Set close to the small church of Bartholomew in the quaint village of Tarxien,
Il-Kastell Wine bar has a truly impressive and beautiful façade. It is actually part of Palazzo Abela – a 16th century palace built by the Maltese nobility and restored by its present owners.
I thought it would be an excellent choice to invite top notch hairdresser Joseph Abela for a glass of wine and some casual chit chat. Hairdressers are usually a fountain of information and can fill you in on the latest buzz and prive` juice. More than that, I am eager to crack through his persona and see what lies beneath the perfectly groomed surface (no nip-tuck or other cosmetic surgery yet… but Joseph admits that by the time he hits 60, there will be several of those! I hear there is a special offer on Botox these days, but Joseph clearly needs a couple of decades to run to Botox Man).
Clad in a canary yellow shirt that would make Donatella Versace proud, jeans, and a trendy belt in cow-skin, Joseph is quite a sight in these surroundings. As we walk in, it feels like modern is fusing with history in front of my very eyes.
The first thing that hits me is that Il-Kastell is well equipped with staff. Several young men and women prance around in customary black uniforms (of course), and when one of them notices us, he rushes to greet us and escorts us to our seating.
We sit in a corner around a small table, on two burgundy armchairs that face a towering window and a fireplace in royal brilliance. Not far from us a German man and his far-from-Monica-Bellucci-looking companion (ain’t I nice?) are having a very elegant argument in low semitones. The woman looks like she could snap her companion’s neck any minute, and if she had to do it she better do it here and now to provide some entertainment in case the evening is a sucker.
The ambience at Il-kastell is truly something. It looks like most of its original features have been retained with one palatial room leading into another, and yet another…. And when you think it is over… you discover yet another space that links onto something else on a different level. You fall in love with the high ceilings and the medieval identity they give the place, just like the central courtyard that welcomes more guests into its large domain.
We are presented with the wine and food menu… and I go through it like Donald Trump goes through his bank account (before the Divorce).
Il-Kastell ranks high on wine selection. They have several pages of different wines to choose from and it will probably take some time before you decide what you would like to choose. I can only fault the wine menu with one thing. I would have liked to see a stronger selection of Maltese wines, other than that, their wine menu is excellent and ranks amongst the best I’ve seen.
Joseph chooses a Yellow Tail Chardonnay (Hmmm… perhaps to match his shirt I assume) from South Eastern Australia, and we both agree on a mixed platter of cheese and salamis.
“And some bruschetta please,” he chimes in. “Ghax I’m hungry!”
A young girl takes our order on a little notebook and rushes to some other guest who is impatiently demanding her attention. By this time, the German and his far-from-Monica-Bellucci looking spouse seem to have ironed out their problem, and are ready to leave. The woman sports her colourless lips into a thin line, and the husband has secured some neck movement – at least for tonight. As they leave, Il-Kastell comes to life with more and more people walking inside.
The wine is served after a short break by a well groomed young man who tops our glasses with the Australian Chardonnay. He performs the ritual without much ado and walks away as fast as he came. It would have been great if he had remembered to light the candles on our table!
Joseph and the Wine are ready to talk! With a lovely dish of Bruschettas in front of us we kick off the eating and drinking spree. Joseph must have been famished because he wolfs down the Bruschettas with the supersonic speed of Paris Hilton changing boyfriends.
The wine is an excellent choice. Thumbs up for the Yellow Tail Chardonnay; A blend of ripe peach and melon aromas, with sweet oak. The palate is fresh and approachable with a balanced acidity and a lingering finish of tropical fruits. Such a description, I conclude, also matches my guest perfectly.
Being the curious person I am I feel compelled to ask Joseph who – in his opinion – has the most beautiful hair in Malta. I’m holding my breath….
He raises one eye-brow pensively, and takes his time to reply. And when he does it hits me like a silver bullet.
I quote: “Once upon a time Rachel Vella …. as I used to glue it on her!”
“And who do you think badly needs a new hair-do?” I quiz back, spotting one of the waiting staff carrying our platter from the corner of my eye.
He arches another eye-brow for a split-second and says that if it were for him he would give Anna Bonnano a new hairstyle. “I feel it has never changed throughout the years…”
We are distracted by the lovely platter that is being placed in front of us. The cheeses and Salamis are spread on a bed of green lettuce and a bowl with Maltese galletti, sliced Ftira and two small butter cubes are positioned next to it. I think it looks inviting!
