Have you ever experienced a Hurricane? Well, meet Moira Delia! I can assure you there is more than meets the eye…
I arrive at Del Borgo wine bar in Vittoriosa to find her already waiting for me. I imagine her to be all dolled up in a hypnotic glam-slam dress and balanced on dangerously high heels but instead she opts for jeans, with a flirtatious white blouse that shows a hint of cleavage. But the new softness does not forgo glamour.
If she had auditioned for Mark Cherry’s Desperate Housewives, I feel she would have landed the role instantly and stole the entire show. Eva Longoria would not have been amused and would have probably considered scratching out her eyeballs by the end of episode 2.
Several hugs and kisses later, we walk into the restored 18th century cellar that is Del Borgo. We’re there merely five seconds before a young man - who could have easily been a Simpatici actor – steps out of the shadows to greet us. He asks if we have a booking and we say we don’t. It’s Wednesday evening after all!
It’s not an issue. We are escorted to a dimly lit room by the young man and shown two tables. We are then asked to choose the table we prefer, and Moira knows exactly which table she wants and confidently sashays to it with the confidence of Angelina Jolie heading for an orphanage.
Our derrière barely hits the chair before another member of the Borgo staff rushes over with a wine list and two menus. Only, we are too busy talking to bother with the menus. It takes us at least another 40 minutes before we finally decide to shut up and concentrate on the menus. When two chatterboxes like us meet they can make Enzo Gusman look like he has never said a word in his entire life! And that’s something!
I’ll say it immediately. Del Borgo is beautiful. I love the way they turned this cellar into something trendy without falling into any temptation of kitsch. The colour scheme works really well with the lighting and somehow I get the feeling this could have easily been some hangout in Tuscany. I can’t say I am so keen on the fabric used on the Bedouin tent area (great idea, by the way, for a private little party of five), nor am I enthusiastic about the paintings. I feel they do not really deliver the necessary edge to the beautiful ambience at Del Borgo.
We check the menus between a series of little jokes, with Moira dissolving into giggles. “I’m a veggie,” she announces crisply, frantically going through the menu.
Hmmmm…. I thought… “Maybe you can choose the wine and I can try to find us a platter?”
Del Borgo has a very good selection on the wine list. I get the feeling they stock some wines that other wine bars might not have. The wine menu is grand, well presented and well sectioned. I can’t say the food menu is grand, but it’s okay. I like the fact that they make wine recommendations next to the food items. Not that we take them, but it’s always good that they are there.
Food-wise we agree on a Maltese platter with a twist. I tell the waiter that Moira is a Vegetarian, and ask if it’s possible for them to replace the meat with something else. Very politely, Big Boy Borgo (my nickname for the waiter who is really so polite) tells us that it is not a problem and suggests vine leaves instead. Moira reacts to the mention of vine leaves like she would probably react to Brad Pitt sitting next to her….
Excellent! I think. My experience with dining out with Vegetarians is not usually so positive when it comes to waiting staff. They usually look at them in mock horror as if they had just landed from some unidentified planet.
Wine time!
“Do I have to choose?” {Moira is holding head in hands}
“Yes, go for it… I’m curious!” {Hint of a naughty smile}
She flicks the mane of blonde hair backwards and sets the wine list on fire, searching for the Chilean section. 35 South Sauvignon Blanc is what she finally settles for; A lively fresh and fruity wine with excellent body and structure.
Ms Blonde Ambition is fruity and lively, and yes, yes, excellent body structure too! Though, she tells me there is no way she will ever get cosmetic surgery. She is very happy with all her assets, and would not like to change anything. “Not even when I get older…” she admits coquettishly.
In a matter of minutes every table at Del Borgo is taken. Impressive, considering this is a Wednesday evening. Patrons range from swizzle-stick model wannabes and their trendy boyfriends, to a colourful crowd of young people who could not have cared less if their jeans had Gucci or Monti written all over it!
Food is served quickly. Almost too quick, but hey what a service! It is a myriad of seemingly delicious goodies; artichokes, beans, vine leaves, Gozo cheese, tomatoes, and some crisp lettuce leaves.
Big Boy Borgo opens the wine with mechanical expertise, and Moira gets the honour of tasting. There is another “Moira meets Brad Pitt” expression on her face (to say it mildly), and Yes... She is happy!
I bluntly ask her to tell me the name of a local celebrity she would invite to a wine-bar and lace his or her wine with arsenic.
