I have a thing about restaurants where they insist on playing loud music, loud enough to drown out any decent conversation. I absolutely loathe it. I am the sort who thinks that food is best accompanied by good wine and good conversation. Sadly, many restaurant owners seem to disagree.

And so, it was with welcome surprise that I recently experienced the Corinthia Hotel St George’s Bay’s Sunday buffet lunch at their Fra Martino restaurant.

There is food – ample food, all dishes exquisitely prepared and presented – and there is music too, which comes courtesy of one of the more beloved names on the scene, Vinnie Vella Jr, and Romina Mamo, the singer with the charming voice.

Throughout lunch, the accompanying music provided unobtrustive companionship

The music, I am happy to report, was beautifully complementary to the dining experience. Of course, Vella knows his stuff and also appears to be fond of good conversation himself. Which is maybe why all throughout lunch, the accompany-ing music (as opposed to ‘muzak’) provided unobtrusive companion-ship, save for when a particularly well-loved track caused me to stop conversation and point it out.

The repertoire is what one would expect as appropriate for the occasion, with an eclectic mix of songs from musicals, some old Maltese favourites, the occasional dip into Italian pop and even a touch of classical, all made the more special by Vella’s piano-playing and Mamo’s touch.

On to the food. Fra Martino lays on a veritable feast for their Sunday lunches.We started out with an impressive array of antipasti that spanned all the continents – from Japanese sushi to Italian cold-cuts, Greek meze, traditional Maltese nibbles, a variety of salads and more. You really can’t try a bit of everything, or you will just get stuck at that stage, but do leave some space to sample the different breads and focaccie.

My personal favourite? The seafood and fish section, with oodles of fresh salmon, prawns, razor clams and the like...

At this point, it works well to fit in a small break and enjoy some more music before moving on to the next stage. There is soup, which smelt heavenly, but the live pasta station beckoned me. I like the way that all the ingredients for the sauces are laid out in front of the chefs and we just get to pick and choose. I tend to like the plain kind of sauces, so I went for a simple aglio, olio e pancetta in bianco – perfectly cooked al dente.

But those who prefer more substantial offerings can choose from cream-based, tomato-based, curry sauces... with ingredients that range from mushrooms to meat, prawns and everything in between.

You would think that after this there would be no space for more. You would be wrong. For the main course, there is a whole Indian food section that everyone was milling around, and which must have tasted as sumptuous as it looked.

I was attracted by the continental section, which included lamb, fish, meat and chicken prepared in various ways, accompanied by the cutest roast potatoes and vegetables. I also tried the Yorkshire Puddings, which were simply yummy.

A chocolate fountain to melt all hearts.

I did need an even longer break before venturing on to the sweets section, which is where the Corinthia San Ġorġ really exceed themselves.

This section includes everything that might tempt a sweet lover – traditional cakes like Red Velvet, cassatella Siciliana, frangipane, chocolate fudge... you name it and it’s there. There are also adorable mini-muffins, cannoli, ice-cream, Swiss rolls and a chocolate fountain with marshmallows, besides a healthy corner. I tried most of them and then forebore from even looking at food for the next 24 hours.

The Corinthia Hotel St George’s Bay Sunday buffet certainly delivers on all fronts, whether it’s food, ambience or music. Oh yes, you also get complimentary parking and children’s animation. Thumbs up.

For reservations, call 2137 4114 or send an e-mail to stgeorges@corinthia.com.