I’ve just returned from a wonderfully serene day in Gozo which, considering we had a two year old along for the ride, is saying a lot.

The verdant hills, the sparkling clear blue waters, all contributed to allow us to forget the horrid result of yesterday’s referendum. So imagine my shock on learning that without the Gozitan votes, spring hunting would have been banned in Malta! Talk about irony…

We had a delicious meal at Il-Kartell restaurant in Marsalforn and I wanted to document it here because the whole experience was something quite unusual for Malta. From the first point of contact until the very end, it was an incredibly positive experience, one which so many in the business could and should learn from. And the ending is quite poignant, too…

First off, we phoned to book a table and requested a highchair. The owner told us he wasn’t yet at the restaurant and would call back to make sure that the three he had hadn’t already all been booked. He called back within 5 minutes and also advised us that the parking situation was a nightmare and gave us tips on where to leave the car. On arrival, we were seen to courteously by the staff and the clean highchair was already in place. The food was truly excellent, from start to finish, and by that I mean the bread and nibbles that were served, too, right down to the unusual ice-cream (velvety chocolate orange, yum). What impressed me was the detail with which the menu had been written, even going as far as to advise that the local King Prawns were flash-frozen on board the boat they were caught. When one of our party wanted to order swordfish, she was informed that it wasn’t available as it was out of season, together with tuna. And then we got this card with the bill: Finally, someone who’s getting it right, who’s looking at local, at sustainable, at a holistic experience and understanding of his environment. Oh the irony to now know his fellow islanders voted for the opposite to be true… Still, some out there are trying, and it’s them we need to support.

Snapshot of a few hours on Gozo…

Note: this is NOT a paid advert. (The total bill for 3 adults + 1 toddler came to €100 and included 4 starters, 3 mains, 2 bottles of water, 2 glasses of wine, 4 desserts and 2 coffees.)