AZAR — Restaurant in Sliema

Azar, tucked within a hotel lobby, greeted us with a warm acknowledgment of our birthday celebration. The nearly empty restaurant echoed with the shuffling of waiters in training, creating an atmosphere both welcoming and slightly awkward.

The service commenced with a well-intentioned offer of bubbles, followed by an amusing dance of table water placement. It became evident that some waiters were still finding their footing, leading to a few moments of unintentional comedy.

The wine saga unfolded with a desire for a single glass of white to accompany the impending fish dish. However, a persuasive recommendation for a bottle of red ensued, a curious choice that left us puzzled.

A complimentary appetiser of local fava bean dip and fennel bread set the stage. While the dip delivered a pleasant burst of flavor, the bread's under-proved dough left it slightly stodgy and dense.

The starters were a tale of contrasts. The pumpkin pasta showcased balanced flavors executed with finesse, while the chorizo and mussel risotto erred on the side of excessive salt, lacking a counterbalancing touch of citrus.

In the mains, the catch of the day, though crisply skinned, faltered in temperature and was overshadowed by an overpowering sun-dried tomato paste. Conversely, the beef brisket shone with taste and tenderness, a well-executed dish.

Sides of potato pave and sweet potato puree demonstrated culinary prowess, each presenting a harmonious blend of flavors and textures.

Dessert, however, fell short with the white chocolate cheesecake lacking complexity, resembling a standard sweet affair. The redeeming moment came with the introduction of Maltese liquors, particularly the prickly pear and carob varieties, showcasing the waiter's enthusiasm and knowledge.

Service and atmosphere, unfortunately, bore the weight of inconsistencies. Loitering waitstaff, overly attentive servers, and a chilly air conditioning setting left a mixed impression. The overbearing service was diplomatically communicated, though lost in translation at times.

The final blow came with the post-meal request to scan a QR code for a TripAdvisor review, a move that felt out of place for an establishment aspiring to a fine-dining ambiance. This left a lingering sense of disappointment, overshadowing what could have been a more positive experience.

In summary, Azar offered a symphony of hits and misses. While moments of culinary brilliance shone through, service inconsistencies and a misguided attempt at garnering reviews left us with an overall underwhelming impression against our initially high...

We had the absolute pleasure of dining at Azar Restaurant in Sliema for my birthday dinner while visiting Malta, and let me just say—it exceeded every single expectation.

From the moment we walked in, we were warmly welcomed by Pierre and Pedro, whose outstanding service and phenomenal recommendations truly elevated the entire experience. By the time we left, it felt like we were saying goodbye to friends rather than restaurant staff.

We travel often and have been fortunate to dine at some incredible places across San Francisco, Napa, Los Angeles, and New York—yet Azar stands confidently among them, if not above. Every dish was not only plated like art but packed with flavor and finesse.

The local red prawn toast starter was a showstopper—visually stunning and bursting with fresh, layered flavor. The rib eye? Cooked and seasoned to absolute perfection, with potatoes that were nothing short of addictive. And dessert… let's just say we were tempted to order a second round.

If you're living in Malta or just visiting, and you don’t dine at Azar, you're genuinely missing out on one of the best culinary experiences the island has to offer. Thank you, Azar, and a special thanks to Pierre and Pedro—you made this birthday one I’ll...

What an exquisite experience! The service couldn’t have been better with staff kindly explaining the dishes on the menu along with their recommendations, and during our dining experience they were extremely attentive and professional. The food was absolutely divine! The amuse-bouche was such a lovely surprise with a freshly baked small loaf with a delicious black bean spread. We were recommended the qarabaghli mimli which was so beautifully presented, tasted wonderful and was a unique way of tasting some maltese flavours. The main had to be the cut of the day which saw us devouring a 500g sirloin which was quite possibly one of the BEST steaks we have ever eaten! Tender, buttery, juicy, flavoursome and a pleasure to eat. All of the sides went perfectly with this and we didn’t want the meal to end. If you’re in Malta, do not miss the opportunity to dine here! It’s perhaps a more luxury dining experience with the price being above other restaurants in this area, however, this is reflected in the quality of the food, the service and attention to detail in...