Otters Bistro&Lounge — Restaurant in Żebbuġ

During a recent visit to Otters Bistro&Lounge my dining experience was unfortunately disappointing on several fronts, from the food quality to the service provided. Below, I detail the critical points of my visit, highlighting the discrepancies and inadequacies that I encountered.

Paella: Paella is a traditional Spanish dish that is meant to be a flavorful amalgamation of rice, saffron, chicken, seafood, and vegetables, typically cooked and served in a broad, shallow pan known as a paellera. This cooking method gives paella its distinctive texture and flavor. However, what I was served could only be described as a misrepresentation of this iconic dish. The "paella" I received was essentially a risotto—a creamy Italian rice dish. It lack the signature saffron-infused rice with a crispy bottom layer (socarrat). Furthermore, the menu explicitly mentioned that the paella would be served in a traditional paellera, but this was not the case, as shown in the attached photo. This fundamental misunderstanding and misrepresentation of paella were profoundly disappointing.

Ravioli Rabbit: The second major issue was with the ravioli rabbit. When we pointed out that the ravioli was undercooked and essentially raw, your response was both rude and dismissive. You remarked, "some people call it al dente," which was not only inaccurate but also condescending. In Italian cooking, "al dente" refers to pasta that is cooked to be firm to the bite, not raw and chewy as the ravioli was. This inability to prepare pasta correctly is unacceptable, especially when the dish in question is prominently featured on the menu as specialty.

Customer Service: Good service can often compensate for less-than-perfect food, but this was not the case. The service we received was equally unsatisfactory. There was a noticeable lack of attentiveness and professionalism from the staff. When we expressed our concerns about the food, the response was dismissive rather than apologetic or constructive. Their prideful and rude attitude further exacerbated our dissatisfaction.

The final blow came with the presentation of the bill. It was delivered without any explanation or acknowledgment of our dissatisfaction. The server simply placed the bill on the table and walked away without a word. This impersonal and brusque handling of the situation was the last straw in what was already a dismal dining experience. The lack of courtesy and customer care was starkly evident.

In conclusion, my visit to this place was marred by poor food quality and subpar service. The paella was incorrectly prepared and not served as described, and the ravioli was undercooked, contrary to the "al dente" claim made by you. The staff’s inability to accept constructive feedback and their indifference to our dining experience were significant letdowns. A restaurant must deliver a satisfying experience, both in terms of food and service. Sadly, it failed on both counts.

If your response to this review is once again rude and prideful, it will be nothing short of laughable. It’s almost amusing how you think you can dismiss knowledgeable customers and somehow come out on top. If the person managing (responding to feedbacks) this place believes that treating diners as if they’re clueless about food will make them feel superior, they’re in for a surprise. It’s clear who’s actually out of touch here, and it’s certainly not the diners. Your failure is not just obvious—it's your signature. It’s a perfect reflection of your mediocrity and inflated self-perception. And seriously, one more time, treating customers like they’re stupid and don’t know anything about food instead of offering an apology and attempting to make things right?...

If you like endless waiting time, charred burger buns, unsalted French fries, salad without dressing and little service, this is the place for you. If your answer is yes, you should go straight to Otters. All others please read on.

On a weekend evening you should plan a good hour if you want to have something to eat here. So it's not for people with an empty stomach who are very hungry.

We were completely disappointed not only because of the waiting time, but also because we were served a second class meal that lacked essential ingredients. The fact that the human stomach cannot digest salad in its raw form has not yet got around in Gozo. There is no other explanation for the fact that vinegar and oil are only available on demand. This has happened to us several times now and is not a speciality of Otters.

Apart from the beautiful view of the rushing sea in the evening - which would have been even nicer by candlelight, but the tea light would have had to be replaced... - there is unfortunately nothing good to be found in this place. Once you have made it to one of the bare tables, which are not decorated with tablecloths, salt and pepper shakers or anything else that is decorative to the eye, you can consider yourself lucky if, after the drinks have been ordered and brought, you can once again attract the attention of the waiter/waitress to finally get rid of your food wish derived from the loveless paper menu. If you feel like it, you can then go for another walk through Marsalforn and find your meal on your plate after an hour.

The untrained and completely overstrained staff cannot even manage to ask if you want to have something new to drink when the glasses are empty. Instead, they simply clear up without comment. This is a new level of ignorance that we have never seen before.

Unfortunately, there is now the bad habit that every guest is allowed to bring his dog with him, so to make matters worse, I was jumped by one of the unleashed dogs while I was eating.

All in all, a mass processing without any style, where it is noticeable that larger companies are clearly preferred to fewer people. Of course, because they bring more profit to the restaurant. Everyone else can be happy about it, if they are even...

Bizarre. We arrived and asked if we could just have a drink. It was early so virtually empty. We were allowed to choose from a small line of tables, none next to the sea. My husband fancied a cider and chose one from a dedicated cider menu. After he ordered the waiter came back from the bar and said his choice wasn't available, and in fact most of the ciders from this menu were not in stock, just two (why did they not just say so?). The cider he was given was pretty rubbish. I asked for wine - despite a big list of about 20+ whites I think only one was available by the glass. Silliest of all was my mother's drink order. She was driving for the first time in Malta so ordered a non-alcoholic cocktail from a dedicated section of the drinks menu. The waiter misheard her and brought a cider instead - easy enough mistake. But when he returned, he insisted that they did not have any of the four non-alcoholic cocktails stated on the menu we had been given available, and also none of the 15 or so alcoholic cocktails they had across two dedicated menus could be made without alcohol. Not a single one. On top of this, we had to ask twice for the bill, and the staff asked a couple of other stupid questions. Very strange place. In short, avoid this place unless you're happy to accept whatever the waiting staff deign to give you at that...