Ocean Basket
Qawra Road, Qawra
SPB 1905
Tel: 2223 5000

Food: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Ambience: 8/10
Value: 7/10
Overall: 7.5/10

Our fine Mediterranean archipelago is home to a delectable fusion of cuisines. To be sure, we celebrate culinary influences from all four borders of this fine sea. And as Malta’s EU membership and Schengen status invite ever-more visitors and settlers from distant lands, so has the selection of global cuisine on offer here commensurately grown.

Ocean Basket is a good example. An enterprise of South African origin, their first restaurant was a humble affair opened in Pretoria, back in the mid-1990s. In spring of 2015, a branch opened here in Malta. And aren’t we the better off for it? Well read on, intrepid sailor! And together, let us decipher the mystical appraisals of the barnacles of fate that encrust this ancient fishing trawler’s well-brined hull…

Located at the end of Qawra’s seafront hotel drag, Ocean Basket splits its layout into three. On the upper deck sits a trendy sushi bar. Yes: you can watch your chef prepare your sashimi dish as you sip a cocktail - just like in the movies! Downstairs, you’ll find an extended and airy dining area with copious windows looking out on to the bay. And third, by the entrance lies a charming outdoor terrace. It’s perfect for when the winds of Magħtab are in a more clement (and less odiferous) humour.

That day we were seated in glorious sunshine on said terrace, enjoying a splendid view across Salina Bay along with fellow diners. Everyone was smiling - that’s always a good start. Menus were promptly provided by a courteous waiter in smart but trendy attire. And what a menu this is.

Not content with mere fish-barbecue fare, the management presents a vast selection of succulent maritime accoutrements of a highly mouth-watering variety. “Spoilt for choice” doesn’t even begin to describe it. So if you have trouble choosing from menus, perhaps take a more decisive friend along with you. I’m not even joking: it took us a while to dig through all this buried culinary treasure!

But fear not, ye readers of the less conclusive variety. Ocean Basket has replicated its bountiful menu online. This enables pre-meal research from the comfort of your pouffe, or easy-chair. And yes: the prices of the online menu match those in print. Avast! For ye shan’t find a rig with this level of anti-fouled integrity very often on the high seas - arg. So ahoy, me hearties! Raise anchor and steer your skiff on this bearing ‘fer fine island dining, an’ no mistakin’ it!

A pretty good deal in this age of piracy, swindling and general all-round skulduggery

(I know: ‘International Talk-Like-A-Pirate Day’ isn’t until September. And what precisely the life of a pirate has to do with pescatarian dining - beyond both being of the sea - I have no idea. But grant me a few wayward degrees of nautical latitude here, would you?)

Drinks orders were taken promptly on something known (I was told) as a ‘tablet’. (I hear they are all the rage nowadays? I don’t get out much, see.) Shortly thereafter, bread with chopped garlic, chilli oil and garlic mayonnaise arrived. I love the smell of hors d’oeuvres in the morning. Well ok, it was closer to afternoon, by this point.

Back to that menu: it’s roughly divided in two - a main menu, then one for sushi. We decided to go native, plumping for a sushi starter. But we didn’t set sail for too distant a port, steering towards the Sushi Platter For One. This charmingly presented 12-piece dish is a selection of prawn, crab sticks, salmon and tuna rolls.

The sushi was light, fresh and tasty, rolled as it was in delightfully-sticky rice. The traditional way to enjoy sushi is with a dash of fresh ginger and wasabi - both supplied, along with chopsticks. Yay! Depending on your levels of saline tolerance, these perfect parcels fit neatly into the provided soy sauce dishes. Therein, your rolls can be suitably drowned, dipped or dabbed, should you wish to add a little body to the palate of this oriental opener.

Despite the pan, this fish and chips is no work-in-progress.

Now this sushi platter alone is probably enough for a light lunch, or for those with concerns about bulging waistlines (a common affliction of landlubbers nowadays). But we were hungry that day, so we decided to append an entrée from the main menu. And therein lies a veritable pescatarian smorgasbord of shellfish platters, grills and soups. Do you prefer oysters, calamari (grilled or fried - you choose), salmon bowls, or perhaps a vast king-prawn spread? Ocean Basket has you covered (or “netted” - pick your preferred euphemism).

Call me a traditionalist, a stick-in-the-mud, maybe even a rather foppish incarnation of a gastronomic appreciator. After all, I lost my self-respect at ‘Ribs USA’. Be that as it may, I grew up with a fond love for that most traditional of British staples: the venerable fish ’n’ chips. And thus the choice of entrée at Ocean Basket that day was simple. “OB Fish n Chips” is arguably the establishment’s signature dish and - being attractively priced - is probably their most oft-prepared plate.

“Oh, but would you like rice or chips with that, Sir?” “Thank-you, I think I’ll split the difference and have a bit of both.” Remember, folks: choice and near-infinite customization are the order of the day, at this fine seafarer’s eatery.

The fish was served lightly battered and fried almost to perfection. Again though, opt to have your fillet grilled or served Cajun-style instead, if you prefer. It was moist and succulent, and plenty flavourful compared to some of the more dodgy ‘chippies’ I’ve stumbled upon during my various sejourns on land. For yes, you’ve guessed it in one: after a night of sailor’s rum, this fine diner will go for almost anything dipped in oil and served wrapped up in a copy of last night’s tabloid. “But WAIT!” I hear thee holler: “they stopped serving fish ‘n’ chips in newspapers decades ago, Good Sir! Haven’t you ever heard of lead poisoning?!?”

But I digress: Ocean Basket’s fish and chips is neither dripping in oil nor served in toxic packaging - quite the contrary. This is a fine example of the genre, and topping off the sushi starter, it made for an almost-perfect fish lunch on a sunny Winter’s Day in Malta. Moreover, this starter and entrée combo clocks in at just over €20 per head. That strikes me as a pretty good deal in this age of piracy, swindling and general all-round skulduggery. Throughout our meal, the staff were courteous, prompt and attentive, scurrying between multiple tables as they constantly were. This is a slick outfit, and one from which other local entrants in the catering and service industries could learn much. (Hint, hint.)

Eagle-eyed readers may recall, from a previous review, that toiletry accommodations are also high on my list of must-haves. Unlike the crude hole-in-the-deck that doubtless served many a limey-ridden sailor on the spice-routes between Manchester and the ‘Brave New World’ back in the 1400s (please don’t check this diatribe for historical accuracy!), Ocean Basket passes with flying colours. Their bathrooms were clean and modern, and feature a unisex sink area, for those who care about such minutiae.

All said, there was little wrong with our meal at Ocean Basket. Indeed, much was done right. Whether you’re looking for a casual snack with friends, or planning a business lunch where verbal and gestural negotiations have room to breathe, this establishment is well up to par. Combining good prices with solid service and a scrumptious seaside setting? Well, here’s one pirate captain who made sure to leave a flag flying for another meal on my return voyage. Heartily recommended!