The Harbour Club is located in arguably one of the island’s best locations, fronting the historic Grand Harbour in Valletta.
The Harbour Club in Valletta is one of the prime examples of how to convert old underused spaces (it was originally an 18th Century warehouse) into something of quality. The area, near the ‘Telgha ta’ Liesse’ has seen so much – volumes upon volumes of Maltese history.
Fact for you, the area just in front of the restaurant was the site of the old Valletta fish market and the Neptune statue, which is now situated at the Grandmaster’s Palace. The link between this area and food is a long-standing one.
The two-tier interior is somewhat cavernous (the wide front opening is the only source of light) but impeccably decorated. The upper ‘al fresco’ terrace area makes excellent use of traditional materials and also features a delightful little kiosk structure. You can either enjoy amazing views from its open-air lounge bar terrace, or inside an elegant yet cosy interior space. The Harbour Club in Valletta offers a combination of quality food, cured wine list and breathtaking views of the Grand Harbour!
Being already mid-October when we decided to visit The Harbour Club, we made a reservation for a Sunday lunch, hoping the weather would favour us. It did. The beautiful afternoon sun enabled us to enjoy the stunning Grand Harbour views, whilst sipping a couple of delightful cocktails (may we suggest the Club Martini?).
The attention to detail in service at The Harbour Club, especially in observing all the COVID-19 related regulations was immaculate (bordering on annoying, but given the situation, necessary). The food is Mediterranean in its essence, with a touch of French.
Our first starter was a beef pastrami, with onion, Gruyère and cucumber. A generous portion of tasty beef, salted just right, which really went really well with the jam. A simple and rewarding dish which makes you wonder why a deli classic in many other countries is not so popular here on the islands.
The second starter comprised some very tasty fish scallops, with cauliflower and very thin and delicate sheets from the Lardo di Colonnata, which brought a taste of Tuscany in the dish. The combination of all three proved a very balanced one, each flavour complementing the other. Thick sauce and is a very enjoyable dish.
So close to the sea, we opted for fish as one of the main dishes. Since the Meager, listed in the menu, was not available, we were served Turbot instead. A very welcome substitute. Two decent-sized fillets of Turbot came with miso, a garlic purée, fennel and prawn sauce. The flesh, typically stark white was firm with large flakes, and with a taste-of-the-sea flavour which was a touch too salty for our liking. It also needed more than just a fork to cut the fillets.
We loved the prawn sauce, whilst the fennel was nicely caramelised and cooked ‘al dente’. Overall, the minimalism of the serving rightly keeps the focus on this luxurious fish.
Next was the beef bavette with local beetroot and berry jus. We requested the beef to be cooked medium rare, but in this case, the cooking leaned more towards medium rather than too rare. I would say just slightly overcooked, but enjoyable nevertheless, as was the beetroot and berry jus.
For dessert, we decided to share the Orange curd, with Campari and basil ice cream. The curd was sweet and tangy, with a luxurious texture, beautifully complemented with a cracker-like piece of nougat. I was not very fond of the basil ice cream by itself, but with the rest, it made the dessert feel earthy.
The Harbour Club in Valletta is one of those few examples where prices are not exclusively the result of a great location and view but also based on quality food and service. Its consistency and quality were rightfully rewarded with an inclusion, along with other Maltese restaurants in the Michelin Guide.
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