We already had the pleasure of a most enjoyable meal here last Summer.

This waterfront establishment really has a lot going for it. It has enchanting views, especially if you sit on the outside terrace and I simply love the cool relaxed stylish sophisticated beach type decor inside, which has been very cleverly done.

We went for an early lunch as we were told that they were going to be very busy.

What immediately caught my attention was that there was a mini swarm of staff, if you’d excuse my David Cameron insensitive styled expression. It is rather comforting to see a restaurant properly staffed and they most definitely were.

We were offered lovely fresh simple Maltese bread, which should be the norm in many more restaurants, rather than all these fancy breads which are often a disappointment and not half as good. Also a small smart and tasty bruschetta.

We started with a tuna carpaccio which was thickly cut as has now become the norm. I am so happy that things have moved on from the paper thin carpaccio days, when a plate full of this starter amounted to not even one mouthful and in many cases you had to peel it off the plate in small shredded rather tasteless morsels.

We also had a plate of raw but perfectly seasoned langoustine. Both dishes were absolutely delicious and were also beautifully and impressively presented on enormous rectangular china.

For mains we had steamed mussels which, as the server advised, were quite small, but very fresh and tasty and cooked in a very moreish zuppa, which was a true delight to mop up with the Maltese bread. And a spaghetti ricci which was totally splendid. I have had this dish countless times, but this was possibly the best one ever so far! The pasta was very al dente, any more and it would have been undercooked, indicating that it was really pulled out at its optimum time. Unlike many such dishes I have had in the past, where you have rather bland plain pasta topped with a dollop of sea urchin, this was cooked in a lovely tasting and unctuous jus, which most definitely also included the right amount of cooking water in typical Italian style. The lovely texture and flavour of this heavenly liquid made it quite simply a perfect dish of spectacular standard.

As we often do when the food is excellent, we proceeded with desert. We had a sumptuous apple strudel and a delightful Baia Special Sundae which was a decadent concoction of ice creams, caramel, nuts and syrups, just excellent for my diabetes.

For wine we went for a lovely New Zealand Greywacke sauvignon blanc, which had truly extraordinarily intense aromatic flavours of various fruits and also a deep vegetal taste, all making for a crisp but mouth-filling palate. It is firmly based on other New Zealand sauvignon blancs, but it then runs a few extra miles.

And now for the service. I was ever so pleased to see that our service malediction was finally lifted and even totally smashed. We had truly excellent and attentive service throughout the meal. So much so that I could mention a number of very revealing thoughts and gestures which are very indicative of excellent care. We were handed several clean napkins throughout the meal without even asking. When presenting us with the menus again for the desserts, they were already opened for us on the right page. When one of the desserts took slightly longer than the first to arrive, a server came along after a couple of minutes to apologise for the delay and to inform us that it was soon on its way. Similarly by the time we ordered our liqueurs the restaurant was packed and the drinks took slightly longer than normal, however again a server came along to apologise during the little waiting time. Finally when we were given the bill and I simply handed over my credit card, the sever very courteously asked me whether I wanted to check the bill before paying.

These are all signs of exceedingly attentive service, well beyond the norm. The only one small and also amusing glitch, came in sharp contrast to our previous meals where after our main course service entirely failed and it took us ages to even order our deserts. Well here exactly the opposite happened. While my wife was still eating her main course one of the servers came along, cleared my empty plate after rightfully asking me to do so and proceeded to inquire whether we required deserts. At which point I promptly asked whether they needed our table and if we were meant to hurry. However he immediately realised his error and apologised profusely.

To summarise therefore, all of the three main dining factors were excellent – the ambiance and setting, the food, and the service. I would easily say that this is most definitely one of the very finest, if not the number one, Italian restaurant in the North of Malta, offering stunning food.

The only problem we encountered was the oppressive heat, as the entire place is open and therefore air conditioning is not possible. There were ceiling fans which helped, however in the current heat wave it is truly hard to withstand doing anything without AC.

Last but not least, Baia Beach Club is also charmingly equipped with piped music inside its toilets, making for more inspiring pees and poos smile emoticon

We have been treating ourselves to one Mediterranean meal after the other, over and over again. So just for a welcomed change, we decided on an Indian meal instead. And coming to think of it, we hadn’t had Indian simply in ages.

