House of Pasta
We have seen a revival of the "pasta place" in Valletta. Way back we used to treat ourselves to the fresh pasta at Crianza, which had built a reputation for its fresh pasta choices. And although all restaurants offer pasta dishes on their menus, it was always part of a larger menu.
In the past years, we have seen a surge of restaurants in general coming to the City, and in particular we have seen some dedicated pasta places opening.
One such place is Pastaus in Old Theatre Street, Valletta. Situated at the cross roads of food and bars, in the heart of Valletta, a location that can personify the definition of "enjoys foot traffic" we find this tiny eatery dedicated to pasta.
The menu is short, to the point, and hangs at the back above the bar. Choose from a selection of pasta sauces, and then choose the corresponding pasta - freshly made, and varies daily. Finally, choose your size - starter portion or main course portion. Although we love to eat, the main course portion is a little too filling (we ate there for lunch and were still full at 19:30 that day), so we usually stick to a starter portion. You order at the bar, which cements the casual atmosphere of the place. Ordering at the bar also allows you to view the different pasta on offer, which is displayed there, and choose the one that tickles your fancy.
We're big fans of the Carbonara, so on our first visits, that was pretty much all we had. And that is because it really is an excellent Carbonara. You could say it is as good as The Zero Sei Carbonara when Zero Sei had just opened. People we have eaten with have praised the Pesto, and we recently sampled the main course portion of the Norma, with green spinach pasta, and it was one of the best we have tried in Malta, in that the aubergines were cooked nicely, still had bite, were full of flavour but did not fall apart.
Unfortunately we haven't had the opportunity to taste their desserts yet, we were either too full or too rushed. However there is a tiramisu on the menu which has been catching our eye, and we cannot resist sampling a tiramisu for much longer (it is one of our favourite dessert, and we have a veritable compendium of all tiramisu from all the places we have visited). Hopefully we will be back soon and have the opportunity to taste it.
The restaurant is not very large, so fills up quickly. There is outside seating but it can get crowded as it's a busy street. It's great for people watching it you're interested though. If you are keen on going, we recommend you reserve a table to avoid disappointment. Prices are decent, and the service has been friendly so far. The decor is verging on the hip, with the pseudo green/living wall and the mason jar lights, but it is far from annoying and fits in with the general ambience of the place.
We will definitely be back.
Pastaus
Old Theatre Street, Valletta
T: 27023141
Open lunch and dinner
Closed on Sunday
In the past years, we have seen a surge of restaurants in general coming to the City, and in particular we have seen some dedicated pasta places opening.
One such place is Pastaus in Old Theatre Street, Valletta. Situated at the cross roads of food and bars, in the heart of Valletta, a location that can personify the definition of "enjoys foot traffic" we find this tiny eatery dedicated to pasta.
The menu is short, to the point, and hangs at the back above the bar. Choose from a selection of pasta sauces, and then choose the corresponding pasta - freshly made, and varies daily. Finally, choose your size - starter portion or main course portion. Although we love to eat, the main course portion is a little too filling (we ate there for lunch and were still full at 19:30 that day), so we usually stick to a starter portion. You order at the bar, which cements the casual atmosphere of the place. Ordering at the bar also allows you to view the different pasta on offer, which is displayed there, and choose the one that tickles your fancy.
We're big fans of the Carbonara, so on our first visits, that was pretty much all we had. And that is because it really is an excellent Carbonara. You could say it is as good as The Zero Sei Carbonara when Zero Sei had just opened. People we have eaten with have praised the Pesto, and we recently sampled the main course portion of the Norma, with green spinach pasta, and it was one of the best we have tried in Malta, in that the aubergines were cooked nicely, still had bite, were full of flavour but did not fall apart.
Unfortunately we haven't had the opportunity to taste their desserts yet, we were either too full or too rushed. However there is a tiramisu on the menu which has been catching our eye, and we cannot resist sampling a tiramisu for much longer (it is one of our favourite dessert, and we have a veritable compendium of all tiramisu from all the places we have visited). Hopefully we will be back soon and have the opportunity to taste it.
The restaurant is not very large, so fills up quickly. There is outside seating but it can get crowded as it's a busy street. It's great for people watching it you're interested though. If you are keen on going, we recommend you reserve a table to avoid disappointment. Prices are decent, and the service has been friendly so far. The decor is verging on the hip, with the pseudo green/living wall and the mason jar lights, but it is far from annoying and fits in with the general ambience of the place.
We will definitely be back.
Carbonara (small portion)
Norma with spinach pasta (large portion)
Pastaus
Old Theatre Street, Valletta
T: 27023141
Open lunch and dinner
Closed on Sunday
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