ION Harbour by Simon Rogan 1* (Valletta, Malta)

Images in order are:
Snack: Truffle Pudding with glazed Berkswell cheese
Bread: Focaccia with truffle butter
Starter: Dill brined lettuce with horseradish foam, mushroom and truffle
Starter: Salt-baked celeriac
Main: Maltese wagyu, beetroot purée, bone marrow sauce
Main: Sea bass, red prawn butter, beef tomato, fennel tea
Dessert: Caramel & white miso mousse, caramelised apple, pear juice
Frozen Tunworth cheese, buckwheat crumb, fig
The view over Valletta’s grand harbour

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A very good value lunch menu at €55 at this restaurant from Chef Patron Simon Rogan of 3* L’Enclume, and exec cheffed by Oli Marlow formerly of Roganic Hong Kong. ION Harbour features some familiar elements from Rohan’s other ventures including a focus on vegetables and local ingredients – though with Malta such a small island, the seafood was local but the cheese sourced from England.

Overall this was a really enjoyable lunch, with some highlights (the truffle pudding, the sea bass, the frozen cheese, the sommelier’s wine selections), and some minor disappointments (the wagyu and the lettuce).

Overall I’d say the 1* mantra of “worth a visit if you’re in the area” is just about perfect, since the view alone is worth the price of admission.

by h0m3r