Whenever you enter a restaurant, your expectations are the amuse bouche to a pleasant experience. From the welcome at the door to the brief walk to your table, there’s a human expectation that every diner inherently holds – and it’s completely unavoidable. As humans, we have expectations, sometimes based on past experiences and other times due to word of mouth, online reviews or general opinion. It’s natural.

Restaurants are strongly affected by this human judgement – from their menu to overall service and the quality of the food and the ambience in which it is enjoyed.

Situated in Rabat’s historical centre, Grotto Tavern focuses on seasonal produce transformed into dishes prepared with the utmost care, finesse, passion and presentation. There’s artistry at work and it should not go unnoticed.

As you make your way to Grotto Tavern, past the Collegiate Church of St Paul, a quaint door name presents itself with a steep staircase leading to a restaurant with ample seating, natural beauty and character evoked through the staff, historic setting, menu and the food itself.

As you make your way down the stairs, an aura of wonder takes over, and no matter how many times you’ve visited Grotto Tavern, that feeling of underground mystery and discovery always finds a way to settle in and take over thoughts, feelings.

Broken marmurat tart

Diners are welcomed at the foot of the stairs by restaurant manager Kim Pace, and her gentle smile sets the tone immediately. A short walk to your dining area allows your magical experience to begin.

Diners at Grotto Tavern have three dining options. The first is the ‘Dining Room’ where business lunches, afternoon meals between friends or casual dining experiences can be enjoyed with a few family members. If your crowd is a little larger, Grotto Tavern has a fantastic setting known as the ‘Blue Room’. It is named for its striking blue walls and can be set up and presented to the guests’ requests when booked for a larger party.

The Blue Room seats 12 diners comfortably and serves the typical Maltese family dining out on a Sunday pretty well. It can also be used for business lunches where private meetings can be held – or possibly even cater for a staff party where a selection of house cocktails and in-house catering is provided for the optimum guest experience.

But the pièce de résistance is surely ‘The Cave’ where a romantic setting, a feeling of warmth and special seclusion fills the area for an evening meal bursting with potential.

The Cave is naturally tucked away in the lowest quarters of the restaurant where a dug-out seating area is sheltered by the walls of Malta’s prehistoric past. The low lighting, simple yet tasteful decor and key attention to detail makes this room the star of the entire eatery.

As you sit at your designated table in your desired dining area, a grand menu is brought over. The custom-made menus match both the wallpaper of the restaurant, showcasing Van Gogh’s almond blossom motif as well as the fabric used to style some of the dining chairs scattered around the restaurant. There’s detail everywhere you look.

Cauliflower and brie

The menu is carefully put together by executive chef Matthew Schembri, whose mantra is local produce, seasonality and availability. The ethos in his kitchens in simple: ‘don’t overwork a product’ – and that does make sense. His innovation in the menu is profound and his philosophy of appreciation for natural flavour, involvement of different textures, understanding of quality products and focus on simple yet mind-blowingly flavourful dishes is clear.

“We change our menu four times a year and with every new menu creation we have the same principles in mind. Keep it clean, respect the produce and bring out the natural Mediterranean flavour. It’s that simple for us,” he says.

Simplicity is generally the hardest thing to master, especially in a kitchen. Masking your dishes with outside flavour might present a tasty dish but the ingenuity of a plate of food is seen when genuine flavours speak for themselves. This is what Grotto Tavern focuses on and executes seamlessly.

Head chef Daniel Bonnici is the doer in this whole concoction – his focus on actual preparation together with the passion he invests in every dish is astounding. There’s a feeling of inspiration that comes out of his kitchen.

Deciding what to choose is quite the challenge – not because there’s a lack of options, nor because there’s a bombarding of dishes to choose from, but simply because the select menu on offer all sounds like an unmissable food experience from starter to dessert. Pace and her team recognised this dilemma and created two degustation menus that both Schembri and Bonnici feel encompass the best of what the kitchen offers.

Paired with a wine list that complements every morsel of food throughout the journey – Grotto Tavern’s degustation menus are those you-have-to-try-it-to-believe-it situations.

While the creativity, passion and execution depend highly on the kitchen, floor staff can make or break a restaurant.

Pace manages four full-time waiting staff, who throughout their journey at Grotto Tavern wear many hats. Apart from the general greeting and serving of guests, these motivated few provide care, attention and a feeling of trust specifically designed for every diner. “We want our guests to feel  like they are taken care of from the start of their meal to the very end. It’s all in the little details.”

From bespoke music playlists set for every room, to wine suggestions and tailor-made experiences, the running of Grotto Tavern is heading in the direction Maltese culinary experiences should be aiming for.

Balance, quality, passion and devotion are the key ingredients used for this recipe of success. It’s a recipe that has recently received further recognition as this year, Grotto Tavern successfully made it into the Top 40 Restaurants listed in the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta and Gozo.

The Grotto Area