We were meeting our friends and luncheoning companions Jeremy and Michael and as they live deep in the South we tactfully chose an in between location being Sliema. For the uninitiated the Fortina Hotel offers an array of restaurants all open to non residents and although we had already been to Sa Re Ga Ma, this was many years ago.

The setting is both pleasant and also very original for Malta, as it is set, along with the other eateries there, within a very large central courtyard which is lusciously adorned by many trees and plants, giving it virtually a jungle feel. There is also a large pool right in the middle, which provides those like me who can only look but never touch with so much eye candy that desert becomes totally superfluous.

To start with the service this time, here too we were looked after admirably well. And much to my heart’s delight this was kept up perfectly until the very end and nowhere throughout did it ebb or fade, as it sometimes does. And it was all courtesy of Amit, who was not only talented in his approach and attention, but also perfectly knowledgeable on all dishes, their preparation and ingredients. Amit, who was a very cordial and friendly fellow, originating from Northern India, explained that he is also a chef and alternates between the kitchen and the floor, hence his intricate knowledge of the menu. It made an enormous difference listening to his many insights about their cuisine and a far cry from many restaurants where you are dealing purely with an uninformed order taker.

I hate it when you genuinely need some explanations about a menu and the server is very obviously making much of it up. Or when for every small basic question it involves a 5 minute walk and wait for the server between our table and the kitchen. And having been in the business myself, I know that no amount of briefing will even come close to having someone taking food orders who truly has a sound knowledge of cuisine. However in today’s fast paced business environment this is becoming harder and harder to find. Traditionally the person taking the orders would be a veritable culinary encyclopedia, while often today some have the knowledge akin to an amoeba…

So as we were obviously in very good hands, we asked Amit to suggest some nice starters to share. He suggested that we go for two dishes of their special sizzler mixed starters consisting of chicken, lamb, prawns, samosas and onions. We thoroughly enjoyed the variety of tasty components which offered ample variety.

We then each had a separate main course consisting of a pork vindaloo, a chicken vindaloo a chicken korma and a prawn alleppey, accompanied with rice and garlic naan bread. All were very good and wonderfully prepared in typical magically complex Indian spicy style. I had mine very hot and believe me it was, which is the way I mostly enjoy. The prawn alleppey was a striking combination of contrasting flavours of sweet and fruity and spicy and hot.

Cold lager probably goes best with hot Indian food, however we are somehow so used to having wine with our meals that we somehow always end up on the good old vino. So we had a lovely bone dry Muscadet, which is a wine I love and which I think is always so underrated.

After a couple of boring so called Indian ice creams, which we had more to refresh our palette, we ended our meal with coffees and liqueurs. We thanked Amit thoroughly as he was a key factor in the overall enjoyment of our meal. If you’re in the mood for Indian, then Sa Re Ga Ma is an overall pretty good choice.

Our lunch was all the more enjoyable, thanks to the splendid company of Jeremy & Michael, whose company we never cease to enjoy.

The allure of Gozo cannot be denied, especially in the summer months. So when we start to get that Gozo feeling we usually call one of our villa-with-pool friends and chat and chat and never hang up until that invitation finally comes.

So I called our dear friend Nicki, because we hadn’t heard from him for a while and were naturally concerned about him… and yes, bingo! not five minutes had passed before I landed that much desired invitation.

Three days later, night bag in hand, we descend on him and his lovely abode on our sister island. But to compensate for my cheek, I decided at least to treat him that evening to a dinner at the restaurant of his choice. So when Nicki mentioned Tatitas I was only too keen, as this was one restaurant I have long been meaning to try.

The restaurant was extremely busy, which is always a nice thing to see. However in spite of their relative rush, all the staff as well as Markita the owner, all took plenty of time to stop and shower Nicki with greetings and hugs. For Nicki has now become quite a famous fixture in Gozo and in his own words he may well be considered the Victoria Beckham of Gozo, bringing them much style and panache, which is also probably where he buys his lingerie from, but that’s another story…

In spite of the place being packed, the service was extremely attentive throughout and although there was the occasional odd moment where it might have been a bit awkward and clumsy, we were very well looked after. Markita herself often hovered around our table and I must say that she was the perfect host.

The setting of this restaurant is quite amazing. The tables are laid out right in the central village square, directly next to church, giving an unparalleled authentic ambiance and an insight into local village life. I would only recommend slightly better-thought lighting, rather than relying solely on the street lights around, especially as the one directly overhead is quite temperamental and tends to switch on and off of its own accord.

