Grotto Tavern

Name: Grotto Tavern
Address: 9/10/12 St Pauls Square, Rabat, Malta
Telephone: +35621453258
Price range: $$$$
Rating: 4.9

1808 votes

#3 of 81 restaurants in Rabat

ClosedOpens at 6:30PM

Updated 12 days ago

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Visitors enjoy the sights of St. Paul's Church and reserve a table for good dishes here. Order dishes of International cuisine at this restaurant. It's time to relax and eat nicely cooked filet américain, ribeye and rabbit. At Grotto Tavern, guests may try good parfait, petit fours and ice cream. Come here and have delicious chianti, calvados or Spritz. When visiting this place, it's a must to try great iced coffee or good tea.

A cosy atmosphere and beautiful interior make this spot so good. The creative staff welcomes people all year round. If you want to enjoy prompt service, you should go to this restaurant. Many reviewers think that the dishes are offered for fair prices. Michelin experts have visited Grotto Tavern, so it has got the Michelin selection award.

Best in the city

Romantic atmosphere

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Sunny Malta with the best restaurants and charming attractions

Frequently mentioned in reviews

gergely

paul Saliba

the service from Michael and Greg

sabine

the calvados

the Chef Terrance

the cave room

the catacombs

air raid shelter

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Michelin Guide rating

Michelin selection.

This cosy, stylish tavern, in the heart of the charming town of Rabat and just a short walk from the St. Paul’s Catacombs, is both romantic and mysterious... More info

Ratings of Grotto Tavern

Foursquare

(7.6/10)

Google

(4.5/5)

564

Trip

(4.7/5)

856

Facebook

(4.5/5)

385

Visitors' reviews on Grotto Tavern

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Camille Fenech 2 months ago on Google

We had mixed feelings about our visit. Some dishes were good, while most didn't quite meet our expectations. The venue itself is beautiful and truly unique. Having a natural cave as part of the restaurant made the experience feel special and we were genuinely excited to dine there. The service was also good. Two members of staff looked after us throughout the evening and the Hungarian staff was particularly exceptional. He explained the dishes with enthusiasm, was very engaging and clearly has a real talent for presenting the food and making guests feel welcome. Unfortunately, the food—the heart of the experience, fell short for us. We chose the Tasting Menu. Every dish was neatly plated and visually minimal. The meal started well, but it didn't maintain the same standard throughout. Since the restaurant is Michelin recommended, we naturally had high expectations and were hoping the food would be outstanding. One of the courses featured quail served with boudin. We only ate the quail, we didn’t touch the boudin due to our dietary restrictions. Since boudin is made with blood and isn’t something everyone eats, we were surprised to see it included in a tasting menu without an alternative option. Regarding the desserts, considering the portion sizes of the main dishes, the dessert (Orange Opera) was surprisingly big, it doesn’t really make sense compared to the rest of the meal. The portion could be better balanced with the rest of the menu. Also, as there were two of us, it would have been a nice gesture to offer the option of having two different desserts instead of serving the same one to both guests. It would have allowed the guests to experience more of the chef's creations and added a little more variety to the ending of the meal. After the main dessert, Coffee & Petit Four was served, as the final course. There was nothing special about the bite-sized confections. The cube-shaped sweets, similar to Turkish delight, were far too sweet, a disappointing way to end the meal, it wasn’t the finish we were hoping for. It was still an experience dining in a cave. Overall, the food didn’t quite live up to the expectations that come with being Michelin-recommended. Meal type: Dinner Price per person: €100+ Food: 2 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 5

Response from the owner 2 months ago

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We truly appreciate your detailed comments and are pleased to hear you enjoyed the unique setting of our natural cave, as well as the attentive service you received from our team. We would like to note that your visit took place under the restaurant's previous ownership and management. Since then, Grotto Tavern has undergone a transformation, including a new ownership team, a new head chef, an entirely new tasting menu, and a renewed culinary vision. While we're sorry to hear that the experience did not fully meet your expectations at the time, we are proud of the direction the restaurant has taken and would be delighted to welcome you back to experience everything that has changed. We hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a dining experience that reflects the standards we strive for today.

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Monsieur Gourmet 6 months ago on Google

I visited Grotto Tavern in March 2026 and unfortunately my experience was quite disappointing. The restaurant supposedly has a strong reputation and was even included in the Michelin Guide in 2026, which made my expectations quite high. However, the reality did not match that reputation at all. In my opinion, the restaurant is overpriced and completely overrated. One of the biggest selling points of this restaurant is the cave inside the building. The cave looks beautiful and would offer a very authentic and memorable dining experience. However, the restaurant does not allow the guests to sit in the cave unless they choose the full “Grotto Experience,” which is a five-course tasting menu. If you add a drink pairing, the price goes to well over 100 euros per person. This felt quite restrictive and unnecessary. If you choose the à la carte menu instead, the selection is surprisingly limited and still very expensive. For my meal, I started with Local Prawns. The dish had a mixed flavor profile that did not work well together. The ingredients felt incongruent and the result was confusing rather than enjoyable. As a second starter, I tried the Gbejna & Pumpkin Tortelacci with whey, chutney and consommé. This dish was even more disappointing. It included a strange foam that had an odd taste. On top of that, the portion size was extremely small. I do understand that fine dining restaurants do not serve large portions, but receiving only three sad small pieces of tortellini for 23 euros felt unreasonable. For the main course, I ordered the Duck Breast with black garlic, mandarin, and confit leg. Unfortunately, the duck did not seem fresh, and the fat on the outside of the breast was not properly rendered. The dish lacked balance and quality. Another thing I noticed was that the restaurant was completely empty on a Friday evening. Considering its reputation and recent recognition in the Michelin Guide, this was quite surprising. It made me feel that I might not be the only person who thinks the restaurant does not live up to its hype. Overall, my experience at Grotto Tavern was very underwhelming. The prices are high, the portions are small, and the quality of the food did not justify the cost. I left feeling disappointed rather than impressed. Food: 2 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 4

Response from the owner a month ago

Thank you for sharing your experience. We would like to clarify that this review relates to a visit in March 2026, prior to the change of ownership and the complete transformation of Grotto Tavern. Since taking over, we have introduced an entirely new culinary direction, together with a new tasting menu, new service approach and a renewed vision for the restaurant. Grotto Tavern today is built around Maltese produce, local farmers and a farm-to-kitchen philosophy, with every element of the experience having been reconsidered and developed under the new team. We fully respect that this review reflects your experience at the time. However, as the restaurant has since undergone such significant changes, we hope our current and future guests will experience Grotto Tavern as it is today. We would love to welcome you back to experience the new Grotto Tavern as it is today.

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Anne Shirley 3 years ago on Restaurant Guru

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+356 2145 3258

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Mediterranean, European, International

€€€€ Price range per person €50

9/10/12 St Pauls Square

Rabat, Malta

Address

9/10/12 St Pauls Square, Rabat, Malta

Features

Outdoor seating Wheelchair accessible Сredit cards accepted Wi-Fi Parking Booking

Opening hours

SundaySun	Closed
MondayMon	6:30PM-8:30PM
TuesdayTue	6:30PM-8:30PM
WednesdayWed	6:30PM-8:30PM
ThursdayThu	6:30PM-8:30PM
FridayFri	12PM-2:30PM 6:30PM-8:30PM
SaturdaySat	6:30PM-8:30PM