TORA — Restaurant in Sliema

My recent dining experience at Tora left much to be desired. While the presentation of the food was undoubtedly appealing, the taste and overall dining experience fell far short of expectations. Regrettably, the combination of overpriced dishes, intrusive service, and an uncomfortable interaction with the head waiter has left me with mixed feelings about recommending this establishment.

First and foremost, the menu prices were steep, and unfortunately, the actual taste of the dishes did not justify the cost. While the plates were visually stunning and displayed a fusion of Asian cuisine, the flavors often failed to impress. It seemed that more effort was put into the appearance than the actual taste.

Adding to the disappointing experience was the incessant attention from the waiting staff. During our visit, the waiters repeatedly approached our table, urging us to place our orders in a span of merely five minutes. Their pushiness was not only off-putting but also made us feel rushed and unable to take our time in deciding what to order.

One of the most significant letdowns was the rushed manner in which the food was served. All the dishes arrived at once, leaving us with no time to savor and appreciate each plate. Consequently, the food cooled down quickly, diminishing the overall enjoyment of the meal. A more paced and thoughtful approach to serving dishes would have greatly improved the dining experience.

The most unsettling part of the evening was the head waiter's behavior. We were taken aback when he 'forced' us to leave a positive review on TripAdvisor in exchange for a limoncello. Not only was this an unprofessional approach to garnering reviews, but he even went so far as to take our phones to complete the review for us. This behavior left us feeling coerced and uncomfortable, and it significantly tarnished our impression of the restaurant.

In conclusion, while Tora may impress with its visually stunning food presentation, the lackluster taste, high prices, and pushy service make it difficult to recommend. Additionally, the unacceptable approach of the head waiter pressuring guests for positive reviews is deeply concerning and should not be tolerated. Unfortunately, this experience has left me with no desire to return or recommend this...

We came here for our anniversary since the view on Valetta is simply amazing. Unfortunately we were a bit disappointed by the whole experience. First of the waiters are really kind and friendly but they forgot to bring one of our starters and we had to remind them after the starter of my partner was already finished. I had vegetarian mushroom nigiri for starter and I believe there was some kind of fish on top of that. As a vegetarian for more than 10 years I was already alarmed by this point. During main dinner I found something fishy (maybe pulpo) in my vegan (!) noodle dish. My partner who eats fish and meat confirmed that the consistency and taste has nothing to so with a vegetable. For me this ist not such a big deal since I have no allergies etc. but for someone with a seafood allergy this would be kind of bad. Also I’m quite sure that they cook vegan and seafood dishes in the same pan otherwise I have no explanation for this. If you take your vegan diet very serious this would be a no go. In the end I’m just a bit sad as this restaurant makes the effort to state which dish is vegetarian, vegan, with gluten etc. and it’s then sad to see that you can’t rely on this. But view and drinks were really good and as I already said the view ist why we came here. The food was delicious though but I can’t give a better rating under this...

Good, but long way to go to become what it’s pretending to be. Food is well cooked and presented, some plates better than others. Unfortunately that’s where it stops. First and foremost a server (clearly not a sommelier) should not recommend a bottle of wine without: 1. Asking about preferences (we were not even asked if we prefer white or red) 2. Gauging the budget 3. Asking about what we’re eating. Although the restaurant is clearly pushing cocktails, this is a major misstep and very unprofessional to say the least.

Secondly, once again, recommendations for food were clearly based on the more expensive dishes, I understand upselling but once again this feels outright brash. If I am contemplating between two vegetable dishes, I clearly do not want to be recommended a beef one.

Thirdly, I would not expect a newly opened establishment pushing for a certain standard to have clear signs of sloppy finishing works (cracked plaster/paint, exposed patches of concrete, no railing for a slippery staircase etc.). This is obviously made up for by the incredible view but still very much shows that attention to detail is lacking.

On a positive note, the morel baos were a standout as were the duck udon noodles. Compliments to the chef for...