ION Harbour, Valletta, Malta

The island nation of Malta lies at the very centre of the Mediterranean Sea, half way between Europe and North Africa. ION Harbour restaurant by Simon Rogan takes inspiration from this unique location with a commanding position overlooking The Grand Harbour of Valletta, the capital city of Malta. The setting is simply beautiful.

Valetta is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a compact city and nowhere is more than a short walk from the centre. It was a warm autumn evening as the sun was setting when ‘Scottish’ (my other half) and I took an easy, relaxed walk through the city centre and down the steps to the short, pretty street of St.Barbara Bastion. The street is one sided with the wharf on one side and a row of traditionally honey coloured  limestone townhouses with blue windows and doors on the other. 4 of these townhouses have recently been converted into the very contemporary and luxurious Iniala Harbour House hotel and the ION Harbour restaurant is located on the top floor accessed by either lift or stairs.

Chef and restauranteur Simon Rogan is from England and over the past 20 years has developed his own distinctive and inventive cooking style, earning him numerous awards, Michelin stars and international acclaim. With the contemporary philosophy of focusing on seasonal locally sourced ingredients, Simon’s culinary passion has led to successful restaurants in The Lake District and London in the UK as well as in Hong Kong and Malta.

The ION Harbour restaurant was taken over by Simon in October 2022 and under his leadership and that of Head Chef Eoin Smith, has already been awarded a Michelin Star.

The first thing which strikes you about ION Harbour is the atmosphere. There is a buzz and a lack of pretence. The mood is relaxed and fun and the waiting staff are friendly, but not intrusive. We were taken to our table in a covered terrace above the street, overlooking the harbour. The lights from ships and the 3 cities across the harbour provided an incredible setting for the evening’s experience. As soon as we sit down, it already feels like it will be a very special memorable night.

The menu is a tasting menu. Eating what the Chef has curated without the fear of making a wrong choice, makes for a more memorable experience. As you would imagine, fish features prominently, which given the location felt entirely appropriate and the prospect of thirteen courses did not feel too intimidating. We chose a decent bottle of Albarino to compliment the fish.

The culinary experience kicked off to a strong start with a carrot tartlet with blue fin tuna and continued with sea bass with red prawn butter, fermented prawn and fennel tea followed by lobster cooked over embers with squash and pumpkin. The fish dishes were interspersed with innovative vegetable dishes most with edible flowers. Potato crisp, charred cauliflower, black garlic, chickpea and rosemary wafer, dill and pickled radishes with cream cheese. Some ingredients which we might not have had given the choice, but somehow all of it worked because of the combinations of flavours and proportions involved. Ibis celeriac, baked in salt from Gozo, sea succulents and caviar, what can I say other than mind blowing! There was also raw south coast Rossi prawn, sea jelly and fig leaf, buttermilk and smoked pike perch roe. Somehow, although there were many fish dishes, the fish never dominated the flavours or overall culinary journey.

Puddings followed, including sheeps yoghurt ice cream with dill, juices of fennel, kohlrabi and elderflower, frozen Tunworth cheese, buck worth crumb, peach and wild thyme. These were followed by the ‘ION’ special of caramel mousse and white miso, caramelised apple and pear juice infused with mastic leaves and finished off with sour cream and bee pollen encased in toasted grains. All complimented beautifully with a glass of Mas Amiel 30 year, a fermented wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France.

In summary, an exceptional and fun experience centred on an authentic and grounded interpretation of place, culture and time. We are definitely looking forward to experiencing Rogan’s other restaurants.