“The big girl who thinks she knows it all,” she responds teasingly. {Authors note: After a few glasses of wine, I do get a name. No… Not telling!}
I am now eager to find out if her success comes from beauty or from brains and she says: “Believe it or not… from brains!” And I do believe it! If you thought Moira Delia was all about Blonde hair, glossy lips, and Bond Girl looks then you are in for a big surprise. The grey matter in the upper department is working – and how! And she can still kick-box you … I swear! She tells me her personality comes closest to that of a cat.
The assortment of food in the platter is good, the Chilean wine very good. It has a crisp and refreshing taste with tangy citrus fruit flavours that give it an excellent finish and is produced in a way to make it suitable for vegetarians and vegans alike. It’s placed in a sleek wine cooler that gets my attention, and full marks.
We have to juggle around some of the dishes and wine glasses because the tables for two are slightly small when you have so much stuff on them, but we manage very well. Big Boy Borgo comes to our aid with the velocity of a Bay Watch lifeguard, and the two married couples sitting next to us keep giving us fleeting glances. One of the husbands has his eyes glued to Moira’s lovely blouse for what seems like a full five minutes. I doubt he is contemplating buying a similar one for his wife as a birthday present! The wife, a true model of classy vulgarity (Oh my God! Did I really say classy? Am I drunk or what?), seems not to notice and is happily occupied with an orchestration of calories. Well darling, enjoy the calories because husband dearest is certainly enjoying La Delia delight!
I have no problem stating that Del Borgo is one of the most impressive wine bars I have set foot in. Top marks for the interiors and light design and the excellent service – something I fully expect from a place like this. For me, it’s not just about a nice ambience, but also about how good the food and the service is. After all, going out has to be an overall pleasant experience. We both seem to be satisfied with Del Borgo, and Moira comments that they have kept their level high since opening.
Before leaving I check out the restroom and think that it could have been much funkier. Maybe the designer could be called back to rock his creative juices. After all, he has done a good job on everything else, bless him!
We pay 32 Euros for the Sauvignon Blanc, a Maltese platter, and a large bottle of water. I think it’s quite reasonable for what we got in return, and the complimentary drink we get on the way out makes it even nicer. I probably owe that to Moira’s Blonde Appeal!
RATING 1 – 7
Wine: ****** Ambience: ******
Food: ***** Service: ******
I arrive at Del Borgo wine bar in Vittoriosa to find her already waiting for me. I imagine her to be all dolled up in a hypnotic glam-slam dress and balanced on dangerously high heels but instead she opts for jeans, with a flirtatious white blouse that shows a hint of cleavage. But the new softness does not forgo glamour.
If she had auditioned for Mark Cherry’s Desperate Housewives, I feel she would have landed the role instantly and stole the entire show. Eva Longoria would not have been amused and would have probably considered scratching out her eyeballs by the end of episode 2.
Several hugs and kisses later, we walk into the restored 18th century cellar that is Del Borgo. We’re there merely five seconds before a young man - who could have easily been a Simpatici actor – steps out of the shadows to greet us. He asks if we have a booking and we say we don’t. It’s Wednesday evening after all!
It’s not an issue. We are escorted to a dimly lit room by the young man and shown two tables. We are then asked to choose the table we prefer, and Moira knows exactly which table she wants and confidently sashays to it with the confidence of Angelina Jolie heading for an orphanage.
Our derrière barely hits the chair before another member of the Borgo staff rushes over with a wine list and two menus. Only, we are too busy talking to bother with the menus. It takes us at least another 40 minutes before we finally decide to shut up and concentrate on the menus. When two chatterboxes like us meet they can make Enzo Gusman look like he has never said a word in his entire life! And that’s something!
I’ll say it immediately. Del Borgo is beautiful. I love the way they turned this cellar into something trendy without falling into any temptation of kitsch. The colour scheme works really well with the lighting and somehow I get the feeling this could have easily been some hangout in Tuscany. I can’t say I am so keen on the fabric used on the Bedouin tent area (great idea, by the way, for a private little party of five), nor am I enthusiastic about the paintings. I feel they do not really deliver the necessary edge to the beautiful ambience at Del Borgo.
We check the menus between a series of little jokes, with Moira dissolving into giggles. “I’m a veggie,” she announces crisply, frantically going through the menu.
Hmmmm…. I thought… “Maybe you can choose the wine and I can try to find us a platter?”
Del Borgo has a very good selection on the wine list. I get the feeling they stock some wines that other wine bars might not have. The wine menu is grand, well presented and well sectioned. I can’t say the food menu is grand, but it’s okay. I like the fact that they make wine recommendations next to the food items. Not that we take them, but it’s always good that they are there.
