Stazzjon Bar and Kitchen | Country walks and delicious cheats

The temperature is perfect for long country walks right now. The sun is still shining and the threat of rain is small, but it’s cool enough to not be sweating buckets. And the little bit of rain we’ve had so far this year mean everything is green again. If you’re not spending your outdoor hours at the beach – and let’s face it, we’ve all had enough of the beach – then you should be spending them walking around Malta’s country roads.

And if country walks are what you’re looking then the Rabat areas just outside of Mdina are great for walking. Plenty of trees, country paths and lots of fresh air, this should be the spot you go to stretch your legs at the weekend. And once you’ve worked up enough of an appetite, any country walk should end with a little bit of indulgence.

In this area, a stop at Stazzjon, Malta’s old railway station, is an absolute must. Recently refurbished, this family-run establishment is everything you’re looking for. They are open all day and serve food pretty much any time you are hungry and whatever they serve is made with love. Pasta dishes, salads, meat dishes and burgers are great if you’re feeling hungry, or have something lighter from the nibbles section or a platter to share.

After a long walk with my six-year-old nephew, we were craving something naughty so we went straight to the burger section. Burgers are so simple yet so many places get these wrong. These burgers, however, were certainly not wrong. 200g Irish beef patties – my only complaint would be that a child is never going to eat that much meat – cooked perfectly so that the patties were oozing with juice. I went for the Stazzjon special which was topped with provolone cheese, smoked bacon, caramelised onions and a soft fried egg. If you’re worried about dry, this burger is just the ticket, juicy and packed with flavour.

We then went on to the reason for our visit. I had heard that Stazzjon were serving giant homemade cookies, served straight from the pan topped with a huge dollop of vanilla ice cream, so I was all set to try these babies out.

Taking 20 minutes to cook, this gives you just enough time for your lunch to settle and for you to build up a little bit of excitement for the dessert to come. One cookie between myself and a six-year-old would have been plenty, but there is no such thing as sharing when it comes to dessert so we went for two and while we couldn’t finish them both we sure made a good attempt.

Space comes at a premium in Malta so any restaurant that encourages you to get a little bit of air in your lungs is a plus in my book. I hope to be returning many times this winter… even if only for that cookie!

What I ate

Stazzjon special burger

Rosey’s cookie with ice cream

Total: €25.00, excluding drinks

Rating: ***

Stazzjon Bar and Kitchen

Triq Ghajn Hammam,

Rabat

Tel: 21451984

Opening hours: Daily from 11:00am to 10:00pm