Opera Trattoria — Restaurant in Balzan

As soon you arrive at Opera Trattoria (located in the quaint village core of Balzan) you are given a warm welcome by Adele who is the patron chef of the restaurant. The ambiance is romantic, and the place is charming with a cosy covered courtyard where we dined next to a beautiful old olive tree accompanied by classical music. Adele took care of us from start to finish, she was very professional, charismatic, and courteous, and she even took care of our dietary requirements. The food is top quality genuine fresh Italian ingredients, and every dish is homemade and freshly prepared just for you. The wine selected complemented our meal perfectly, and the homemade apple strudel was truly delicious. Lastly, Adele did not disappoint when she served us the perfect creamy espresso. If you are looking for an authentic and memorable Italian dining experience this is the place for you. You will certainly see us again. Thank you....

Terrible experience – avoid at all costs

We came to this restaurant expecting a nice meal, but the experience was appalling from the start. Out of the entire wine list, only two low-quality bottles were available. When we politely asked if we could bring our own wine and pay a corkage fee, the owner rudely shut us down, saying "this is my restaurant, and I do what I want – you're not welcome here."

The attitude was shockingly disrespectful and completely unprofessional. The restaurant itself is set up in what looks like a garage, with broken chairs and an overwhelming smell of frying oil. It's unacceptable that guests are treated this way.

The owner's behavior was disgraceful, and I strongly advise others to stay away. There are many better places with real hospitality and basic respect for customers. Avoid this place...

We stumbled upon this hidden gem on an evening out in Balzan, and were very glad that we did! The lovely couple who own and run it, Marta and Adele, were warm , welcoming, and nothing was too much trouble. The restaurant is small, intimate and quiet, a pleasant break from some of the busier, louder venues we tried. The food was stunning, and chef Adele even made some tweaks according to our foibles and dietary requirements. The service was faultless and quick, yet all of the food was cooked from fresh. We had a lovely, peaceful dinner before walking out straight into the centre of beautiful Balzan. We would definitely recommend, and as LGBTQ travellers found this venue particularly welcoming...