Taking our palates to new places at exquisite Valletta restaurant

My latest dining adventure? Panorama, a lavish restaurant nestled inside the British Hotel in Valletta. My date for the evening? My sister- a woman who is even more serious about dining than I am.

I had heard great things about the restaurant and the first thing that impressed me was the fabulous location and the breathtaking view that pleasured my vision as soon as I walked in. The dining room is elegant, yet unimposing with a relaxed sophistication to it, with an outdoor terrace overlooking Valletta’s majestic Gand Harbour.

After a very friendly welcome, we were shown to our table. Matteo, the restaurant manager, took great care of us from the moment we arrived, recommending us a delicious bottle of wine and practically making himself available as our sommelier for the night - something that we both appreciated, since neither of us are experts when it comes to picking wine.

Whilst waiting for our starters, we couldn’t resist munching on fragrant buttered bread. The dinner immediately got off to a smashing start when the waiter brought out two plates of appetisers:  beef tartare served with a cured egg yolk as well as deconstructed salmon sashimi.

If you have never sampled beef tartare before and are apprehensive to try it (like me) because it comes raw, if you want a serving of meat that is packed with flavour and never boring, you must give this a try and you won’t look back! Tartare is very lean and it needs a dose of fat to smooth it out. Enter the egg yolk. Never trust a beef tartare unless it comes with a nice egg yolk… this one’s cured in sugar and salt.  Oh, and did you know you’re getting a great dose of vitamin B whilst you indulge?

I love Japanese and my go-to sushi roll is a spicy salmon roll, so this dish of deconstructed salmon sashimi, Head Chef Emanuele Valerio’s favourite, was intriguing to say the least.  It consisted of two layers of mousse with crispy nori seaweed in between, topped with four rolls of raw salmon…  a new take on your traditional sushi roll and your go to dish if you’re crazy about anything Japanese.  

As if that wasn’t enough as a starter, we were surprised with a plate of truly indulgent gnocchi pesto to share. I’ve never been a huge fan of gnocchi in the past, but these melted in my mouth, with the guanciale leaving a salty flavour on the tongue.

Our final course before dessert was the fresh tuna steak from the specials menu and the pistacchio crusted lamb, the favourite of the day for me. The port wine jus, a vibrant sauce with a unique sweet flavour, enhanced the meaty flavour of the pistachio and mustard crusted lamb. Simply delicious… and when I say delicious, I’m speaking about that level of delicious where you close your eyes whilst you chew and hold off swallowing your food for as long as possible because you don’t want the experience to end. Or maybe that’s just me?

My sister opted for the grilled tuna steak, a fish lover’s version of a beef steak. The steak was thick and flavourful with a simple dressing, which really was all it needed.

To wrap up our lovely evening we couldn’t help but indulge our sweet tooth and we were treated not one but two desserts: pistachio crème brulee (to keep up with the pistachio theme ) and a classic chocolate brownie.  The brownie was perfect: rich, fudgy and chewy. Some might find it to be rather heavy though the contrast of that with the pistachio crème brulee, made a great combo. 

Crème brûlée is breathtaking, and one of those desserts that you’re a bit afraid to mess with in your own kitchen.  Why mess up a good thing, when you can get the perfect French classic with a twist at Panorama? We adored them both and ended our dinner on the perfect high.

The restaurant is also ideal for entertaining and hosting special events. This well presented venue provides an energised environment, making it perfect for a private function.

With an ever-growing number of restaurants in Valletta, this is somewhere that can easily be forgotten on the outskirts of the capital city, away from the hustle and bustle. However, it shouldn’t. The view alone is worth the visit. Whether you’re after an fine glass of wine accompanied by a few bites to eat or, a full-blown elevated dining experience, Panorama deserves your attention. And so does our Grand Harbour.

Panorama

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267 St Ursula Street, Valletta

7987 7980