time to explore with esplora
An awe-inspiring Mediterranean eatery in St Julian’s
An awe-inspiring Mediterranean eatery in St Julian’s
With its welcoming ambience, Le Bistro is the place to be for an unforgettable experience, unbelievably great food, and first-rate service
As winter comes to an end and Spring makes its way to our doorstep, the opportunity to visit different yet equally spectacular eateries is always the first thing that comes to mind. We received the lovely invitation to dine at Le Bistro at the Radisson Blu Resort St Julian’s on a fine Wednesday evening, a perfect way to soothe our mid-week cravings and alleviate our stress from the busy week we were facing. Upon entering the restaurant, we were instantaneously greeted by the amiable and well-rounded staff.
We made our way to our table and the talented food and beverage executive who greeted us was extremely diligent and answered all of our pertinent questions. My guest and I ordered the finest local white wine the restaurant could offer and we were complimented with fresh warm bread, served with olive oil and vinegar all the way from the sister island of Gozo. The bread was also accompanied with Gozitan kunserva, as well as unsalted butter with fresh herbs. While this may sound hyperbolic, I have to express the immense euphoric feeling we were experiencing whilst indulging in that divine bread… so soft and flavourful!
We had a hard time choosing our starter and main course as everything seemed delicious and appetising. After much evaluation, for starters, I opted for the fresh garganelli with truffle oil and wild boar, grated ricotta salata and fresh herbs. My guest opted for something more eye-catching; the warm octopus salad, served with carrots, yuzu and fennel marinated with orange. The tangy flavours of the yuzu and fennel immersed with the rich flavours of the octopus were simply incredible. One cannot mention fantastic starters without going back to the garganelli wild boar ragout to highlight the multifaceted flavours of the dish. This particular dish was my personal favourite as apart from being a pasta lover, I have a thing for different meats and wild boar is now something off my bucket list!
After those coveted starters, we gradually moved on to the main course. My guest and I opted for two mains to share; the baby chicken with polenta, baby corn, and fresh herbs, as well as the braised beef cheeks, which were accompanied with oyster mushrooms, fresh herbs, pumpkin puree and port jus. The braised beef was slow-cooked for approximately eight hours so you can imagine just how juicy and flavourful they were. Both main courses were served with fresh local seasonal potatoes and vegetables to share. As we continued to dig in, the silence between my guest and I signified that the food left us metaphorically and literally, speechless.
What made the baby chicken taste so tender was the fact that it was sous vide cooked, a process where food is cooked in temperature-controlled water, where it is sealed in an airtight vacuum bag. Despite the generous amount that towered both of our dishes, we still managed to clean our plates.
We felt full to the brim but who are we to leave the restaurant without trying out their picturesque desserts? The first dessert we dug into was the rosehip cheesecake, embellished with ginger biscuits and rhubarb sorbet on the side. Then we turned to the warm-plum crumble, served with finger-licking cinnamon ice-cream on top and port sabayon. Everything from the ice-cream, to the fluffy base, and the flaky crust was a total hit!
I’m sure all this talk food talk has made you crave a fine-dining experience. Well, I came to bare some good news, as Le Bistro is open from 18:00 to 22:00 from Monday to Friday and from 18:00 till 22:30 on Saturdays and from the 10th April also available for Sunday lunch and dinner. Parking is included.
With its welcoming ambience, Le Bistro is the place to be for an unforgettable experience, unbelievably great food, and first-rate service.
I know you’re intrigued! Treat yourself and your loved ones to a scrumptious dinner at Le Bistro in St Julian’s.
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