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REVIEW: Mezzodi – the Valletta restaurant you shouldn’t overlook
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REVIEW: MEZZODI - THE VALLETTA RESTAURANT YOU SHOULDN'T OVERLOOK
I'm going to do something out of the ordinary and start my review by saying: you must try the parmesan and burrata cannoli. OK, more on that later.
Mezzodi is a Valletta-based eatery that's pretty easy to overlook given the vast options of eateries in the area. It opened around a year ago serving only cicchetti (small plates) but now it boasts a menu with full dishes.
It is the brainchild of of Christopher Diacono and Michael Diacono (from the same foodie family tree) who entrusted Chef Ryan Vella to lead the kitchen.
Although they have outdoor seating, the interior design lures you in with stunning art that adorns the walls, and colourful chic seating where one might find in a Wes Anderson flick.
The first starter to pass through these lips was a cauliflower and coconut soup, accompanied by saffron bhajis. The soup was creamy yet delicate with beguiling holistic flavours. The bhajis most certainly packed a punch and elevated the dish by providing Eastern flavours.
The parmesan cannoli stuffed with burrata was the piece de résistance and a must for all cheese lovers.
The boldly distinctive flavour of the crunchy and thick parmesan crisp worked really well with the luxuriously creamy burrata. Two slightly crispy artichokes are placed on either side adding a subtle smokiness to the dish.
The seared beef carpaccio is created by using a premium fillet cut. Its cumulative virile vigour coated my tongue with every bite and the blackberries bolstered the dish by providing sweetness and sharpness (without overpowering). I didn't really see or understand the need for the celeriac roulade.
I wisely opted for the risotto Milanese from the pasta section, equally pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. The risotto is married with a silky parmesan and saffron sauce.
This would've been a restrained and sedate dish if it wasn't for the appearance of the succulent bone marrow, which added a superb richness and cut through like butter.
The above were my highlights and were formidable, however looking back, I probably would've skipped the rump of lamb and the salted seabass tempura starter.
The former was an error on my part, when I ordered it, I missed the 'salted' part because I genuinely do not like salted fish (ie salted cod).
Although the lamb was nicely cooked, I felt that the plate was too busy and the sesame seeds could've gone amiss.
Overall, I had an exceedingly pleasant lunch at Mezzodi, it's definitely a restaurant you shouldn't skip. The dishes are creative without being over the top, and the use of high-grade ingredients is definitely apparent.
Will I go again? Yes. Oh cannoli, until we meet again!
Mezzodi Valletta
80 South Street
Valletta
Website
Elsa Messi
Food connoisseur, curiosity feeder and travel queen. Londoner who has lived in Tokyo and now based in Malta.
I like what I C: Cheese, cats, consuming cuisines, canines, cooking, clothes and countries. I also like taking long romantic walks to the fridge.
