After the press launch for the Live Music Marathon at Talbot & Bons in SkyParks we were invited to have lunch there which meant I could combine two tasks in one.
Talbot & Bons is a cafe-wine-lounge close to the airport. Their “mission is to serve the best coffee in Malta,” but you can find healthy, home-style, wholesome cooking with natural ingredients and no artificial colourings or additive at this place as well. The offers range from breakfast/ brunch, and sandwiches to tapas, Greek, Italian and Mediterranean dishes for lunch and in the evenings. Vegetarian options available, of course.
When you head to SkyParks Centre, there is no possibility to miss it. The front has a welcoming and clean appearance and I liked the well-designed logo which fits to the place’s concept and interior. The outside disposed of a terrace with more than enough tables, all available when I arrived at about 11am.
After I entered the lounge, I glanced around a bit. The interior was modern, but held in a warm brown which made it more inviting. I appreciate this especially in places specialised on coffee, as the colours and furniture just give the right impression on the customer. Because of the huge glass front everything was naturally light and shined on by daylight.
Later I noticed some pillars decorated with boards which provided information about the origins of coffee and other foods offered. I was wondering why I didn’t notice these before – maybe because of the delicious food we had, but more of that later – but then I just got curious and found it a brilliant idea. Provide the customer with some information about your products; in case they are interested in some further details, they will appreciate it.
We had a 3-course menu with a starter, main and dessert. All was served with a Sauvignon Blanc, which was really tasty. I’m not a wine expert, but beside Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc is one of my favourites. So I was very pleased with this choice.
For the starter we could decide between mozzarella and tomatoes or parmeggiano. Because I have just tried parmeggiano for the first time a few days before at an Italian restaurant and loved it I just had to take it again (if I really like a dish or recipe I tend to enjoy it daily for a week or so until I’m all fed up – could happen with this one, too).
What can I say – this parmeggiano was even better! The ingredients were so soft and smooth (how do they do that?), it was full of taste and not too oily. I also loved the right combination of aubergine and basil. Beyond question my highlight of the menu. I definitely recommend you to try this if you’re going for a light dish in between or a delightful starter.
The main dishes unfortunately were all non-vegetarian – something I realise is quite common in Malta when it comes to planned menus. So no pasta al salmone, lasagna or chicken breast marinated in cider and lime for me (can’t deny, all sounds and looked good). But I was kindly asked for what would fit my dietary requirements instead and was served rice with tomato sauce. It was good, but maybe a little side salad would have been nice. Or maybe I should have asked – then my fault. Nevertheless, the serving was surely big enough and I couldn’t finish it off as I also knew there was some homemade crostata to come as a dessert.
I’ve never tried or heard of crostatas before, so I was curious what they would actually be like. Now I know it’s an Italian baked tart in form of pie (always learning). The ones we had were filled with apricot/ peach preserves. We got a whole plate of them, served with coffee and tea. Me, usually not craving for sweet or baked things, found them quite delicious and even had two pieces.
I would definitely like to go back to Talbot & Bons to indulge in the Parmeggiano again and to try some of their tapas or vegetarian main dishes in general. I’m sure you can have a comfy evening with your friends there with some wine, but I would also always favour this place if I had time for a coffee and snack before a flight.
Talbot & Bons: Triq Il-karwija, SkyParks Business Centre Level 1, Luna LQA 4000
