General Review Details:

• Reviewed Restaurant: Ix Xlukkajar
• Review Date: Saturday 4th April 2009
• Current Weather: Very Sunny Afternoon (19 Degrees)

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Piccante Restaurants Web Awards:

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The Piccante Ratings:

Restaurant Ratings:

Restaurant Ambience: 6/10

Restaurant Hygiene & Layout: 9/10

Restrooms Hygiene & Layout: 9/10

Overall Service: 9/10

Value For Money: 9/10

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Food Ratings:

Timing & Followup: 10/10

Presentation: 8/10

Food Taste: 10/10

Menu Variety: 9/10

Wine List Variety: 7/10

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Overall Piccante Rating

10/10

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In-Depth Review:

Getting There:

Ix Xlukkajr is nicely situated just a few meters away from the sea bank at Marsaxlokk. Marsaxlokk is a traditional fishing village located in the south-eastern part of Malta, and personally we do not think that Ix Xlukkajr could have selected a better location to situate its premises (considering the fact that Ix Xlukkajr probably is one of best fish restaurant on the Island). The restaurant itself is located in a corner just a throw of a rock away from the Main Church so you simply cannot miss it!

(Nicely Located Facing The Sea Bank)
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(Ix Xlukkajr Logo)

(Seating Available Outside)

.(The Fish Menu Displayed Outside)
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The Restaurant:

As previously said this restaurant is set by the sea, and therefore, weather permitting, it would be a nice experience to dine outside, enjoying the excellent seafood offered by this restaurant while enjoying the sea views of Marsaxlokk. On the outside, this restaurant offers a number of tables which are equipped with large umbrellas to have some shade from the sun. As a divisor between the tables and the road, ix-Xlukkajr took care to put some plants (the plants do not obstruct the sea views).

From the inside, the restaurant is not very big. The wooden beams and walls give this restaurant a little of an antique look. On the walls, one can see decorating plates and ornaments, and also some live plants. At the entrance of this restaurant one immediately notices the fresh fish display. This makes you want to have a fresh fish (and fresh fish at Ix-Xlukkajr is definitely worth a try). The tables are not packed together and therefore there is some space between tables, which make the stay more comfortable.

WiFi Connection: Not Available.

(Inside The Restaurant)
.(Inside The Restaurant)
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(Inside The Restaurant)
.(The Interior Decoration)
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The Service:

At the entrance of the restaurant we were welcomed by Neal. After greeting us, he led us to a table, and there after a little chat, he brought us the menus and explained what the fresh fish were and also the fresh shells of the day. When it came to ordering, Neal did some suggestions which we accepted, and we were more than pleased with his suggestions. For the food ordered, Neal suggested a wine that accompanies well the food. This is the professionalism that every restaurant has to point at.

After we ordered, the drinks were served immediately and after some time the starter was served. When we finished the starter the empty plates were removed immediately and after some more time, the main course was served. Since our main course was a fish, a waiter removed the bones of the fish himself. Three types of differently flavored olive oils were brought onto our table, and once more, Neal made his suggestion on which oil accompanies best our food.

Overall, the service at the Ix-Xlukkajr was exceptionally good. Neal constantly (but not annoyingly) came to see if everything was going fine. The professionalism and friendliness at this restaurant will surely make you visit worthwhile.

(Our Selected Table)
.(The John Dory Before Begin Thoroughly Deboned)
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The Food:

Menu: There are really no words to describe the Menu available at Ix Xlukkajr when it comes to Fresh Fish & Seafood. This restaurant has simply an astonishing rich selection and it is so vast that you will be spoilt for choice. When visiting this restaurant, one must keep in mind that this is truly a Fish Restaurant and the almost every entry on the menu consists of either fish or seafood.

The menu itself is subdivided into 8 different sections. To start with there are 2 Soups available for selection; the Fish Soup and the Vegetable Soup. An interesting feature about that menu is that Dishes marked with the Ix Xlukkajr Logo are Chef Recommended Dishes, which in this case the Fish Soup is.

In the next section, one can find 6 different types of Cold Starters, 2 of which do not consist of seafood ingredients while the last entry, the Trio of Oysters, is marked with the Ix Xlukkajr Logo.  There are also an additional 3 starters are listed under Warm Starters category.
An Interesting category on the menu are the Pasta Entries. Personally we really liked some of the way the dishes are prepared, bring in an original way of mixing Pasta with Seafood, such as the Home- Made Salmon Ravioli and the Shellfish Marinara. Both these dishes are marked with the Ix Xlukkajr Logo and it total there are 8 different selections to choose from, including the interesting choice of the Vegetarian Pasta prepared with Raddichio, Tomatoes, Leek and Cream.  The Pasta Dishes can also be taken both as a starter and as a main course, of course with a slight variation in price.

Next we have the most anticipated category on the menu, Fish. This part of the menu starts by stating that “The Mediterranean fish is amongst the best fish species found in Europe, with its high levels of Omega 3 and distinct Tenderness and Simple aromatic Tastes. All different in texture and flavours but with one common denominator- the salt levels within the environment makes our fish a must try…” There are only 4 different entries to choose from, however one of the entry consists of Happy Harry’ s Harpoon which basically consists of “Typically diverse and loaded fish display all Locally Caught cooked according to our chef’s recommendation or your favourite personal choice” thus bringing a massive variety when it comes to choice. On our visit the Fish Display had an impressive selection of 13 different types of fish, some of which including the John Dory (Pesce San Pietro), the Gilthead Seabream (Awrata), the Blackbelly Rosefish (Cippullazza) and Wreckfish (Hanzir). (Click Here for Maltese To English Fish Name Translations)

An interesting category on the menu is the Shellfish Platters. Apart from the fact that an astonishing selection of 32 different Shellfish are available, each divided into three distinctive categories; Crustacean, Molluscs and Cephalopods, you can also try out some of these exquisite shellfish as an add on to your main course dishes. In other words you can mix and match anything you want to further enhance your main course meal.  The Octopus Stew listed under the Shellfish category is marked with the Ix Xlukkajr Logo as well as the Xlukkajr Shellfish Platter listed under Shellfish Platters.