After nibbling on some tasty cheeses, we continue our conversation and I slowly realize that behind the flamboyant persona Joseph Abela is really a very sensitive person. He likes his quiet moments, and is perfectly in touch with reality though at times he might let out a different impression. Rather than being stylish and lonely he would rather be unstylish but content, he admits. Is the wine taking its toll, or is he being brutally honest?
The music selection at Il-Kastell is a good one. At first I think it is a tad too loud as I happen to be seated right under the speakers, but that is me being paranoid. Somehow, it fades into the evening very pleasantly and blends into the ambience perfectly. I think they have done a good job with the lights but Joseph finds them a little bit too bright. I’m actually quite fussy with lighting, and tend to disagree. The lights work for me.
Of course, if some of the staff would remember to light the candles, and perhaps smile a little bit more, it would be perfect! I SO miss a smile!
There is one thing that strikes me at Il-Kastell that I have not yet noticed anywhere else. A little sign stuck to the front door asks its patrons very politely to respect the neighbours and refrain from being loud once they leave the premises. I find this small detail incredibly significant. It sets an example which I hope other wine bars will follow.
The toilets are clean, though like many others not high on design, and are located in a secluded spot to the side of the courtyard. They are quite big too, so they can cater for a number of people at once which is great.
The Aussie wine is pumping through our veins, and I feel like my head has just crashed into Dolly Parton’s chest. I’m knocked down, and so is Joseph, so we decide to grab a cab and call it a night.
For the economical minded, we paid 16.00 Euro for the Aussie Chardonnay, 3.75 for the Bruschettas, and 15.00 Euro for the platter. For the lotto minded, we sat on table 17!
Il-Kastell is a historical venue that would be perfect for a private function or just a cosy, warm night out with friends. Make sure to book, especially on a weekend, because it’s a busy place, and opening time is 8PM.
Outside it is pitch dark, but thank Heaven’s for the yellow shirt to show me the way!
RATING 1 – 7
Wine: ****** Ambience: ******
Food: **** Service: ****
Il-Kastell Wine bar has a truly impressive and beautiful façade. It is actually part of Palazzo Abela – a 16th century palace built by the Maltese nobility and restored by its present owners.
I thought it would be an excellent choice to invite top notch hairdresser Joseph Abela for a glass of wine and some casual chit chat. Hairdressers are usually a fountain of information and can fill you in on the latest buzz and prive` juice. More than that, I am eager to crack through his persona and see what lies beneath the perfectly groomed surface (no nip-tuck or other cosmetic surgery yet… but Joseph admits that by the time he hits 60, there will be several of those! I hear there is a special offer on Botox these days, but Joseph clearly needs a couple of decades to run to Botox Man).
Clad in a canary yellow shirt that would make Donatella Versace proud, jeans, and a trendy belt in cow-skin, Joseph is quite a sight in these surroundings. As we walk in, it feels like modern is fusing with history in front of my very eyes.
The first thing that hits me is that Il-Kastell is well equipped with staff. Several young men and women prance around in customary black uniforms (of course), and when one of them notices us, he rushes to greet us and escorts us to our seating.
We sit in a corner around a small table, on two burgundy armchairs that face a towering window and a fireplace in royal brilliance. Not far from us a German man and his far-from-Monica-Bellucci-looking companion (ain’t I nice?) are having a very elegant argument in low semitones. The woman looks like she could snap her companion’s neck any minute, and if she had to do it she better do it here and now to provide some entertainment in case the evening is a sucker.
The ambience at Il-kastell is truly something. It looks like most of its original features have been retained with one palatial room leading into another, and yet another…. And when you think it is over… you discover yet another space that links onto something else on a different level. You fall in love with the high ceilings and the medieval identity they give the place, just like the central courtyard that welcomes more guests into its large domain.
We are presented with the wine and food menu… and I go through it like Donald Trump goes through his bank account (before the Divorce).
Il-Kastell ranks high on wine selection. They have several pages of different wines to choose from and it will probably take some time before you decide what you would like to choose. I can only fault the wine menu with one thing. I would have liked to see a stronger selection of Maltese wines, other than that, their wine menu is excellent and ranks amongst the best I’ve seen.