They also have an interesting and varied wine list with plenty of choice. We went for the Chilean G7 sauvignon blanc which was lovely and citrusy, refreshing and floral and also very decently priced. Their food menu too was fairly extensive and well drawn up.

For starters we had fresh mussels which were ok and a bouillabaisse which was really more of a fish soup, but which was rather delicious. We also had gorgonzola and walnut fagotelli which were fine although a bit lacking in moisture and in sauce.

Our main courses consisted of grilled calamari which were pronounced average. Also king prawns in garlic which were nice and well enjoyed. And finally a rack of lamb with mint sauce which was lovely and well prepared.

Our desserts were a crème caramel which was nice both in texture and in taste. A chocolate souffle which was rather yummy. And crepe suzette which took rather long to arrive and with pancakes which could have been cooked slightly longer.

With our coffees we also had whisky, calvados and cognac, which Markita very graciously and generously repeated on the house.

All in all we thoroughly enjoyed it, but we might want to go again when they aren’t so busy, when possibly an even higher standard both in service and notably in food would be attained. In reality, as we were asked to come late after the main rush, for much of our meal most other patrons had already left. So if anything it would be more a case of them being tired rather than rushed off their feet.

But again I will repeat that all in all it was fine and will continue this point not with reference to Tatitas, but simply as a general comment.

We hear only too often both in this group and elsewhere, of customers expressing their disappointment, only to be answered by many, suggesting reasons why this could be. Oh perhaps the staff were tired, or too busy, or because it was late. They were just having a bad day or you were simply unlucky. Others still start saying that they too have been there and never had a problem themselves.

Well all I can say is that these type of comments are rather irrelevant. If you go to a clothes shop and buy a torn dress it is of no consolation to anyone to say that they bought one too and had no problem with it. If I buy a fridge or a TV which doesn’t work, I really care little that the one you bought from the same shop worked well.

With restaurants exactly the same reasoning applies. For even the worse restaurants on earth can sometimes produce a good meal, while the best ones are meant to produce only good ones. We all know that consistency is the key factor with any dining establishment and as long as they expect my money at the end of a meal, I expect to have a good one no matter the time or day.

We shouldn’t ever be making excuses for poor food and service, nor trying to convince others through your our positive experiences in the same establishment. It also happens that you too may have many an excellent meal at the same restaurant, only then to be disappointed on the next occasion. Do you then try to convince yourself that the meal was in fact great?

The only thing that concerns me is the meal I just had and not the thousands of others which have been served there before me. As the saying goes, a restaurant is only as good as its last meal.

I often receive remarks from people that they would love to read my reviews but that they consider them far too long for them to read.

Well let me start off by saying that this is all based on a clever strategy to limit this page only to those with a certain level of intellect. A sort of automatic shrewd culling process, eliminating those with the attention span and concentration skills matching those of a dead cockroach. I know that most of you here will find this very hard to believe, but back in the old days when we weren’t busy hunting mammoth, we actually used to read funny paper things called books. And even more unbelievable is the fact that these book things had hundreds of pages – yes hundreds! And we actually read them cover to cover…

There isn’t really much available in this part of the island, so when Melita was transformed from a small local bar and unobtrusive hotel of sorts, several years ago, into the multifunctional venue that it is today, it instantly filled in a rather necessary niche in mid-island wining and dining.

It therefore gained instant fame and popularity with many, who use its various facilities for lunches, any-time-of-day snacks, dinners, drinks, wine bar, as well as group functions upstairs.

Over the years I have had many an occasion to visit, and if my memory serves me right, I have had the occasion to avail myself of all of the above alternatives, so I know the place well. A couple of days ago we were again inclined to pop in for a light snack, being just up the road and hungry.

We were in fact at Casa Antonia in Balzan. And before any wiseass says it, NO we were not about to be admitted into what I must say is a truly lovely residential home, at least not YET, capitals very much intended.

In fact, without any further dissimulation or pretense, I will admit that this is more of a tribute to the worthy and illustrious Peter Howitt, of international blockbuster movie set decorator fame, than a true preview of the said establishment. Peter Howitt is a dear friend who now resides at Casa Antonia, after having acquired huge international acclaim for his most valid lifetime contribution to the world of cinematography. Peter also has his own Wikipedia page! Need I even continue… as if there were any other better mark of lifetime achievement than that!

