Trattoria del Mare - Malta Restaurant — Restaurant in Sliema

Our experience was a massive disappointment after what could have been a lovely evening. All this due to one selfish person and how his behaviour was handled. We were enjoying the lovely food and wine and were being well looked after by Giuseppe when a couple arrived speaking very loudly to each other and sat at a table in the middle of the restaurant before the man started a video call with a friend shouting and laughing without any consideration for any other diners. After a while I had had enough and got up to speak to the man and told him to be quiet and to show some respect for other people then returned to my table . The man ignored my request and instead laughed it off with his friends on the call. My wife could see I was getting annoyed so she proceeded to ask the man if he would understand better if she threw his phone into the sea! To which he replied, 'but I am having a conversation with my friends' she told him to step out of the restaurant to finish his conversation in this case. My wife came back to the table and the man carried on his conversation so my wife went to complain to the supervisor of the restaurant. But at no stage did anyone from the restaurant go to speak to the man instead Giuseppe came to apologise to us and offered us a free dessert to share. You could put this experience down to one rude customer however it transpires the man, el grosero sin educacion y sin respecto was in fact a colleague working at the sister restaurant in another location in Malta. This is just appalling as he should have known better considering his position instead of acting like the king of the castle and spoiling it for the restaurant.Also the toilet is a porta loo located almost in the street that...

Given the location—right in front of massive boats and next to some lovely bins—it was never exactly screaming “must-try” to me. But when I found out it was part of the La Majoliche group, I thought, “Maybe it’s a hidden gem.”

It wasn’t. Not even a hidden rock.

We started off strong with a 30-minute queue. You can’t book a table, there’s no phone number, and if you step away for even a second—you’re out. Hunger Games, but for pasta.

We finally sat down and ordered the buffalo mozzarella bruschetta. Now, I’m not expecting a masterpiece, but… the bread was dry, barely a drizzle of oil, and it sat on a few sad lettuce leaves like it needed emotional support. The mozzarella? Definitely not the good stuff. No seasoning, no effort. And based on the portion, I’m 90% sure they split one mozzarella ball between the entire restaurant.

Then came the main course. The pasta was so al dente it could fight back. It hadn’t even met the sauce, let alone mingled with it. The pistachio pesto? Meh. I’ve had better from a jar. Honestly, even Rosso Pomodoro does it better—and that’s saying something.

No dessert for us—because there are no toilets. You read that right. The closest WC is a 4-minute walk away, across the chaotic Strand. Nothing says “relaxing dinner” like sprinting through traffic for a bathroom break.

And the cherry on top? I didn’t even get the wine I ordered. When I asked about it, the waiter looked at me and said, “Are you a sommelier?” Excuse me? Since when is knowing what I ordered a qualification? Anyway, I gave up, drank it… and didn’t even like it. My husband, thankfully, is less fussy and drunk...

We searched a few restaurants in a few towns and cities for tuna steak (i know, at the end of September, it's out of season), and this place was the only one that had it. We were adamant about trying for the first time in our life a proper, fresh from the sea tuna steak (not the canned or frozen ones). First of all, my husband has very distinct taste buds and feels if a food is starting to go bad (not like the rest of the group), so he isn't easily impressed. But this time, everything we ordered, he was happy with and speechless. We both ordered Tuna in sesame crust with roasted potatoes and one extra side of Grilled vegetables (zucchini, aubergine, and peppers). My partner asked if it would be possible to have his fish without the sesame crust (it was possible) so he could feel more intensely the taste of the fish. The roast potatoes and grilled vegetables were just perfectly done. Second of all, we were received with a smile and very kindly, they listened patiently to our questions about the menu and it's items, and even obliged to our requests (had to ask for the rest of the food for take away, as we filled up before with traditional pastries 😅). Last but not least, we received complimentary fresh bread to nibble with olive oil while waiting for the food. The location is right next to the sea, so there is a lovely view to enjoy with the food or drink. The waiters were very welcoming, and the prices in comparison to quantity and quality...