Vecchia Taranto
Too many places boast, only for patrons to be disappointed. We live in a world of duplicitous quality claims: organic veg which is not organic, honey which isn't honey. We also live in a world of exaggerated emphasis on pizza cooked in a wood burning oven. Sure a good oven can give the pizza an excellent woody and smoky flavour, but restaurants aren't to be dismissed if they have no wood burning oven. It's tiring.
Vecchia Taranto is modest and unpretentious, yet continuously churns out one of Malta's best and most tasty pizzas. I think I can say that for the past two years it has been my favourite pizza place in Malta.
Located in Valletta, opposite the parish church of St Paul's shipwreck is this tiny door which proudly flies the Maltese and Italian flags. This is Vecchia Taranto. You enter and see the oven and the pizzaioli working away. So many pizza places make a big fuss about wood burning ovens. The oven here is unassuming and not wood burning. But the pizza is always full of flavour, the dough itself so delicious that I look forward to eating it.
Where are the tables? Up a narrow spiral staircase. I've been hearing that they have plans to expand, but until they do, travel light or be ready to carry things up the spiral staircase. Once upstairs there are only a handful of tables, so do book. If you don't manage a table, don't worry, they do take out.
The menu is very modest, so much so that it can be misleading. Take my favourite pizza the "uccelletti" for example. The description says it is a pizza with ham and cheese. But it isn't just that. The "uccelletti" are really little packages of cheese, usually scamorza, wrapped in a salty prosciutto. You get four or five of these little packages on the pizza, and that is the ham and cheese declared on the menu. Definitely not what you thought it would be. So do yourselves a favourite and ask.
While you're asking the chatty Italian who is taking your order, I suggest you ask for a red wine (usually a Negramaro or a Primitivo or some other gorgeous wine from Taranto, albeit a little on the pricey side), or ask if there is a pizza of the day (usually some fanatasy concocted by the chef, I once had one with stracciatella and pomegranate seeds) or ask if there is any pasta (I haven't tried it myself but dinner companions who have, have always praised it). The dessert is usually a "torta" prepared by the chef - I've never been disappointed.
So fret not, the next time you feel like a good pizza pick up the phone and book yourselves a table at Vecchia Taranto. I've found that they are also available after the theatre/cinema.
Have a look at the menu:
Vecchia Taranto:
St Paul's Street, Valletta
phone: +356 21221783
Vecchia Taranto is modest and unpretentious, yet continuously churns out one of Malta's best and most tasty pizzas. I think I can say that for the past two years it has been my favourite pizza place in Malta.
Located in Valletta, opposite the parish church of St Paul's shipwreck is this tiny door which proudly flies the Maltese and Italian flags. This is Vecchia Taranto. You enter and see the oven and the pizzaioli working away. So many pizza places make a big fuss about wood burning ovens. The oven here is unassuming and not wood burning. But the pizza is always full of flavour, the dough itself so delicious that I look forward to eating it.
Where are the tables? Up a narrow spiral staircase. I've been hearing that they have plans to expand, but until they do, travel light or be ready to carry things up the spiral staircase. Once upstairs there are only a handful of tables, so do book. If you don't manage a table, don't worry, they do take out.
The menu is very modest, so much so that it can be misleading. Take my favourite pizza the "uccelletti" for example. The description says it is a pizza with ham and cheese. But it isn't just that. The "uccelletti" are really little packages of cheese, usually scamorza, wrapped in a salty prosciutto. You get four or five of these little packages on the pizza, and that is the ham and cheese declared on the menu. Definitely not what you thought it would be. So do yourselves a favourite and ask.
While you're asking the chatty Italian who is taking your order, I suggest you ask for a red wine (usually a Negramaro or a Primitivo or some other gorgeous wine from Taranto, albeit a little on the pricey side), or ask if there is a pizza of the day (usually some fanatasy concocted by the chef, I once had one with stracciatella and pomegranate seeds) or ask if there is any pasta (I haven't tried it myself but dinner companions who have, have always praised it). The dessert is usually a "torta" prepared by the chef - I've never been disappointed.
So fret not, the next time you feel like a good pizza pick up the phone and book yourselves a table at Vecchia Taranto. I've found that they are also available after the theatre/cinema.
Have a look at the menu:
Vecchia Taranto:
St Paul's Street, Valletta
phone: +356 21221783
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