As may be expected with most such rare geniuses, Peter also masters a few thousand additional talents, because limiting yourself to one or two is never enough for such brilliant individuals. He is therefore also an excellent and renowned artist and on this particular evening had held the opening of his new art exhibition in Casa Antonio. An event which I must say was splendidly organised by Gino Camilleri and Marie Claire Galea.

So right after the event, a few of the naughtier ones there who never have enough, decided to stumble down the road to Melita. This includedAlexander Spiteri, Joseph Gauci, Robert Scicluna, Emma Loftus, Edwige Sapienza and Frank Sapienza and of course us. We did have to rush a bit, as we were informed that last orders must be taken by latest 22:30.

In virtually identical manner to nearly all other such informal eateries in Malta, the menu offers your run-of-the-mill starters, salads, burgers, pastas, pizzas, steak and chicken, sort of routine. But admittedly, I suppose that what such menus sorely lack in originality, they amply make up for by offering most people’s favourites, in a simply cannot-go-wrong fashion.

So we had our expected mix of roughly one of each of the above, seemingly just to be difficult and to end off the kitchen with the typical nightmarish order, got hold of a few Gavi di Gavis and sat back in the pleasant garden, enjoying the company and the evening breeze.

The discussion varied between the usual social delightful nonsense, to the lovely Howitt paintings which had earlier feasted our eyes and in the cases of some at least, also emptied their pockets.

The dishes arrived in timely fashion. All was satisfactory and pleasant and of a more than acceptable standard. Presentation was fine, portions were large and prices were reasonable, The service too was fine and executed in good order. What else could one expect I suppose. This establishment carries no pretence, so provided that you are happy with the mundane then you will be fine.

So yes, Melita Gardens are not only relatively unavoidable when in that immediate area and feeling hungry or thirsty, but also a decent choice for a very casual meal.

This is a relatively recent transformation of one of the previous eateries that line the main Bugibba square. It has a relatively stylish and avant garde look, and stands out when compared to the other rather expected and sometimes tired, tourist looking joints around. So naturally this is the one my wife pointed at and with absolutely no hesitation I followed her instructions and proceeded to pick one of the many available tables outside.

This was an impromptu affair, as we often like to do on our way home, when we simply glance at each other, give a quick nod and turn the car towards the closest restaurant around, in the form of an unexpected treat. In this particular case we were accompanied by our daughter, it was at the unlikely hour of 16:30, but who on earth cares! That’s what days are for, to rearrange them exactly how you feel like there and then and to fit in a bit of well deserved self indulgence.

So as we were already in Bugibba, we just walked down to the square and into Bistroteca. We were only after something quick and uncomplicated anyway, so this seemed like a very likely place.

As we always have our priorities right, we started immediately with the wine and asked for a first one which was out of stock, as was our second choice too. This seems to be happening more and more in recent times and is quite disappointing. With good beverage stock management this should never happen and if for some very remote reason a restaurant is caught out, then this should be indicated even temporarily on the wine list, or at least advised verbally when handing over the list. We did in the end settle for a 35 South sauvignon blanc, which is always a good choice, but particularly this new 2014 vintage I find has turned out truly excellent and considerably superior to the previous few recent vintages.

So as we happily sipped our wine and eventually gave our order to an extremely friendly and helpful server, if rather unpolished. This is often the case in Malta, although I must admit that being slapped across the back simply cause I’m a nice guy, does not happen to me that often. Still, he was extremely helpful and attentive, which is more important to me than his very apparent need for a good Swiss finishing school.

The menu was quite extensive, interesting and well presented. I also liked their special steak feature on the menu, whereby for a small supplement you could choose any two of a wide choice of sides and extras. Although the steaks themselves seemed slightly on the pricey side, I really cannot judge, as I went for the fish and chips instead. This was lovely and crispy on the outside and filled with tasty succulent fish, which I very much enjoyed. The accompanying chips were also faultless.

We also had a lemon and pepper crusted grilled chicken breast salad, which was copious, well presented and very tasty. And a pan roasted duck breast which was also of a very good standard and cooked exactly as requested. So all three dishes were very satisfactory and certainly commendable.

