The Chef’s Table
Pioneer Road, Buġibba
Tel: 9981 5960

Food: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Ambience: 5/10
Value: 7/10
Overall: 8/10

I have to say that Buġibba is not my favourite area in Malta, as it’s a locality that has been scourged by the uglification of Malta since forever.

Blocks of kerrejja pockmark the inner roads and while some of the waterfront properties still maintain the 1980s charm, they have become rare gems. A big shame, in my opinion, given the spectacular views of St Paul’s Islands with Selmun Castle towering in the background. But never mind, I’m sure the construction lobby will soon find a way of reclaiming land and ruining that view too.

So, one Sunday evening, myself and my other half decided to head to Buġibba and try out this restaurant that has been quietly garnering awards – The Chef’s Table. The restaurant is located along Pioneer Road, and I’m not sure whether this road has been named after adventurous individuals who have been at the heart of innovation, or petrolhead lovers of the car-stereo kind. From the cacophony that greeted us I was more inclined to believe it was the latter.

Buġibba is notoriously difficult to find parking but, as luck would have it and since it was mid-week in January, we did manage to find a rather tight spot just in front of the restaurant – this I took to be a sign from the gods that all was not lost.

Salmon and beetroot salad

I’m always suspicious of highly-accoladed places and 4.5-star ratings on Trip Advisor, specifically in tourist-trapping areas, so I must admit I approached The Chef’s Table with a large degree of scepticism.

My fears were not allayed by a big blackboard outside advertising traditional British roasts with all the trimmings. “Here we go,” I thought to myself, another Costa del Sol, all-you-can-eat, heart-attack-on-a-plate breakfast place.

Stepping into the restaurant, I was taken by surprise when a very affable Maltese chap by the name of Alain came to greet us.

Served in a warm bisque that brought out the plump flavour of the prawns, this dish was nothing short of delicious

Dressed all in black as if about to perform a heist, I regarded him with the same suspicion that I reserve for street-traders in southeast Asia selling me the latest Rolex watches. However, I quickly realised my mistake when Alain began to explain the specials that the restaurant serves, and my heart sang with joy when I discovered that there was an extensively different menu than the one advertised on the blackboard outside.

Rabbit in gravy and piddling peas!

My curiosity got the better of me and I had to ask him why such delicacies such as ‘fillet with truffle and foie gras’ and the ‘crudi of shellfish’ were not gracing his blackboard. He looked at me as if I had just proposed to him the idea of a chocolate teapot and he told me in no uncertain words that the type of tourist that Buġibba attracted would shy away of such dishes and much preferred value-for-money dishes.

Having said this, I did catch a glimpse of the roasts being served to an adjacent table and I have to say that, from a distance, the Yorkshire puddings looked golden and crispy, and the beef served in that pinkish red that reminds you of a beautiful sunset.

Moving on, I was tempted to give Alain free rein and expect his best efforts, but my better half said that since we were on a reconnaissance mission it would be best to stick to the menu. I gave in and we started off with the crudi.

Among them were langoustines, prawns and octopus. OK, so the octopus wasn’t ‘crudo’; it had been slowly boiled over­night and then grilled, but I can assure you this did nothing to detract from the taste – merely enhance it. We were soon mopping up the juices with the delicious Maltese bread that came before. This was the pre-starter, or as I like to call it, my aperitif.

My partner chose the salmon and beetroot salad, which came prettily presented with the beetroots cut, rolled and stuffed with goat cheese. The lemon on the salmon cut through the goat cheese beautifully and left one with a desire to hoover up the dish before the salmon swam away.

I went for the prawns with Pernod sauce. Followers of this column might remember that I am partial to a bit of the local prawn and these did not disappoint. Served in a warm bisque that brought out the plump flavour of the prawns, this dish was nothing short of delicious.

Fillet of goodness with foie gras

For the main course, I decided to try the local rabbit in gravy. I have to say that this was not my favourite dish and would steer away from it in the future; not because there was anything particularly wrong with it, but I found the sauce to be overpowering in such a rich way that it completely extinguished the delicate taste of rabbit meat, and while I was waiting for those fat ‘straight-out-of-the-tin’ peas, it came with those poxy frozen peas out of a bag – arghhhh!

My partner chose the fillet with foie gras and porcini mushrooms, cholesterol galore! The dish was again served beautifully and the fillet cooked to perfection – I’ve found that in Malta, restaurants tend to overcook the meat but Alain got this perfectly right. Again, if you had to ask me, maybe a bit too rich in flavours  but if you’re after a decadent dish – this is the one to go for!

Having had an overload of food, we were contemplating skipping dessert, until we saw mqaret on the menu – too irresistible to skip. The meal for two, including tips, came to approximately €150, which I thought was good value, considering we had Barolo, seafood and fillet steak. One can easily get away with a good meal for a lot less in the same place. In fact, I believe the roasts are very well priced.

In summary, I would highly re­commend this place, not for the ambience or where it’s situated, but if you’re looking for a deliciously decadent meal and fancy a stroll along the Buġibba front afterwards, then look no further!