Del Borgo — Restaurant in Birgu

Walking through the arches of the fort it really sets the mood for a great evening! The entrance of the restaurant is on a lovely stoned Maltese street. Everything seemed set for greatness.

We arrived at 10:30pm ( A little late I admit) , to find the waitress and the chef sitting on the table infront of the bar having a relaxed evening chat. The chef made no attempt to greet or even tell the waitress who wasnt in view that we came in. I asked if they were open as I honestly did assume it was closed, and was told with an uncomfortable smile... " ehh yes .. how many " .

We were 3 waiting for 6 more to arrive, we sat down in the back on some really nice sofa's & chairs. Ordered good wine at a fairly cheap price and food, 2 mains and 3 platters and a side.

We were hosting some guests and really wanted to show a good time and some great maltese hospitality.

Half way through our meal the waitress came to the table and projected her voice to all " I have to charge you for the deserts because really its not nice" ........ what?? I asked for more information, she began to tell us that "one of you ate the their desert so I have to charge you" ... the only other table in the restaurant had deserts and they went for a ciggarette and when they came back one was gone.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?? how is that appropriate? I left the table and went to go to the counter to speak with the waitress , only to be verbally provoked by the men at the other table.

Now speaking away from the table ( as it should have been in the first place rather than a school playground) I explained we are hosting guests so we are all in deep conversation and no one has left our table apart from 3 who were out having a cigarette. At no point did anyone of us decide perhaps we cant afford the €3.50 desert so lets eat someone else's.

No apology, all I got was "But sir they are regulars, In my 12 years I have never seen anyone do this, this has never happened. It is only me here. The one in Black at your table, they told me he did it"

An absolute joke and exactly why a restaurant should have a manager present...

We visited Del Borgo for dinner on a Thursday evening. It's unquestionably a beautiful building and the interior is lovely, but there was only one (and later two) other tables filled and so the atmosphere was lacking - I found myself whispering in that way you do when there's very little background noise!

The service was good, and the waiter was hugely knowledgeable about the extensive wine selection. He also gave good advice on the food menu.

The food itself was fine, but I'd be lying if I said it was exceptional. Perhaps we ordered badly, but two of our three tapas dishes were quite heavy (in fairness, we knew they were deep fried!) and the ftira we ordered was tasty on first bite but quite hard going to finish the whole thing.

Overall a nice evening, but not a stand out from our...

This was a truly lovely Italian restaurant. It took us a little while to find it, as it’s tucked away in a quiet spot, but it’s absolutely worth it. We received a warm and friendly welcome, and the whole place has an authentic Italian charm.

The menu isn’t large, but that’s part of its strength — every dish is original and outstanding in both flavor and presentation. We were a group of seven, and every one of us enjoyed an excellent meal. The food was full of taste, the portions were generous, and the prices were very fair.

As it’s also an enoteca, the wine selection is fantastic, and the staff give great recommendations.

Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience — great food, excellent value for money, and genuinely friendly service that made the...