Based on the quality of their mains, we were thinking of trying out a couple of their desserts, however our table simply took ages to be cleared. My newly made buddy had somehow vanished, until I caught a glimpse of him chatting at the bar in civvies and by then visibly off duty. He was replaced by another seemingly johnny-head-in-air colleague, who was busy buzzing around the empty tables chasing flies or imaginary customers I presume. After what seemed like ages I had had enough and decided to get up and chase him around the empty establishment, at which point he suddenly seemed to realise his great oversight, did admittedly apologise and finally cleared our table.

By that time however we were put off waiting any longer, and as may be expected, had become restless and wanted to go. So we settled the bill, went to the gelateria next door and did it Italian style, strolling and licking our way along the lungomare.

If this place manages to slightly up its service and also clean their toilets, after what visibly must have been a busy and wet lunch, it can make for a very agreeable venue, with its more than decent and varied choice of food and of course its central location.

After several long and painful weeks of forced separation due to mutual travels, we finally met up again with our dearest of friends Jeremy Copeand Michael Owen MBE. As they very much share our passions of eating, drinking and writing, we really have a lot in common and revel at the thought of meeting up for yet another meal together.

So we agreed to meet for lunch and what better setting for an outdoor luncheon than the magnificent gardens of Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar. These magical gardens have the eminent label of Grandi Giardini Italiani which sets them at an exalted level insofar as gardens are concerned. And although I must say that I have seen them in a slightly better state of upkeep, this was most marginal and took nothing away from the splendour of the surroundings.

Similarly pleasing to the eye are the stylish canopies and other sheltering structures, the table setups and the servers’ uniforms in elegant, flowing, most Summery, loose fitting and totally white cotton attire. The only one clashing item in this relative opulence were the extremely thin, lowest grade style paper napkins. I really don’t mind paper, however surely a slightly better grade would have been much more inkeeping with the overall ambiance of the establishment. Another unfortunate and very annoying occurrence were the many flies which plagued us throughout the meal, which after a while can really get on your nerves.

We were handed menus and wine list along with a lovely added touch in the form of a complimentary welcome Pimms, which was as good as it was unexpected and thoroughly appreciated. We were also given a nice mixed basket of home made breads. The menu which is predominantly Italian, is rather imbalanced insofar as it features a great number of starters and very few main courses, to a vastly disproportionate level. Also immediately noticeable was the overly high pricing of the starters, while mains were fairly reasonably. As for the wine list this offered virtually only Italian wines with very little other option. Wines too in my opinion were overpriced and could do with a handy downward revision of at least 10% to 15%.

Following a tasty truffle and mushroom risotto amuse bouche, we started with two chilled cucumber soups which were delightfully refreshing and very well prepared. A mixed tempura which was unexpectedly massive and rather chunky and although not perfectly light and fluffy, was still rather pleasant. Also a salade nicoise which was excellent and only lacked one of its countless essential ingredients – anchovy.

For mains we had a mixed smoked fish plate which was lovely, tasty, delicate and light. Homemade cheese ravioli with a tomato based sauce which were also well enjoyed and cooked just right. There was a lovely seared tuna which was perfectly served pink and had excellent smoky flavours and was served over a well prepared mixed salad. Lastly a veal dish which to be perfectly honest I cannot totally remember much detail about. As I have already mentioned elsewhere, before eating out, I check whether the restaurant has an online menu and when they do I very obviously and naturally assume that this menu is kept up to date, hence its very existence. I do not therefore expect to waste my time and spoil part of my meal by writing endless descriptions of dishes and all I have to do is to remember which dishes we took and later refer to the online menu. However unfortunately this was not the case with the Luna, so certain details do now escape me. However I must admit that the veal was by far the poorest dish and the meat was on the tough and dryish side, alas.

The service was initially of a very high standard, if at times a bit too keen on the wine and water pouring. However towards the end of the meal, from a situation when we were treated to the full and constant attention of the staff, they all seemed to have disappeared and our final coffees and drinks took ages to order. And even more annoying was that as time went by tables and chairs all around us were being cleared, lifted and shifted across to the other side of the garden where a small army of personnel were hard at work visibly preparing for an evening function. So what started off as a rather idyllic setting with very attentive service ended up as a case of musical tables and chairs all around us and with no one to place our final orders. I must also mention that when using the toilet I was followed by what looked like a rather surly kitchen worker, who also used the patrons’ toilets, which is rather distasteful and which should be avoided due to the obligatory staff toilets in such an establishment.