Food-wise we agree on a Maltese platter with a twist. I tell the waiter that Moira is a Vegetarian, and ask if it’s possible for them to replace the meat with something else. Very politely, Big Boy Borgo (my nickname for the waiter who is really so polite) tells us that it is not a problem and suggests vine leaves instead. Moira reacts to the mention of vine leaves like she would probably react to Brad Pitt sitting next to her….
Excellent! I think. My experience with dining out with Vegetarians is not usually so positive when it comes to waiting staff. They usually look at them in mock horror as if they had just landed from some unidentified planet.
Wine time!
“Do I have to choose?” {Moira is holding head in hands}
“Yes, go for it… I’m curious!” {Hint of a naughty smile}
She flicks the mane of blonde hair backwards and sets the wine list on fire, searching for the Chilean section. 35 South Sauvignon Blanc is what she finally settles for; A lively fresh and fruity wine with excellent body and structure.
Ms Blonde Ambition is fruity and lively, and yes, yes, excellent body structure too! Though, she tells me there is no way she will ever get cosmetic surgery. She is very happy with all her assets, and would not like to change anything. “Not even when I get older…” she admits coquettishly.
In a matter of minutes every table at Del Borgo is taken. Impressive, considering this is a Wednesday evening. Patrons range from swizzle-stick model wannabes and their trendy boyfriends, to a colourful crowd of young people who could not have cared less if their jeans had Gucci or Monti written all over it!
Food is served quickly. Almost too quick, but hey what a service! It is a myriad of seemingly delicious goodies; artichokes, beans, vine leaves, Gozo cheese, tomatoes, and some crisp lettuce leaves.
Big Boy Borgo opens the wine with mechanical expertise, and Moira gets the honour of tasting. There is another “Moira meets Brad Pitt” expression on her face (to say it mildly), and Yes... She is happy!
I bluntly ask her to tell me the name of a local celebrity she would invite to a wine-bar and lace his or her wine with arsenic.
“The big girl who thinks she knows it all,” she responds teasingly. {Authors note: After a few glasses of wine, I do get a name. No… Not telling!}
I am now eager to find out if her success comes from beauty or from brains and she says: “Believe it or not… from brains!” And I do believe it! If you thought Moira Delia was all about Blonde hair, glossy lips, and Bond Girl looks then you are in for a big surprise. The grey matter in the upper department is working – and how! And she can still kick-box you … I swear! She tells me her personality comes closest to that of a cat.
The assortment of food in the platter is good, the Chilean wine very good. It has a crisp and refreshing taste with tangy citrus fruit flavours that give it an excellent finish and is produced in a way to make it suitable for vegetarians and vegans alike. It’s placed in a sleek wine cooler that gets my attention, and full marks.
We have to juggle around some of the dishes and wine glasses because the tables for two are slightly small when you have so much stuff on them, but we manage very well. Big Boy Borgo comes to our aid with the velocity of a Bay Watch lifeguard, and the two married couples sitting next to us keep giving us fleeting glances. One of the husbands has his eyes glued to Moira’s lovely blouse for what seems like a full five minutes. I doubt he is contemplating buying a similar one for his wife as a birthday present! The wife, a true model of classy vulgarity (Oh my God! Did I really say classy? Am I drunk or what?), seems not to notice and is happily occupied with an orchestration of calories. Well darling, enjoy the calories because husband dearest is certainly enjoying La Delia delight!
I have no problem stating that Del Borgo is one of the most impressive wine bars I have set foot in. Top marks for the interiors and light design and the excellent service – something I fully expect from a place like this. For me, it’s not just about a nice ambience, but also about how good the food and the service is. After all, going out has to be an overall pleasant experience. We both seem to be satisfied with Del Borgo, and Moira comments that they have kept their level high since opening.
Before leaving I check out the restroom and think that it could have been much funkier. Maybe the designer could be called back to rock his creative juices. After all, he has done a good job on everything else, bless him!
We pay 32 Euros for the Sauvignon Blanc, a Maltese platter, and a large bottle of water. I think it’s quite reasonable for what we got in return, and the complimentary drink we get on the way out makes it even nicer. I probably owe that to Moira’s Blonde Appeal!
RATING 1 – 7
Wine: ****** Ambience: ******
Food: ***** Service: ******
This makes up for a gloomy Sunday afternoon. Enjoyable! I do not think the toilets at Del Borgo are so bad though. Martin
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