At ‘Ta’ Marija’, located in the centre of the village of Mosta, you can easily be swept away by the hospitable and inviting atmosphere created thanks to the traditional setting, charismatic entertainers and welcoming patrons. In fact, every Wednesday and Friday evening, diners are invited to sing along with the mandolin and guitar players strolling around while playing traditional and popular songs as part of the Maltese Extravaganza Nights. The restaurant also readily welcomes babies and children, creating a wonderful ambience for family outings. And if you’re looking for a more romantic setting, don’t fret! Thursdays are Romantic Night, with candlelight dinner, soft music and seductively scrumptious food.
By Angela Bianchi
The beauty of this place lies in its simplicity. It offers warm and welcoming surroundings with delicious and satisfying food. The moment you walk into the restaurant, you are immediately hit by the enticing aromas wafting through from the kitchen, opening up your appetite for an unforgettable experience of Maltese cuisine.
The vibrant and accommodating atmosphere complements the cuisine with great skill. The talented chefs carefully prepare the traditional dishes with local produce, offering A La Carte, as well as Set Menus. They present a wide variety of dishes from a selection of antipasti, which include soups and pasta, which are also offered as a main course. Vegetarian dishes are made available as well, boasting a generous selection of fresh local produce. My favourite starter dishes would have to be the Soppa ta’ lArmla (Widow’s soup), a vegetable soup with a poached egg and a Maltese cheeselet known as gbejna (goat or sheep cheese), or maybe even the mixed platter that presents a selection of six starters containing Maltese Farmhouse snails with an arjoli dip, sautéed rabbit liver in a puff pastry basket and traditional Maltese sundried tomatoes, cheeselets and olives. The difficulty is in choosing because every item on the menu offers a unique taste of Maltese cuisine. I am sure that I am not the only diner who has inadvertently spent an agonising amount of time salivating over the mouthwatering and appetiteteasing descriptions of each dish on the menu. The only real solution is to keep finding excuses to go back and try something else!
All main courses are accompanied with baked local potatoes and fresh vegetables of the day or mixed salad. Either way, you can’t really go wrong with your choice. The main courses include an assortment of fish and seafood, such as baked stuffed squid with a tomato and olive sauce, or a choice from the meat or fowl and game selection as the House Specialty – stewed rabbit in Ta’ Marija sauce. Some of the other typically Maltese dishes include bragjoli u zalzett Malti (beef olives and Maltese sausage in a tomato, peas and basil sauce), brungiel mimli (stuffed aubergines) and IlPlatt Ta’ Marija (a mixed platter of Ta’ Marija popular dishes with fried rabbit, beef olives and octopus). And for the truly carnivorous diners, Ta’ Marija also has its famous ‘Whisper’ steaks (since 1964), the year in which the restaurant opened.
To finish off the meal, you are next offered a selection of traditional delectable desserts, including helwa tatTork (Maltese Delight), gelat tanNanna (traditional Maltese icecream) and other scrumptious goodies from the sweet trolley. Even the tea and coffee add a Maltese touch, like the kafe tanNanna blilma Zahar (Grandmother’s style coffee with rose water). After all, this is a familyrun restaurant.
This unique yet traditional restaurant has, in fact, won the award for Best Maltese Food Restaurant for the fifth year running, and is also this year’s Best Lively Entertainment Restaurant. ‘Ta’ Marija’ presents authentic Maltese cuisine with a combination of traditional dishes and genuine Maltese hospitality. Truly a cultural and gastronomic experience.
Ta’ Marija Restaurant
Constitution Street, Mosta
Tel: 00356 2143 4444
Email: info@tamarija.com
Website: http://www.tamarija.com
Average Cost: €34
All major credit cards are accepted
Opening hours: Daily 11.3014.30, 18.3022.30 (Mon closed for lunch)