We did however persist and find the patience to wait, until we finally managed to get our coffees and finishing drinks, in spite of their enormous price. I believe that € 8 per shot of standard spirit or liqueur is asking far too much and several drinks listed were not even in stock, which should not happen in this type of establishment.

We still had a great time at this restaurant and would still recommend it. I just encourage the management to reprice their beverages to more realistic levels and to co-ordinate service and setting up of evening functions to a better degree, so as not to infringe on the comfort of their lunch clientele.

In the end the main scope of the outing was to catch up on so much news and gossip with Jeremy and Michael and this we certainly achieved.

This brand new restaurant is the latest edition to restaurant mogul and chef extraordinaire Marvin Gauci‘s rapidly expanding empire. It is housed right above Caviar and Bull in the Corinthia San Gorg Complex in St Julians and unlike his other restaurants is firmly based on a very interesting mix of ethnic Far Eastern cuisines, cleverly fused with European styles and ingredients.

The place itself is very original as it is entirely made of glass and distinctly feels like being inside a glass dome which impressively dominates St Georges Bay. So it is definitely not devoid of splendid views of the sea and also full of dazzling lights from the surrounding areas.

After admiring the set up and intricate details in the form of novel tableware, menu and wine list presentation and other clear touches of chic, we moved onto more serious matters – to inspect foods and wines on offer. The menu proved to be an extraordinary eclectic mix of sushis and sashimis, oysters and caviar, tandooris and tempuras, meats and fish, often fused with European ingredients. It is very much that type of menu which puts you in an enormous fix as to what to go for, due to the endless choice of so many tempting dishes, making you want to order virtually everything on the menu.

The wine list on the other hand was not very extensive and certain wines lacked detail. However in spite of the European element being present in the menu, I suppose that with the focus being more centred on the Asian, wine might lose a bit of its importance. I am also seeing a local trend not to fuss so much over the wine list. An increasing number of establishments seem to be going against the very recent tendency to feature a wine list akin to an encyclopedia, which can at times border the presumptuous and the unnecessary. I do however very strongly hope that we will not go from one extreme to the other and I do believe that at least the basic descriptive details of the wines on offer should remain firmly established in local wine lists for a very long time to come.

So after much deliberation we decided to start with a selection of salmon and yellowtail sashimi, which we devoured in roughly 12 seconds flat. So when Marvin popped by and saw our desperately hungry faces he brought us a larger assortment consisting of octopus, prawn, tuna and eel. We are great fans of sashimi, but admittedly just having returned from a holiday in Japan, where we over-indulged in this delicacy, the experience can get quite repetitive. So we then decided to change tack and order some hot food to follow.

We had crab and foie gras wontons which although might sound like a rather weird combination, is anything but unheard of. It was a very interesting dish but which admittedly requires a rather acquired taste to fully appreciate the contrasting flavours.

We also had spicy chunks of wagyu beef in a truffle and mushroom sauce. Another interesting dish with a splendid sauce and where my only small remark would be that the meat would have improved slightly with just a little bit more cooking, to melt down the remaining stringy fat.

As for wine we went for Chablis, mainly because I found the lesser wines to be relatively pricey while the difference to upgrade to a Chablis relatively small. This incidentally also reminded us of Tokyo, where the same phenomenon is also the order of the day, but to the extreme. There if you decide to ‘invest’ in a bottle of wine, you either pay a very hefty price for a horribly basic bottle, or you pay just slightly more and get a good one. So for us it was either sake or pretty good wine most of the time.

We agreed with Marvin to return very soon to continue our exploration of this incredible menu and to delve deeper into intricate mysteries behind some of the more daring dishes he has combined.

This popular bistro and bar has been firmly established as a prime meeting place for many years now. Very conveniently and centrally located on the Gzira seafront, close to the Manoel Island bridge, it has a large and loyal following of drinkers, lunchers and diners and also generally serves as a meeting place throughout the day and evening. Its setting, style, easy but varied menu and continuous service throughout the day, ticks all the boxes for a large crown of people, who have long made it their favourite haunt.

