Malta: a fortress of taste

It would be fair to say that expectations were not particularly high before we visited Tartarun, an unstarred fish restaurant in the village of Marsaxlokk in Malta. Some fried bream, house wine served in thick glasses, nice Mediterranean ambience, but no gourmet experiences, that's more or less how one might have imagined the evening. But our sense of anticipation increased when looking at the wine list: big wine regions with some of the best producers are covered. There is Burgundy and Piedmont, but also Alsace and Styria. With the serving of amuse-bouches, it then becomes clear that great ambitions are being realised here. The tartlet with sea bream and bonito mayonnaise is perfectly balanced, the Gillardeau oyster with calamansi is wonderfully fresh. After seven courses, including ravioli stuffed with raw crab draped in foie gras chorizo foam, amberjack charcuterie and gilthead bream in tempura, you leave feeling elated.