped with icing sugar

The Maltese certainly have a sweet tooth with several local specialities and this bakery sells them all.

We’ll be eating date pastries on the flight home (top shelf) and have popped a honey ring in the suitcase.

Valletta’s old market has been transformed into a handy food hall which came in handy when we chose not to eat out and could buy nibbles, salad, wine and pizza to go all under one roof.

Cafe Jubilee’s cosy bistro interior welcomed us on several occasions, but it’s only when you look round properly that you notice the quirky touches!

There is something on the menu for any time of day – lunchtime snacks of pastizzi which are small flaky pastry pillows filled with ricotta or mince and peas, or a bagel with roasted squash, Gozo sheep cheese, broad bean and mint – just a glass of wine on the way to dinner elsewhere – or a meal in the middle of the afternoon before our flight. This gave me the chance to have another local speciality, Ftira Bit-Tonn Taż-Żejt, a local bread filled with a tuna, olives, capers and tomato, while Chris chose Roasted Cauliflower with Black Garlic and Mojito-stewed vegetables – who says it’s hard to find good veggie food in Valletta!

Valletta was a perfect destination for Chris’s 70th birthday trip. Despite it being slightly cooler than we had hoped, we managed to dodge the worst of the rain. The hotel was really comfortable, the staff made our stay a real pleasure and the daily jacuzzi did wonders for the knee! And as for the birthday surprise, well that was definitely a success and the new knee coped admirably with the steps and slopes of the city, clocking up a splendid 21 miles.

There was a lot we didn’t do like walk round the city walks and fortifications, learn more about the Knights and WWII or explore the underground city. We’ve only had a taste, not only of Valletta, but certainly of Malta so we can honestly say we plan to return … sometime a little warmer!

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