Ta' Kris Restaurant — Restaurant in Sliema

Tl;dr It might be difficult to get a table here, as they turned away walk-ins during peak service. I would try booking online well in advance. Food was good, but service was variable and did not charm me from the very beginning when I wanted to make a reservation. As well, they seem a bit disorganised with managing reservations when you arrive.

I made a reservation online on Thursday to come on Saturday at 19:30. I then saw a little notice on their website implying that a phone reservation would be more successful, as they might be too busy to confirm your online reservation in time. The woman who picked up was very curt and impatient. I was only given the option of a 21:00 reservation on Friday. Absolutely nothing on Saturday. The next day (Friday), I received confirmation of my 19:30 reservation for Saturday. Okay, glad I did it online!

We arrived five minutes before our reservation. The older blonde lady that has been mentioned in other reviews was as described. She acted as if patrons had been hounding her the whole day. It was not a warm welcome at all.

They also seem to have poor management of the reservations because there wasn’t a table ready for us. The lady hurried one table along to make it free (they were at least all done and only had glasses left). I noticed another couple coming in shortly after we had been seated, saying they had a reservation for 19:30. No table available, so they were temporarily seated at the bar.

The wait staff’s demeanour was much better. They were doing their best during what was clearly a busy night. However, they should be transparent about how menu alterations might affect the final bill. My husband wanted the beef fillet with peppercorn sauce, but they had run out of it. The waiter said they could substitute it with another cut and still provide the peppercorn sauce. What he failed to mention was that they would be charging us €2.95 on top, as the sauce was now considered an extra. It’s not a large amount, but his explanation made it seem like the price would remain the same.

The food itself was very good. It had bold flavours and was delicious. I really liked the bigilla appetiser, which was on the house. If you are patient and can handle little mishaps like these, then come for the food. However, if you are looking for a quality overall experience, maybe...

Recently, I had the pleasure of dining at Ta Kris - one of the most popular Malta's traditional cuisine restaurants. This place was highly recommended by several locals, thus I made a reservation in advance, knowing that it tends to be fully booked.

From the moment I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent service and vibrant atmosphere. Despite that the restaurant was busy, the staff was attentive to the smallest details, incredibly friendly, and provided a smooth service in a very professional manner! I was served by an amazing and highly professional waiter Rinkoo.

For my meal, I chose the local white wine “La Valette”, Maltese Fried “Gbejna” (coated sheep cheese with bread crumbs and nuts) as a starter, followed by Rice with Octopus En Blanc (similar to risotto), and Helu Malti for the dessert (a selection of 5 different sweets: traditional sweet Imqaret filled with dates, nutty fudge, Maltese ice-cream, cannolo stuffed with ricotta, and an almond cookie). While “Ta Kris” offers mostly traditional meat dishes, they also have a variety of vegetarian and pescatarian options for diverse dietary preferences. After placing my order, I was immediately served wine along with complimentary appetisers, enhancing my dining experience and making the waiting time more enjoyable.

Each dish exceeded my expectations, with perfectly paired ingredients ensuring a delightful culinary experience. The standout for me was the fried sheep cheese starter, which had a perfectly soft texture complemented by a sweet and sour sauce. Additionally, the octopus (Rice with Octopus En Blanc) was perfectly cooked - the meat was soft and flavorful, greatly paired with the rice and seasonal vegetables. The dessert came accompanied by a detailed explanation of each sweet on the platter, all of which were equally delicious.

Overall, I am more than happy with my choice to dine at Ta Kris restaurant! It's undoubtedly the best local cuisine restaurant in Malta and my number one choice for traditional dishes and an authentic experience. My sincere thanks to the exceptional staff and chefs for an unforgettable evening, and I look forward to...

Wow what a wonderful experience! If you want to try the local cuisine this is surely one of the best places as I can’t imagine the food being any better anywhere else! Try and book, but we got lucky as a couple and they had one table left! After ordering a local bottle of wine we received a full breakdown of the local chef specialties for the day. Complimentary Maltese bread and a garlic/bean dip that had no right to be as good as it was. Starters of sheep cheese and local battered fish was a meal in itself. The sauces on both were exquisite, both served also with a delicious fresh salad and dressing. I don’t like sheep cheese normally, at all, but this proved me wrong. The chef is a miracle worker. For mains, we ordered the rabbit and the local fish trio. And there aren’t enough words to describe how rich and tasty that rabbit stew sauce was. This is, I think, the only time a waiter has encouraged me to eat with my hands. I was amazed at the portion size and didn’t think rabbits could get that big. The local fish trio was seasoned to perfection, equally the vegetables were roasted beautifully. The presentation and fresh peppering by the waiter made us feel like royalty. Worthy of a few pictures! The plate was nothing but a small pile of rabbit bones by the end. While we were soaking in the atmosphere and the wine, the waiter brought us a complimentary Maltese liqueur ‘Leila’ which was slightly bitter with a sweet aftertaste. No anis flavour, delightful; and it helped our stomachs squeeze in some dessert. We were presented with a pretty array of local biscotti, pastries, nougat and ice cream. The hot date-filled pastry mixed with the ice cream had me grinning like an idiot. Thinking about it again this morning makes me shake my head in disbelief. It was that good. After a 2 hour, full 4 course meal with a bottle of wine, 2 bottles of water for 2 people, the price was under 3 digits. Absolutely incredible value and it was a pleasure to give a tip. Overall the food and service were simply top-notch. Do not miss out on this if you are even slightly curious about trying out the local Maltese cuisine. Thanks for an...