Gozo restaurant voted 'best in Malta'

The Gozo restaurant Ta' Frenc, has been rated "top overall" for Malta on the basis of food, service and ambience in the annual survey conducted by the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants supported by HSBC and Marsovin.

Another restaurant in Gozo, It-Tmun Victoria, was voted joint second.

It is the first time that restaurants in Gozo have been rated so highly.

More than 600 regular diners took part in the survey, voting for their favourite restaurants on the islands. As each respondent claims to eat out at least twice a week, this is the equivalent of at least 60,000 individual dining experiences.

Ta' Frenc, a converted 14th-century farmhouse on the road between Victoria and Marsalforn, scored highest in all categories overall and joint highest, with Mange Tout in Xemxija, for food. It was also voted the most popular venue for business entertaining.

Patrick Buttigieg's It-Tmun Victoria, which opened only two years ago and won awards last year for both food and wine, was rated joint second overall along with four restaurants on Malta. Both Gozitan restaurants also won top awards for their wine lists.

The results were revealed on Monday when Francis Zammit Dimech, Minister for Tourism and Culture, presented the awards at the Guide's Gala Dinner - which has established itself over the last five years as the most prestigious food event in Malta - at the InterContinental Hotel in St George's Bay.

The Guide lists the 150 most highly rated of Malta's 1,000-plus dining venues based on food, service and ambience, the number of satisfied customers responding, and their comments. For the 2006 edition, launched on Monday night, 28 restaurants were included to replace 28 whose popularity ratings diminished during the past year.

Commemorative plates were presented to the highest-rated among the 150 that were listed.

The Hilton's Blue Elephant scored highest for both service and ambience and was rated joint second overall, sharing this placing with It-Tmun Victoria, Mange Tout, Oceana (Hilton), and Quadro (Westin Dragonara).

The Ta' Frenc wine list was voted both most popular generally and best for fine wine. Ta' Marija had the best list of Maltese wines; the de Mondion list was best in terms of presentation and accessibility; and the It-Tmun Victoria wine list was rated best wine list overall. The wine awards were supported by Marsovin, who, with HSBC, support the Guide.

The restaurants who received awards based on food, service, ambience and overall ratings were:

Ta' Frenc (first); The Blue Elephant, It-Tmun Victoria; Oceana; Quadro; Mange Tout (all rated joint second); Bacchus; The Lord Nelson; Zest; Gazebo; Phoenix; de Mondion; Le Petillant; Zeri's; The Arches; Il Carrubo (Gozo); Ambrosia; Sa Re Ga Ma; Rickshaw; Can Thai; Eastern Breeze; Buffalo Bill's; Huan Yuan (Gozo); Kon Tiki; Qui Si Sana; Rubino Ristorante; Fra Martino; Hibiki; L'Ordine; Nostalgia; Wigi's; Jakarta; Barracuda; Bottega del Vino; Giuseppi's; Casino di Venezia; Peppino's; Da Pippo; Ristorante Michelangelo and the Avenue.

Additional presentations were made to Ta' Marija - best Maltese food (sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism); Blue Elephant - best for romantic dining (sponsored by Menumaker) and also best restaurant restrooms (sponsored by Xedo bathrooms); Ta' Frenc - best for business entertaining (sponsored by Michael Attard & Co Ltd); The Avenue - rated best value for money (sponsored by the Catering Centre) and also most children-friendly.