La Barca | The very best of the Mediterranean
Summer is in the air and what better way to enjoy the best this season has to offer than overlooking Malta’s prettiest beach, Ghadira Bay.
Rachel Zammit Cutajar
The Tunny Net Complex offers a variety of restaurants including Maya Beach, the hot and spicy MexiCo. Mexican Bar and Diner and La Barca, a fabulous outlet offering the best fresh fish caught from the seas just a stone's throw from your table.
A day on the beach is hungry business, the sea and the sand opening up your appetite, and satisfying that hunger with fresh local fish is the perfect ending to a fantastic summery day out.
La Barca is the most beautiful at sunset so be sure to book an early table, and if you're not used to dining early, have an aperitivo and enjoy the warmth of the remaining rays of the sun and the spectacular view of the beach transforming from a hub of activity as parents try and clean as much sand off of their children as they can to get them ready to go home, to a tranquil setting where the only remaining sound is that of the sea gently washing up onto the sand.
Sitting in this idyllic setting brings back holiday memories and instantly transports the diner to a place where problems seem miles away.
Try the delicate starters of funghi trifolati, marinated mushrooms served with garlic, cherry tomatoes and cream or the calamari fritti, fried squid served garnished with fresh green leaves and mild lemon sauce.
When deciding on what the mains, there is a beautiful display of the catch of fresh fish that varies according to what the fishermen have hauled in that day. Whatever your choice, you can be sure that the fish is just out of the water.
Of course there is also a standard menu with some of their most popular dishes. Fresh fish, shellfish, calamari and prawns are included in the menu, cooked in a variety of ways to bring out subtle flavours yet in no way overpowering the delicate fish. White fish, cooked al catoccio with white wine, garlic and tomatoes constitutes a fabulous fresh and healthy meal.
For more explosive flavours try the salmon in dill and horseradish sauce for a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth experience that will leave you wanting more.
The wine list is extensive with crisp whites from around the world. Try the South African Sauvignon Blanc, light in body and its crisp nature compliments the delicious seafood served at La Barca.
Though La Barca is all about the sea, the menu is by no means limited to seafood alone. There are plenty of dishes that will suit the meat eater - fresh rib-eye, beef fillet with a brandy and mushroom sauce, rabbit cooked in garlic and white wine, duck breasts served with honey, grapes, nuts and orange zest or chicken and lobster served with cream in a filo pastry basket.
Though it may seem impossible, leave some room for dessert. The chilled cassata siciliana is well worth the final push, a delicious cake, moistened with liqueur and layered with ricotta, candied peel and a chocolate filling similar to cannoli cream.
On leaving the restaurant you will be stuffed to the brim, but what better way to aid digestion that a walk along the beachfront, inhaling that salty sea air to help your food digest and bring on a well deserved sleep after a long day enjoying the very best of the Mediterranean.
While dining at any of the Tunny Net Resort restaurants patrons can take advantage of the Seabank Hotel underground car park, out of the blistering sun, for a nominal fee of €1 for a three hour window.
La Barca is open daily for lunch between 12:00 and 15:00 and for dinner between 17:00 and 22:00.
La Barca
Tunny Net Complex
Marfa Road,
Mellieha
Tel: 2152133 / 21523254 / 794693462
Web: www.tunnynet.com
