General Review Details:

• Reviewed Restaurant: Ganni’s Bistro
• Review Date: Wednesday 4th February 2009
• Current Weather: Clear Evening (14 Degrees)

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Piccante Restaurants Web Awards:

The Piccante Ratings:

Restaurant Ratings:

Restaurant Ambience: 6/10

Restaurant Hygiene & Layout: 8/10

Restrooms Hygiene & Layout: 8/10

Overall Service: 9/10

Value For Money: 8/10

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Food Ratings:

Timing & Followup: 7/10

Presentation: 7/10

Food Taste: 8/10

Menu Variety: 6/10

Wine List Variety: 7/10

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Overall Piccante Rating

7/10

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In-Depth Review:

Getting There:

Getting there was really not a problem at all. We marked Ganni’s Bistro position on our GPS Device (according to the location shown on our Piccante Tracker) and it led us right at it’s front door. Parking is not a problem at all if you opt to park in the multiple side streets located within a few minutes walk from the restaurant (and that is definitly a plus considering it is located at Ta’ Sliema).

The restaurant itself is pleasantly situated on the coast shore of Ta’ Sliema facing the sea shore directly. If you happen to get the chance to visit on a pleasantly warm day you will surely enjoy the view and fresh air available on the Outside Seating. Also these seating are partitioned using small bushy plants allowing you to get some sense of detachment from the busy street life at Ta’ Sliema. Unfortunately this is not something which all restaurants take into consideration!

(Outside Seating If Weather Permits)
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(Simple Yet Effectively Partitioned)

(Outside View)

.(Ganni’s Bistro Logo)
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The Restaurant:

When entering the restaurant we instantly noted the original interiors of this restaurant. Actually, you feel that you are in an antique village core street, with wood doors and house windows on the sides. The walls are on an antique style, which complements the other interiors of the restaurant, such as dark wood furniture, paintings, and antique wall lamps. A relaxing background music added to the whole ambience adds up to a totally relaxing and cosy atmosphere.

Although we went on a cold February evening, we noted that the temperature inside is very well set. Throughout the whole evening, we neither felt over heated nor cold, just the perfect temperature. The inside is very well placed. Although the restaurant is not very big, the passage way was put on the side and not in between of the tables, such that you do not have waiters or so passing near you all the time.

WiFi Connection: Ganni’s Bistro also provides a free wireless Wi-Fi Connection. Based on our tests (with a Wi-Fi compatible mobile device) the connection was completely hassle free and provided good surfing speeds.

(Inside The Restaurant)
.(Inside The Restaurant)
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(The Original Interior Design)
.(Some Modern Art)
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The Service:

When we stepped in, we were welcomed by John, the Chef Patron.  After greeting us, he showed us a table where we could stay, and then, he explained to us the menu and what were the specialties of the day. When it came to ordering, he was very helpful in what to choose, which made it easier to choose the right food for our tastes.

(Our Selected Table)
.(Fresh Bread Served While Waiting)
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The Food:

Menu: The menu itself consists of traditional Maltese as well as Italian dishes. Although the selection variety was a little bit limited the cuisine itself does not allow much room for expansion (that is, you will not expect to find a Ham Burger on Maltese or Italian dish). The menu included; Starters (around 5 to choose from), Salads, Pasta (we did expect there to be a little more choice of Pasta such as Tortellini) and a good selection of Pizzas (15 to choose from).

An interesting fact about the selection is that everyday John Chef Patron creates his own special menu to choose from. This included additional starters, a variety of Meat Dishes as well as special Pizza.  This special menu brought around another 10 additions to the selection.  Apart from all that the menu also consisted of 7 different Vegetarian Dishes available in each and every section such as Vegetarian Pasta,  Vegetarian Starters and Two Vegetarian Pizzas (vegetarian dishes are marked with a V in a gray circle on the menu). There is no specific Kids’ Menu however the Chef is flexible and will be happy to provide with alternations to the dishes.

