Capo Mulini restaurant in Marsaxlokk, Malta’s largest fishing harbour, and the go-to place if you fancy a dinner based on seafood.
There are many parallels between Marsaxlokk and its Sicilian counterpart, the village called Capo Mulini. Like Marsaxlokk, Capo Mulini is a delightful fishing village, which has retained some of its old traditional atmosphere, with colorful fishing boats bobbing in the water and a picturesque setting. It also provides lovely walks on the shore and is host to a number of restaurants serving fresh seafood, making it a great place for a seaside dinner.
That is why the name of the latest restaurant we visited, Capo Mulini Restaurant is very apt. As a tourist destination, Marsaxlokk is Malta’s largest fishing harbour, and has been so since antiquity. It is probably the go-to place if you fancy a dinner based on seafood. Capo Mulini restaurant is one of the many restaurants along the promenade of Marsaxlokk. Like other experiences, we would be enjoying food whilst overlooking one amazing view.
The view is magnificent and we suggest you go evening (as we did) to enjoy a quiet atmosphere and the golden sunset which reflects into the sea. Later on in the evening, the area gets very busy, and quiet is no longer an option.
Being summer we chose to stay outside, of course, but do not discard the interior of the restaurant so easily. A large bar and a circular display of fresh fish on ice greet you as soon as you come in, whilst the open spaces and mostly white décor make for a fine crisp interior.
Our starter consisted of ‘Polpette di Neonati’, or whitebait fritters served on garlic aioli. Crunchy and full of fish meat, these crispy appetizers were the perfect starter for our dinner. Each fritter was very pleasing by itself, however, the aioli provided a very welcome acidic edge. You won’t find such a dish available all year though, as the catching of whitebait is subject to strict controls, so be sure to get yourself there before the season is over.
As a second starter we opted for marinated octopus. What we got was a very hearty portion of octopus pieces which were a bit too chewy for our tastes. Being marinated octopus though, it tends to get deliciously addictive, especially when consumed with a nice glass of dry white wine. We, therefore, got on with it and finished off the whole thing.
The main course consisted of two fat fillets of pan-fried red snapper over a bed of grilled vegetables. Lean, moist, and with a firm texture, the dish was delightful. The fish was beautifully cooked, tender enough to make you forget you have a fish knife on the side. Its delicate nutty flavour lent itself perfectly to the grilled vegetables. This was definitely the star item of the dinner.
The other main course was a plate of Garganelli with local prawns, in a dense prawn bisque. The pasta was cooked ‘al dente’ and the prawns were lovely. Again, the portion was quite hearty, so be sure to bring some serious appetite with you if you are eating here.
The chocolate cake for dessert was an anticlimax after such nice main courses. A very thick slice of cake consisting mostly of cream which tasted more like buttercream frosting, in between very very thin layers of chocolate sponge. Not a dessert one would fondly remember and a reminder to skip dessert altogether when I spot fridges filled with gateaux somewhere in the corner.
Capo Mulini provided a very nice and romantic dinner in a beautiful setting. Eating outside has probably never been as appreciated as it is right now. These are difficult times and we really should cherish the fact we are again able to enjoy dining out. With all the current uncertainty, it is one we should not take for granted.
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