Joseph chooses a Yellow Tail Chardonnay (Hmmm… perhaps to match his shirt I assume) from South Eastern Australia, and we both agree on a mixed platter of cheese and salamis.
“And some bruschetta please,” he chimes in. “Ghax I’m hungry!”
A young girl takes our order on a little notebook and rushes to some other guest who is impatiently demanding her attention. By this time, the German and his far-from-Monica-Bellucci looking spouse seem to have ironed out their problem, and are ready to leave. The woman sports her colourless lips into a thin line, and the husband has secured some neck movement – at least for tonight. As they leave, Il-Kastell comes to life with more and more people walking inside.
The wine is served after a short break by a well groomed young man who tops our glasses with the Australian Chardonnay. He performs the ritual without much ado and walks away as fast as he came. It would have been great if he had remembered to light the candles on our table!
Joseph and the Wine are ready to talk! With a lovely dish of Bruschettas in front of us we kick off the eating and drinking spree. Joseph must have been famished because he wolfs down the Bruschettas with the supersonic speed of Paris Hilton changing boyfriends.
The wine is an excellent choice. Thumbs up for the Yellow Tail Chardonnay; A blend of ripe peach and melon aromas, with sweet oak. The palate is fresh and approachable with a balanced acidity and a lingering finish of tropical fruits. Such a description, I conclude, also matches my guest perfectly.
Being the curious person I am I feel compelled to ask Joseph who – in his opinion – has the most beautiful hair in Malta. I’m holding my breath….
He raises one eye-brow pensively, and takes his time to reply. And when he does it hits me like a silver bullet.
I quote: “Once upon a time Rachel Vella …. as I used to glue it on her!”
“And who do you think badly needs a new hair-do?” I quiz back, spotting one of the waiting staff carrying our platter from the corner of my eye.
He arches another eye-brow for a split-second and says that if it were for him he would give Anna Bonnano a new hairstyle. “I feel it has never changed throughout the years…”
We are distracted by the lovely platter that is being placed in front of us. The cheeses and Salamis are spread on a bed of green lettuce and a bowl with Maltese galletti, sliced Ftira and two small butter cubes are positioned next to it. I think it looks inviting!
After nibbling on some tasty cheeses, we continue our conversation and I slowly realize that behind the flamboyant persona Joseph Abela is really a very sensitive person. He likes his quiet moments, and is perfectly in touch with reality though at times he might let out a different impression. Rather than being stylish and lonely he would rather be unstylish but content, he admits. Is the wine taking its toll, or is he being brutally honest?
The music selection at Il-Kastell is a good one. At first I think it is a tad too loud as I happen to be seated right under the speakers, but that is me being paranoid. Somehow, it fades into the evening very pleasantly and blends into the ambience perfectly. I think they have done a good job with the lights but Joseph finds them a little bit too bright. I’m actually quite fussy with lighting, and tend to disagree. The lights work for me.
Of course, if some of the staff would remember to light the candles, and perhaps smile a little bit more, it would be perfect! I SO miss a smile!
There is one thing that strikes me at Il-Kastell that I have not yet noticed anywhere else. A little sign stuck to the front door asks its patrons very politely to respect the neighbours and refrain from being loud once they leave the premises. I find this small detail incredibly significant. It sets an example which I hope other wine bars will follow.
The toilets are clean, though like many others not high on design, and are located in a secluded spot to the side of the courtyard. They are quite big too, so they can cater for a number of people at once which is great.
The Aussie wine is pumping through our veins, and I feel like my head has just crashed into Dolly Parton’s chest. I’m knocked down, and so is Joseph, so we decide to grab a cab and call it a night.
For the economical minded, we paid 16.00 Euro for the Aussie Chardonnay, 3.75 for the Bruschettas, and 15.00 Euro for the platter. For the lotto minded, we sat on table 17!
Il-Kastell is a historical venue that would be perfect for a private function or just a cosy, warm night out with friends. Make sure to book, especially on a weekend, because it’s a busy place, and opening time is 8PM.
Outside it is pitch dark, but thank Heaven’s for the yellow shirt to show me the way!
RATING 1 – 7
Wine: ****** Ambience: ******
Food: **** Service: ****
Good.
ReplyDeletePortugal