Another positive fact about the menu offered at this restaurant is as listed that “Although our Restaurant is renowned for Fresh Fish and Shellfish, we find pride in offering a nice selection of meats ranging from Poultry and Game to more hearty dishes…” and so it is. The menu also brings a selection of 5 different meats to choose from ranging from Pork, Beef, Chicken and Rabbit (which is marked with the Ix Xlukkajr Logo).  All these main course dishes are served with contours plus you have the possibility to request side orders such as French Fries, Oven Baked Potato, Warm Vegetables, Fresh Market Salad and Lobster Bisque. All these come an extra charge of 1.95 Euros and as well as three available sauces which include; Mushroom Sauce, Pepper Sauce and Rosemary Infusion. The desserts available are not listed on a specific menu but instead they are available by requesting them to your waiter.

At the end of each page of the menu there is listed that “Most of our dishes are suitable for Celiac and Vegetarian diets”. The Menu available at ix Xlukkajr is also available online at http://www.xlukkajr.com.

Wine List: A varied wine list is available at this restaurant. Wines on the wine list come from : Malta, France, Italy,  South Africa, Chile, Portugal and Germany. Obviously, the wines available come from different types such as Red, White, Rose and sparkling. If one is searching for a typical region, he could find it in this wine list, because, wines from the major regions such as Burgundy, Bordeaux, Piemonte and many others are all present in this list. All wines available on the list a brief description to help you choose the right wine for your food. The prices are on reasonable scale, obviously varying with the quality of the wine you choose. Our choice was an Odyssey Grenache Rose` from Marsovin, year 2008.

Our Selection: Both dishes chosen at Ix Xlukkajr were shared between the two of us. To kick start our meal, we had the extraordinary Ix Xlukkajr Platter which consisted of some delicious Razor Clams, Scallops, King Prawns and Langoustines along with some Octopus, Calamari Rings and a little bit of tasty rice mixed with seafood ingredients. An abundant amount (and by abundant we really mean abundant!) of Muscles was also brought to our table. The taste of all the above seafood were simply exceptional. The scallops where immersed in a delicious sauce, the octopus was great and the crispy calamari rings just wrap it up. Overall all the seafood was cooked perfectly, so that the taste and texture of the fresh seafood was very well conserved.

As for the main course we had a great fish, the John Dory (Pesce San Pietro). We could feel that the fish served was a really fresh fish, and the taste was just great. The fish was rightly cooked, and the meat was left very tender. If you are a fish lover, you must definitely visit Ix-Xlukkajr restaurant. With this dish, some fresh vegetables and a bowl of chips were served.

To end up our great seafood and fish meal we ordered a nice piece of Chocolate Cake and Vanilla Nut Cake Topped With Panna, both accompanied by an Espresso.

Our Food Experience: Overall, the food at Ix-Xlukkajr was simply amazing and exquisite. The wonderful tastes of the seafood and of the fish are just one of a kind. Once you start eating you will wish that the taste in your mouth stays there forever, but then the next bite would be even better. The fresh ingredients used definitely influence the taste of the food, and selection of fish available was colossal.

(Ix Xlukkajr Platter)
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(Ix Xlukkajr Platter)
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(King Prawns And Langoustines)
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(Delicious Scallops)
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(Abundant Amount Of Muscles)
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(Abundant Amount Of Muscles)
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(John Dory Deboned)
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(John Dory With Side Salad)
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(Portion Of Chips Shared Amongst Us)
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(Chocolate Cake)
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(Vanilla Nut Cake Topped With Panna)
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The Bill:

Average Total: 70.00 Euros (Two Persons)

The prices on the menu are at an average of 15 Euros per Dish however these may slightly vary from time to time. As one might note we did not list any prices on Bill this time. This is due to the fact that Seafood and Fish prices vary constantly (whether by season, weather, scarcity, and market prices) and thus Fish Items do not have a price listed on the menu.  Nevertheless, Neal tries his best to list prices on various seafood items such as Platters, to help give his clients an indication as to how much the total bill will be. Having said all this we still requested how much did our bill amount to.  Neal told us that on average such a meal (excluding the wine) would amount to around 70 Euros.

The price might seem a little high when compared to some other restaurants, however it is not the case. Keep in mind that at Ix Xlukkajr you are eating Fresh Fish & Seafood, excellent ones! So our judgment to the prices available at Ix Xlukkajr is that in fact this restaurant, considering the colossal selection available, the excellent service offered, the fresh fish and the fantastic taste of food, all amount to a great value for money restaurant.

Our Overall Opinion:

After visiting this restaurant, the first word that should pop up into your mind when you hear the word fish, is Ix Xlukkajr. We simply cannot emphasize any further at how excellent this restaurant is when it comes to eating some marvelously Fresh Fish.  Adding every detail up such as the excellent service offered, the abundant amount of food served, the fact that everything is served fresh, the colossal selection on the menu, the great taste of the food and the prices available, Ix Xlukkajr is definitely a restaurant worth visiting at all costs and surely merits our Superb Fish Award.

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