Wine List: The wine list of this restaurant is very well varied. Although Ganni’s Bistro is not a wine bar, his wine lists consists of wines from all over the world, from Maltese to Italian, French to Spanish, South American and also Australian. Unlike some other restaurants, the wine prices are not exaggerated. From the available wine list, one can combine a bottle to any dish available on the menu. A full spectrum of tastes is available, from full bodied dry red wines to sweet white wines.

Our Selection: The selected Starters consisted of Mussels In Garlic and Spaghetti With Rabbit Sauce.  The Mussels In Garlic were very well presented and perfectly cooked. Their meat texture was very pleasurable to eat and their taste was simply fantastic. The spaghetti in rabbit sauce was very surprising to us. It wasn’t the usual red sauce that we are used to see when ordering this dish. Actually, the range of ingredients that Chef John chose for this dish made it delicious.  A touch of curry, although rarely combined with rabbits, came out really good. Actually, Neil wouldn’t hesitate to have this dish again. Also, the spaghetti was Al dente, which makes it more pleasurable to eat.

The delicious starters were then accompanied by Main Course dishes around 15 Minutes later. Our selection was Penne Al Salmone and Chicken With Pancetta And Mozzarella In Breadcrumbs with the latter selected from the Special Today’s Menu. The Penne Al Salmone was just like the rest of the dishes, perfect. The pasta itself was cooked perfectly Al dente and mixed together with the rich yet light sauce containing small cuts of Fresh Salmon and accompanied by with a hint of Vodka. The chicken with pancetta and mozzarella in breadcrumbs was suggested to Neil by the chef, as it was one of the specialties of the day. The chicken breast was very juicy and tender. The melted mozzarella and pancetta combined very well with the taste of the chicken. On the chicken breast a warm creamy sauce was prepared. As contours, some crispy potatoes and vegetables were served. The vegetables were not over boiled, leaving some crispness and not losing the taste. Some olive oil was poured on the vegetables to further enhance their taste.

A few moments after the table was cleared from the Main Dishes we were offered a selection of available Desserts to choose from. Our choice included a freshly baked Apple Pie (which just came out of the oven!) and a Chocolate Log. Presented very neatly with a scoop of light Panna the excellent Desserts were the right way to end such an excellent Dinner.

Our Food Experience: Overall, the food was very well presented. Actually reviewing the photos taken, it makes us want to go and eat again from Ganni’s Bistro. The small touches added to the plates, add some colours and make the dish more appealing. Moreover, the plates were pre-warmed. This is important in terms of hygiene and also to preserve the right temperature of the food served.

(Mussels In Garlic)
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(Mussels In Garlic)
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(Spaghetti With Rabbit Sauce)
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(Spaghetti With Rabbit Sauce)
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(Penne Al Salmone)
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(Penne Al Salmone)
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(Chicken With Pancetta And Mozzarella In Breadcrumbs)
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(Chicken With Pancetta And Mozzarella In Breadcrumbs )
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(Delicious Chocolate Log)
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(Freshly Baked Apple Pie)
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The Bill:

Total: 47.86 Euros (Two Persons)

Considering the price ranges (an average price of 10 Euros per dish) combined with the excellent service and tasty dishes that Ganni’s Bistro provides, the restaurants also proves to be a good value for money.

Our Overall Opinion:

The overall evening dinner spent at Ganni’s Bistro was simply a great experience. The friendliness of the staff was exceptional, and it is not everyday that you get to be greeted, served and suggested dishes by the Chef in person. Apart from that the ambience and atmosphere of the restaurant were very original in the design and a comfortable stay. Moreover, the food was delicious in taste and very well presented.

Ganni’s Bistro is surely worth a visit and the restaurant also proves to be more then ideal for business lunches when considering its location, size, cuisine, available outside seating and having all this backed up by a Wi-Fi Connection and a 30% Off Discount on The Food Bill For Lunch From Wednesdays To Saturdays (Excluding Feasts & Public Holidays).

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