Malta's best restaurants 2018: Root 81, Rabat wins Best Food Award

The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants Awards Ceremony sponsored by HSBC and Global Payments held at The Grand Ballroom of The Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Golden Sands on Monday 3rd December celebrated the outstanding achievement of Malta & Gozo’s top survey rated restaurants as voted by diners out who participated in the Malta & Gozo Restaurant Survey online at www.restaurantsmalta.com.  

Dinner in the Sky Malta wins Best Overall Restaurant

Dinner in the Sky won Best Overall Restaurant in Malta. With extreme stunning views, the 22-seating platform elevates 40 metres above the ground. The professional team at Dinner in the Sky takes you to a culinary experience combined with exceptional entertainment. Dinner in the Sky Malta offers a perfect balance of fine dining, fun, excitement and theatre into one completely unique and breath taking experience.

Marvin Gauci entertaining guests at Dinner in the Sky

Root 81 in Rabat went on to win the Best Food Award. The restaurant boasts an exciting menu that promises to satisfy, with food being served either on the breezy stairway itself or in the cosy inside space with flagstone tile flooring, dark oak tables and warm copper hues. Chef patron Robert Cassar, combines food and art, with appetising local ingredients whipped into eye and stomach-pleasing creations. 

Root 81, Rabat

Based on popular vote, only 150 restaurants make it to be included in the latest 2019 edition of The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta & Gozo. 

The results were revealed by Lisa Grech, Managing Director of the Definitive(ly) Good Guide Co, and presented by Hon Clint Camilleri, Parl. Sec. For Agriculture, Fisheries & Animal Rights,  Mr Sergio Bellizzi from HSBC, Mr Ray Zammit from Global Payments and Mr Mark Ciantar of Continental Purchasing on behalf of Villeroy & Boch who supplied the beautiful commemorative award plates for the occasion.

This year’s Malta & Gozo Restaurant Survey conducted in September 2018 returned an incredibly high number of responses,  with 3,153 participants who dined out on average one to two times a week, equivalent to a total of 245, 934 dining experiences in a year! This year sees 26 new restaurants in the The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta & Gozo and its portal www.restaurantsmalta.com which was also launched on the evening. 

Award winning restaurants were chosen from the highest rated restaurants, both overall, and in the various price categories for Malta and Gozo, taking into account not only the Overall rating but also individual Food, Service and Ambience ratings, the number of people rating, value for money, comments and other data from the survey. Restaurants to win award plates in order from most highly rated included:

Dinner in the Sky Malta

The Chef's Table

Caviar & Bull Restaurant

Buddhamann

Tarragon

The Lord Nelson

Root 81

La Buona Trattoria del Nonno

Patakka Restaurant

Ta' Marija Restaurant

Grotto Tavern

Venus Restaurant

Suruchi Indian Restaurant

Noni Restaurant

De Mondion Restaurant

Beppe's Restaurant

Palazzo Preca Restaurant

Trattoria AD 1530

Porticello

SALT Kitchen & Lounge

Castelletti Restaurant

Tosca Restaurant

Madliena Lodge

La Vida

Rickshaw

Miro

Rubino

Country Terrace

Capistrano Restaurant

The Boathouse Restaurant

Lovage Bistro

Ristorante La Vela

Phoenix

Capo Crudo

L'Artiglio Ristorante

Le Bistro

59 Republic

Tal-Familja

The Fork and Cork Restaurant

Bacchus

Additional Awards were made to:​

• Best Service (sponsored by C& H Bartoli) – Dinner in the Sky Malta
• Best Ambience (sponsored by Design Hub) – Dinner in the Sky Malta
• Best Maltese Food  -  Gululu
• Restaurant Most Dedicated to Supporting Local (sponsored by The Parliamentary Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights) – Country Terrace
• The Best Chef Award (sponsored by Pentole Agnelli represented exclusively by The Catering Centre) – Marvin Gauci
• Best Business Entertainment (sponsored by Rummo) – Caviar & Bull
• Most Romantic Restaurant (sponsored by Churchill represented exclusively by The Catering Centre) – Palazzo Preca
• Best Value for Money – iPlace
• Best Restaurant offering Vegetarian options (Jimmy Vella Fruit & Veg. Ltd & Le Breton) – Taro
• Most Children-Friendly (sponsored by the Malta Baby & Kids Directory) – iPlace
• Best Newcomer – The Chef’s Table
• Best Restroom - districtfive
• The Colin Best Award for the Most Consistently Outstanding Restaurant in Malta & Gozo for 2017/2018 –The Medina.

The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in association with Riedel, The Wine Glass Company Wine Awards were as follows:

• The People’s Choice Wine List (taken from the results of the returned surveys - districtfive.
• The Riedel Wine Experience of the Year  – Tarragon
• Wine List of the Year – Ristorante La Vela
• Commended Wine Lists were: Cent’Anni, Country Terrace, one80 Kitchen & Lounge, Miro
• The Best Maltese Wine List (sponsored by The Parliamentary Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights)  – Ristorante La Vela

The results of the Restaurant Survey can be found in the 2019 edition of The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants in Malta and Gozo and is now available to purchase online for 8 Euros at www.restaurantsmalta.com which will also entitle you to the Guide online and a free hard copy in the post.  It is also available at leading stationers and bookshops in Malta & Gozo.