A la carte Appetizer + Main took 4 hours. Be prepared to wait.

Let me start by saying we have been to dozens of One, Two and Three Michelin Star restaurants around the world in countless countries. This dinner started off great - Food 4/5 Service 4/5 Atmosphere 5/5. The wine choices were excellent and the Sommelier was the best we've seen.

However, after choosing to order a la carte instead of doing the full tasting menu, things took a turn. We arrived at 8pm and we told our server we were thinking of going a la carte to have a shorter experience this evening so as to be able to experience some of Valetta before bed as it was a Friday night. We ordered a bottle of wine and both chose a starter and a main, and expected to add a cheese and desert later.

It took two hours before we received our starter. Yes, they provided the customary "small bites" and "bread course", but we arrived with a reasonable appetite and were expecting to start eating the proper dishes rather than filling up on bread (you had to eat it as a meal, it wasn't brought to accompany the dishes).

After the starter we were at 2 and a half hours (10:30 pm) into the meal and the server asked how we were enjoying everything and we told him the food was great, but we had hoped for a bit more vigorous of a pace. The server empathized, but essentially explained that the chef was a perfectionist and needs to get the dishes just right.

Our main finally arrived at 11:20pm and after eating decided to cut things off and ask for the bill. We were still hungry and were initially interested to try the cheese course and a desert, but paid and left at midnight as we needed to stretch our legs and a change of scenery.

When surveying the other tables it was clear when you dine here you'll have lots of idle time to talk, take multiple washroom breaks or use your phone (if your cellular reception works - it's underground). If you order a la cart your 2 dish order will be extended to the duration of the full 7 course tasting menu, which is something that should be told up front.

Previously, the longest Michelin star dinner we had experienced was a 4 hour nine course tasting menu. This dinner matches that duration for just an appetizer and a main course. We are patient people and aware that these dinners are not a quick in and out. However, there comes a point when you stop eating where one loses their appetite when you are sitting idle for too long, and that happened here. It's too bad our request to speed things up couldn't be accommodated as both the restaurant and us missed out on additional items ordered. We simply could not fathom sitting until 1am or longer as we were planning to get up and tour more of Malta.

When a customer orders a la carte and explains they are doing it to shorten the experience, this would be a good time to inform them the duration will remain the same but with less food and you'll be sitting watching others get brought plates during this idle time. Having known this, we would have opted for the full menu instead of sitting hungrily watching others and placing bets on what time the our food would arrive.