Last week I ended up in the Avenue in St. Julians. Thanks to their dashy and well-designed logo, you will definitely not fail to notice the venue at Gort Street.
I was taken in from scratch by the warm atmosphere inside. We received friendly greetings by the staff and entered the bright restaurant with decent modern interior, while the decoration was in good style and quite colourful. An exceptional and different combination I haven’t seen often in Malta.
Music from the 90s was playing on screens which gave me funny flashbacks and almost made me sing along to the Spice Girls. Almost, thankfully.
They also have a second dining area which has another more rustic theme and decoration. I only noticed after I left, as even the logo design is different. However, no matter if you’re more of the folksy and country-style or the unconventional and modern type – to each their own!
Variation can also be noticed in the Mediterranean menu: Aside from the usual, their range of vegetarian pasta and pizza was amazing. Enough (vegetarian) side dishes, antipasti and soups were available as well, all catering to a wide range of dietary requirements.
My friend had a closed pizza gondola with eggs, mushrooms, onions and blue cheese, topped with honey and sesame seeds. Doesn’t your mouth start watering only reading about this savoury dish topped with sweetness? With great justice, as it was delicious. My friend loved it, although all the dough made it quite heavy.
My dish, spinach ravioli with a blue cheese sauce and a side salad, complemented by a local chardonnay, was a delight. Both, ravioli and the sauce had a great taste and went perfectly well together.
Nevertheless, I didn’t regret having decided to order my dish as a starter, as it was more than enough with the cheesy sauce.
Usually unnecessary to mention, the side salad with a tasty balsamic dressing was nothing to sneeze at. It was a lot more diversified than the well-known ones who, at worst, sometimes mainly consist of nothing more than some tired lettuce leaves.
Not forgetting the waiter, who was very friendly and obliging. He seemed well informed about everything and, in my case, knew about any lactose content of my dish without having to ask in the kitchen. Knowing they care about your matters makes you feel a lot safer eating out.
Prices were very moderate, especially drinks. I had a delightful evening I enjoyed much and felt at all times that the staff really cares about the well-being of their guests.
The Avenue Restaurant, Triq Gort, St. Julian’s
theavenuemalta.com
