The pearl of the Mediterranean

Malta really is a place of beauty, especially in the summer. Balmy temperatures in the day and night, crystal clear waters and rugged landscapes make the island picture perfect. When it comes to luxury spots by the sea however, we lagging somewhat behind our Mediterranean cousins that have done such a pretty job in places like Palma, Capri, Saint Tropez, Sardinia and the like. 

This summer we have seen a little bit of a shift towards luxury tanning with the opening of Pearl Beach.

In the heart of Sliema, this is not a new spot, but one that was recently taken over by Charles Grech. Over the last few years Charles Grech has been proving itself in the world of catering. With their track record in excellence from their café in Valletta, which opened in 2012, and the bistro that opened in Sliema last year, you could only expect the very best from this new seaside paradise.

When the location is right, there is very little that needs to be done to sell a place like that and unfortunately that is what many lidos thrive on in the central locations of Malta. Pearl is definitely not one of those. No expense has been spared and it shows. Luxurious beach beds, plenty of shade, great beach tunes with live DJs and attentive staff anticipating your every need gives the place the feel of a beach club in Saint Tropez or Ibiza.

But alas this is a restaurant review, so onto the food. The tables are in a shady part of the restaurant with a cool breeze coming off the sea making even the hottest days pleasant.

As soon as you arrive you are greeted by a hostess that directs you to your table, or sunbed. Their well-spoken and polite staff are a breath of fresh air. Anyone working in catering will tell you how hard it is to find waiting staff. We've become accustomed to Eastern European waiting staff who don't speak much English so having someone that can not only speak your language but is knowlegable about the food they are serving and can make recommendations on both food, wine and cocktails is a real treat. That gives the place an instant thumbs up, even before we started.

We started off with a round of cocktails from their varied cocktail menu and these come promptly to your table in proper glasses, not the standard beach plastic. Their menu is short and simple – shorter still if you choose to eat at your beach bed – using only the freshest ingredients available. Three salads, three pastas, three mains (give and take a few) along with some starters are on their permanent menu as well as a selection of the fish fresh from the fishermen’s nets and a small specials board. This way if you’re a regular you will never be bored.

Dishes served are simple, but everything is done right. The best way to illustrate this is in their Nicoise salad. A few years back you would order this dish and likely get tuna out of a can. Fast forward to today and real tuna in your Nicoise salad is something we should all be expecting. However what sets this one apart from the rest is the way the ingredients are handled. The tuna is perfectly cooked – seared on the outside and raw in the middle – the egg yolks are runny and the vegetables are hand cut rather than the packet salads that are occupying most restaurant plates nowadays. This is a Nicoise with love.

And when you’re done with lunch, (you don’t really want to want to spend your entire day at the table when the sun is shining), you can move to a bed by the pool, and continue your afternoon sipping on cocktails, or wine or just snoozing in the sun.

So does a day like this cost you an arm and a leg. I thought that was going to be the case until the bill came. The food and wine are reasonably priced. Renting sunbeds are a little on the expensive side at €25 a bed, but when this comes with waiting staff that anticipate your needs almost even before you are aware of them then it’s totally worth your while. Is this place for everyone? Probably not, but then again that is the point!

Pearl Beach by Charles Grech

Qui-si-sana Seafront,

Sliema.

Tel: 21338341

Web: www.charlesgrech.com

Facebook: pearlcharlesgrech