RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK
A PERSONAL REVIEW OF RESTAURANTS AROUND THE WORLD

PALIO'S
ST. JULIAN'S, MALTA

This is one of the fine restaurants at the Westin Dragonara Resort in Malta and it's unlike most hotel restaurants because it's across a walkway and sits directly on the water.

After you walk through the entranceway, by the bar, and down a few stairs,  you're in a beautiful open air setting.  You'll savour the sweet smell of the Mediterranean Sea with comfortable, cooling evening breezes right off the water.

You can sit on an upper level or down below with the water literally lapping at your feet.  Either way, you're in for a casual but wonderful dinner experience and if you have kids, no problem.  The restaurant looks a lot more formal than it really is.

Whatever you order it will be good here but since Malta is forever connected to the sea we chose seafood during each of our visits here.  By the way, if sea urchin is on the menu as an appetizer---don't be a chicken.  Try it!  It's surprisingly good and very sweet.  It was served with pasta.

My wife started her meals with either a salad or cup of seafood soup.  She actually had a steak (excellent) on our first visit while I stuck to grilled fresh fish each time.  Mainly bream and seabass.

Pasta lovers will be well pleased with a number of fresh selections and meat eaters will find most of the usual suspects on the menu.

Even if you're not staying at the Westin Dragonara Resort, Palio's is worth sampling.

OTHER RESTAURANT REVIEWS FROM MALTA:

The Avenue - Paceville
Barracuda - St. Julian's
Il Re Del Pesce - Marsascala
Out West Steakhouse Argentinean  - St. Julian's
Village Inn - Xlendi Bay, Gozo