I hadn’t visited Moscow for around eight to nine years, when I distinctly remember my marked disappointment with the restaurant scene there in general. After several meals there, I had found that the general fare was usually very average, menus, choice and availability of items and other such basics was poor, service was often abysmal and prices were astronomical.

I am not implying that there weren’t any decent restaurants at the time, but when abroad I always gauge the overall restaurant scene not by conducting endless research to find that one rare perfect gem, but by dining out in a variety of easily located restaurants, using a mix of recommendation and random, to form a more logical, down-to-earth opinion.

It was therefore with some apprehension that we approached our first and perhaps even our second restaurant there, before fully realising that things had visibly improved and by quite an impressive extent, since our last visit.

This goes hand in hand with the overall gradual transformation of this city, from what was still evidently in post-communist recovery stage during our last visit, to what basically feels like any other European city today. The changes could be seen and felt everywhere. An abundance of new business establishments and shops of all sorts, the upgrading of the previous existing ones, so many new cars on the road, previously absent signage and advertising everywhere, a new, modernised, refreshed feel and look to the place, at least when compared to so many years ago.

Last but definitely not least, in terms of improvement, was the much softer and less stern demeanour of the people, whom I had found shocking during my last visit, due to their totally inhospitable nature, which often had verged on the hostile. And although I would still not put up Moscow for any hospitality or customer care award, and not by a long shot, I did feel a real progression insofar as most people were usually acceptable in their approach towards us.

Luckily all these improvements have also greatly influenced the restaurant sector in a number of remarkable ways. The choice of restaurants is now rather extensive and infinitely more varied with entire new areas full of new establishments that have sprouted up in recent years and months. Whereas before eating out at a restaurant was more of a reserved activity for the elite, like everywhere else, it is fast become more of the norm for many other classes and at the reach of many. This on its own has ensured not only that a plethora of establishments of all types have been created, but also that the dining experience there is a much more relaxed affair with no false airs or pretentious expectations from either side. Like all other large multicultural cities, Moscow now offers literally any type of cuisine, starting form your ubiquitous pizza and pasta, to French, tapas, the full range of oriental, all the way back to the more local tastes and neighbouring satellite cuisines such as Georgian, Azerbaijani, Uzbek & co.

This also automatically denotes the availability and even the abundance of so many more food and beverage products, which were previously noticeable only by their absence. From a wines and spirits point of view, although a few last steps would still not go amiss, the choice offered in most establishments can now be considered close to adequate. Asking for say a gin and tonic, or a new world fruity shiraz, no longer raises KGB alerting alarm bells, due to the rare, peculiar and absurd nature of such a request and is usually doable in most circumstances.

Admittedly like in so many countries, there is a certain drawn-out process that has to be undergone with the finer tastes requiring a greater sense of acquisition, if you see what I mean. Many people there are still at the wine discovery stage and as is often the case, they start off at the dubious and rather unfortunate sweet phase, then slightly improve their palate to semi-sweet, before ultimately developing enough taste and knowledge to realise that dessert wines are thus called for a valid reason. I chuckled many a time reminiscing of my youth in Malta when amongst the most popular local wines were sacrilegiously labelled ‘Sauternes” and “Semi-Sweet”…

The service we encountered in our Moscow restaurants was on the whole acceptable, although sometimes rather devoid of that additional warmth and attention to detail that has become the expected norm everywhere else. The general feel of things is that people have started to make a good effort, however at the same time you still can’t push it too far without getting the look, reminiscent of previous times.

As for pricing I was very pleasantly surprised to see that overall both food and drink items were much more reasonable priced and no longer placed at astronomical levels. There is no way that eating out in Moscow may be considered inexpensive, however it is just about entering into the affordable bracket. Definitely all foreign wines and spirits are still very much overpriced and most wine lists feature very inexpensive wines at expensive prices, but with a lot of care and attention and smart selecting, you can just about manage to find something without entirely breaking the bank.

And all this is mainly compliments of Putin, who through his Crimean and Ukrainian antics has triggered off the considerable devaluation of the Ruble, which currently offers a very advantageous rate against the Euro. So I must say that all pricing was effectively brought down mainly due to this rate of exchange phenomenon.

It will be interesting to see how all this evolves in the forthcoming years and hopefully, if things continue to develop in the way they have been, Moscow might one day become a world class dining destination. They certainly have the size, the potential, the human resources and the cultural mix to achieve that. Now all that is required is the real political will.