As Valentine’s Day coincides with Ash Wednesday, romantic, indulgent dinners are going head-to-head with fasting and Lenten sacrifices that mark the run-up to Easter, although restaurateurs maintain no impact on bookings has been felt.

Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed with fasting and abstinence from meat as it marks the first day of Lent, but people’s level of commitment to the six weeks of penitence before Easter was shrugged off, as tables for two remained in demand, according to restaurateurs speaking to Times of Malta.

Common Lenten sacrifices include holding back from pleasures, including chocolate, sugar, sweets and alcohol – pretty much what Valentine’s Day celebrations are all about.

But Justin Zammit Tabona, managing director of the Xara Collection, maintained that even those who had reservations about eating out on this holy day of prayer and fasting would still go for it.

They would just make adequate menu choices and opt for fish instead of meat, he believed.

Bookings were still coming in, overall, Zammit Tabona said, acknowledging that Valentine’s Day was a big celebration that came once a year and people made the most of it.

For those who are off chocolate for Lent, shoppers at this San Ġwann stall can always choose flowers and teddy bears instead. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

He said it was more of a celebration for the younger crowd and that generation was not too concerned about other things.

“I would say it has no impact whatsoever, with the vast majority of people, especially the younger generation,” concurred restaurateur Michael Diacono.

“We have seen Good Friday also becoming a busy day for lunch, where maybe we sell more fish,” he added. 

Bookings at Fresco’s and Klay were healthy too – and all tables for two, said owner Kevin Attard.

He expressed doubts that the industry would be affected as religious commitment seemed not to be that strong.

“People were eating sinful pastizzi like usual this morning,” Attard joked.

'Sign of the times'

Anthony Scicluna, however, noticed a difference in his two eateries. While Café Jubilee in Valletta was impacted by Ash Wednesday due to the fact that it was more focused on the local market customer, AYU, in Gżira, which has a more continental feel and targeted a different crowd, was fully booked.

Scicluna said the difference was so evident that on the day in Valletta, Café Jubilee served non-meat traditional dishes, like aljotta, kusksu and torta tal-ġbejniet u l-ful, “moving hand in hand with our customs and traditions”.

At AYU, on the other hand, “none of this really matters; what matters is that our customers have a nice spot at the restaurant with their loved better half”, he said, adding that it was a “sign of the times”.

Restaurants were always slowest in the first two months of the year anyway, being a time to refurbish, maintain and train, said Danny Drinkwater, CEO of Gracy’s Arts and Supper Club in Valletta.

Valentine’s dinner, if celebrated, however, always has plenty of demand, he said.

Association of Catering Establishments President Michelle Muscat, who owns her own fish restaurant, has been very busy preparing for tonight.

She said the only thing she noticed from lunch today, which could be related to Ash Wednesday abstinence, was that some customers were not ordering desserts.  

Otherwise, there were “no big changes,” Muscat said.