There were five of us meeting up for dinner. And as we were all going to be in Sliema, one of our party suggested that we dine at Galeone, which was perfectly fine with everyone. We have been there several times before, but not for many many years.

This restaurant has been operating for a great number of years, and as is often the case in such situations, there are a few evident signs of this. However what Il Galeone lacks in modernity and novelty it certainly compensates for in the sound, traditional goodness of its dishes. It offers quite a varied menu featuring a number of old favourites and classic dishes, gravitating around general Mediterranean cuisine.

For starters we had escargots which were served in the customary manner. They were well prepared and served in a tasty garlicky sauce. There were also two portions of lobster ravioli which were nicely filled with fine tasting lobster and a lightly creamy sauce. Also an avocado, artichoke and mushroom dish which was pleasant and tasty. So I would safely say that all starters were very decent.

As for the main courses there were two calf’s liver in a simple veneziana sauce which I very much enjoyed. The liver was very thinly cut, which makes a pleasant change from the usual more chunky and sometimes chewy preparation. The sauce was well prepared and nicely complimented the liver. We also had a duck breast which was served nicely pink, succulent and well enjoyed. A beef stroganoff which proved to be of a very good standard, made up of tasty and tender beef accompanied by an unctuous sauce which presented all the expected flavours. And finally a vitella milanese which was truly excellent. It was very thin and perfectly cooked to produce a lovely, tasty and crunchy dish.

As for dessert there was only one tiramisu which was ordered and although I have had much better, it was still quite pleasant.

Definitely my main gripe with this restaurant and I must say that it is a very justified one, concerns their wine list, the likes of which I must admit I haven’t quite seen before. It is presented in the form of a small two paged card and besides offering a rather limited choice, all of the wines are literally accorded between one and three words in total. This means that under the heading by country you just have a list of words such as Chateauneuf du Pape, St Emilion, 35 South, Carmenere (spelt wrongly). So not only was there absolutely no description whatsoever, but the word list consisted of a mishmash of either place names without indicating the name of the wine, or brand names without grape variety or vintage, or just varietals with absolutely no other information! I really don’t think that it is necessary to dwell much further on this very obvious shortcoming and that a wine list worth its name should include for each of its wines – place name and/or appellation, brand name, producer when applicable, vintage and finally description.

So all in all the food was much enjoyed, especially as many of these renowned classic dishes seem to be slowly and regrettably fading away, as more and more new establishments open up offering more contemporary fare. The service too was smart, efficient and friendly and left nothing to be desired. We were also very graciously offered a free drink on the house before our departure, which is always appreciated. And provided that whoever produced that wine list is slowly and painfully burt at the ‘steak’, I would gladly return.