Ta' Tona

Ta' Tona sits in Mġarr, Gozo, a stone's throw from where the ferry from Malta docks, which makes it an easy first or last meal of a day on the island. Behind a stone front with its name above the entrance, a covered terrace with glass sides adds outdoor tables to the dining room inside. The cooking is local and Mediterranean, built on Gozitan produce and old island recipes, and the menu leans hard towards the sea. For other options in the harbour village, see our page on restaurants in Għajnsielem.

Seafood starters and sharing plates

Raw fish leads the list. The crudo misto changes daily with the catch, costs €23.90 and is worth asking about, and Gillardeau oysters with lemon, Tabasco and seaweed are €4.90 each. Raw local prawns come with avocado and caviar at €21.90. From the stove there is Gozitan aljotta, the traditional fish soup, at €12.90, whitebait fish cakes with citrus herbs and house tartare at €15.90, mussels in white wine, garlic and lemon zest at €14.90, fried calamari with courgette at €15.90 and grilled baby calamari with garlic and basil at €16.90.

For two, a mixed shellfish plate of mussels, clams, grilled local prawns and baby calamari costs €32.90, and a fish platter of grilled and fried calamari with fried local prawns costs €30.90. Away from the sea, there is a salami and cheese board for two at €29.90, burrata with Parma ham, pesto and dried fig at €14.90, and baked brie with local honey, Parma ham and walnuts at €15.90.

Pasta, meat and the catch

Pasta is listed at two prices per dish. Garganelli al Gozitano brings local sausage, aubergine, olives and peppered Gozitan cheese together in tomato sauce at €15.90 or €18.90, and the homemade ravioli are filled with local sheep's cheese at €14.90 or €17.90. Seafood pastas include linguine with cuttlefish ink, linguine vongole and a frutti di mare, and paccheri with local prawns and pistachio pesto costs €18.90 or €21.90. A wild mushroom and truffle risotto is the vegetarian choice, and gluten-free pasta can be ordered.

Every main comes with vegetables and potatoes. Black Angus beef appears as a charcoal-grilled tagliata at €29.90, a rib-eye at €32.90 and a pan-fried fillet at €33.90, each with mushroom, pepper or Gorgonzola sauce, while the surf 'n' turf pairs fillet with local prawns at €39.90. Braised lamb shank with port and Marsala costs €28.90, duck breast with wild berries €26.90 and a chicken roulade with brie and Parma ham €24.90. From the sea come grilled local swordfish at €24.90, octopus with pancetta and tomatoes at €28.90 and a fish platter for two as a main at €66.90; fresh fish of the day is priced by type and weight, and local king prawns at market price. Stuffed courgette with ratatouille, at €19.90, is the vegan main. Simpler plates such as butter pasta at €6.90 and breaded chicken strips with chips at €12.90 suit children.

Wine and drinks

The wine list is long and serious, with sparkling wines and Champagne up to Dom Pérignon, a strong showing of Gozitan and Maltese labels from producers such as Marsovin, Delicata, Meridiana and Ta' Betta, and bottles from Sicily, Piedmont, Tuscany, France, South Africa, Lebanon and New Zealand. Several wines come by the glass, kept on preservation systems. At the bar, cocktails such as an Aperol Spritz or Negroni cost €7.90, local Gaulos gin is €4.90, Cisk lager is €2.90, and Lord Chambray craft beers are €5.90. To finish, there are grappas, Italian liqueurs and single malts.

Around Għajnsielem and Mġarr

Għajnsielem, whose name means Spring of Peace, covers the south-eastern corner of Gozo, takes in Mġarr Harbour and Fort Chambray, and also includes the whole of Comino. The village's neo-gothic Our Lady of Loreto Parish Church is about 650 metres away. Neighbouring Nadur has the Basilica of St Peter and St Paul, about 1.4 km away, and Ta' Kenuna Tower, about 1.6 km away, a semaphore tower the British built on the cliffs in 1848 and restored in 2005.

For a swim, Ħondoq ir-Rummien, about 2.3 km away below Qala, is a small cove with deep clear water, sea-level caves and a little sandy beach facing Comino, and Mġarr ix-Xini, also about 2.3 km away, is a bay set in a gorge, guarded by the largest of the Knights' coastal towers on Gozo. Our Gozo guide and our list of hotels in Gozo help plan the rest of the trip.

Booking and nearby

Ta' Tona takes reservations by phone, and allergies or intolerances should be mentioned to your host before you order. If you are touring the island, our page on seafood restaurants has more fish kitchens, and Country Terrace in the same village and Ta' Vestru in nearby Qala are good alternatives. To ask about a table, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to the restaurant.