Marrobbio Restaurant
117, Tower Road
Sliema
Tel: 2713 0669

Food: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 7/10
Value: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

The stretch of seafront around Il-Fortizza in Sliema has - like much of Malta - seen explosive growth in the post-war period. (I don’t literally mean explosive - even if sometimes, it doesn’t feel that far off the mark.)

Many olden day photos of the area depict a barren stretch of rocky shore, with but a few boathouses dotted around. Yet today, Tower Road is home to a constantly growing mishmash of buildings.

As ever-higher apartment blocks spring up, it’s getting harder and harder to keep track. Suppose you were to study the array of buildings, perhaps while walking home one evening after three-too-many Cisks. (Quick aside: you are supporting the Maltese economy by drinking local lager, as opposed to those pretentious imported microbrews, right? “Check.”) Regardless: so rapidly do these new edifices appear that if you squint your eyes as you scan the skyline, you might even get the sense that the buildings are alive. Now there’s a weird thought for a Sunday, eh?

Naturally, within this complex of abutting towers live a lively stream of businesses, shops and hotels. You could be forgiven, then, if you’ve strolled this stretch and missed Marrobbio, thus far. Having opened doors a couple of years back, the restaurant is accessed via a diminutive facade, tucked away just across the street from the now-derelict Chalet pier. Pitching itself squarely as a pizzeria and Italian restaurant, the establishment boasts a swanky website adorned with a full menu. You can actually order online - even out of hours. That’s pretty nifty for 2020, I’d say. (Yes, I admit it: I’m a Luddite.)

Italian restaurants are hardly thin on the ground in Malta and Gozo. So when I strolled past Marrobbio, I was naturally curious to know what distinguished them from their countless proximal brethren.

Now I love Italian food as much as the next Super Mario Karts addict. But I’ll admit: in more than a couple of other Italian restaurants here in Malta, the waiting staff have left me... wanting. It sometimes feels like they’re doing me a favour when serving me. This, as opposed to being even marginally grateful for my patronage. Translation: their manners aren’t always the best. (Hint to defiant restaurant owners: there are a lot of alternatives out there, when it comes to dining choice in Malta nowadays.)

A fine, medium-rare rib-eye with all the trimmings.

To be clear: I’m not referring to a poor standard of spoken English from a waiting staff. I don’t mind that, so much. Goodness only knows, English isn’t easy to master, and I’ll be the first to admit it. And look: I know that Italian cuisine is indisputably “the greatest food on earth - bar none”. (Right?) But steady on, guys. Despite that (apparently inexorable) dictum, you can still be polite and courteous to your customers… no?

I’ll get back to all that. For now, enough of this unrighteous indignation, lest I pop a vein and spend the next three weeks in deep dermatological (and cardio) therapy. As we arrived at Marrobbio a little before peak hour, we were seated at a prime table despite the lack of reservation.

Two glasses of Pinot Grigio were promptly supplied on request. This house white wine was sharp and dry. It had a pleasant, syrupy texture that silvered the tongue but a moment after each swallow. A smooth wine, then, and perfect to sip as one peruses the menu. Though I must say: €6 for a single glass is a little steep, in my book.

But blimey: are these guys serious about their pizza? Well yes. Yes, they are. The menu is comprehensive, to say the least. Consider the mere dough used to form a pizza base. Beyond the standard ‘classic’ incarnation, the menu presented a charming wheel diagram with no less than eight alternative doughs for your chosen open pie. These include wholemeal, gluten-free and even beetroot doughs. Fascinating.

Beyond that famous stalwart of the Italian table, Marrobbio offers a variety of non-pizza (i.e. lower-carb) choices, including fish and meat dishes. We decided to start with an octopus salad. A charming dish indeed, it came served with a plate of bread drizzled with tasty rosemary oil. Now quite frankly, this spread alone would be more than sufficient as a full meal for the average diner, generously proportioned that it was.

Antipasti and fish dishes may actually be Marrobbio’s natural forte. That said, their pizza offering did not disappoint

The pescatarian-friendly salad comprised a healthy smattering of stewed octopus and potatoes on a bed of rocket leaves, with chopped carrots and celery. Garnish and sliced lemon topped it off. This array was drizzled in a delightful vinaigrette which really augmented the texture.

It also offered a feint sweetness that somehow managed to augment the octopus flavour rather than obscuring it, as I might have expected. The celery too (normally too smokey a flavour for me), totally worked in this combination. And raw carrots are good for you! So my Ma always told me.

For our main courses, we opted for a capricciosa pizza (on a wholemeal-dough base), as well as a rib-eye steak. The pizza arrived with an impressively puffy crust. It was a rustic affair, with healthy chunks of artichoke, sliced boiled eggs and mushrooms. And let’s not forget the generous helpings of ham and sliced sausage. The pizzas are baked in an attractive stone-fired oven that has been neatly tucked away in one corner. So this was a solid, hearty dish indeed, and just fine for a chill winter’s eve.

The rib-eye steak arrived medium-rare, exactly as ordered. It was delightfully crisp on the outside, suggesting an open-fire grill. On the inside, it was just slightly bloody - perfect for my taste. A light dash of sea salt was in tangy evidence. That’s really all that should ever be needed, for a prime cut of steak (just ask the Brazilians). The flesh was succulent and tasty, and also had a few shavings of that lovely, naughty fat. You know the type: those parts that you know, deep down, you shouldn’t really be eating. Yes, those very same parts that literally melt on your tongue, when devoured. Quite splendid. A no-frills side of French fries and salad accompanied the meat. This may not have been the most adventurous steak on earth but it certainly hit the spot.

This delicious octopus salad was arguably the highlight of our meal.

The venue itself isn’t all that big. Yet somehow, the layout makes it feel quite expansive. The lighting is warm and understated, and leaves the room amply lit. And despite its relatively modern decor, said illumination lends the whole place a decidedly hearth-and-home feel. That of a warm homesteader’s ranch on the frontier, if you will. This, instead of the bustling pizza restaurant on a busy Maltese drag that it so evidently is. And though, as noted, the restaurant was quiet when we arrived, the place was quite full by mid-evening.

A jolly ambience with plenty of (not overly loud) banter was the result of several medium-sized groups dining at other tables. The clientele seems to be a mix of tourists and locals. I take that to be a good sign. Now overall, I would venture that the octopus salad we chose as a starter was perhaps the culinary highlight of the meal. This suggests that antipasti and fish dishes may actually be Marrobbio’s natural forte. That said, their pizza offering did not disappoint.

One minor gripe was that the cleanliness of the main toiletry facilities was… only satisfactory. Moreover, said washing closets are to be found at the bottom of a narrow, winding spiral staircase accessed through a rear door. That’s hardly ideal for those less mobile diners among us. But what you gonna do? Space in these parts of Sliema clearly comes at a premium, nowadays, right?

But what, then, of my initial quandary, I hear you ask? Would the staff treat me like so much bothersome fluff in their navel, as so many of their contemporaries here in Malta had, before them? Not a bit of it: the service at Marrobbio is facilitated by a young, polite and well-trained waiting staff. They were right on point throughout, despite the abundant clientele that evening placing considerable demands on their talents. Attractive table dressing, along with a customary check-in from the maitre d’ during our main course, were also appreciated.

Overall, then, Marrobbio is an Italian affair that might not send you to the moon in culinary terms, when it comes to originality. That said, it’s well run and the food served is tasty. Add a good location on one of Sliema’s busiest drags. Combine all of the above with the charming ambience and my guess is that you won’t go far wrong. Recommended.