Al Kasbah Malta: Lebanese, Middle Eastern mezze in St. Julian's
Lebanese, Middle Eastern mezze · St. Julian's, Malta
Our Review of Al Kasbah, St. Julian's
Food at Al Kasbah: 15/20
Thanks God the food is good here, and makes up for the problems with atmosphere, service, and wine listed below. Sort those out first and then move on to ordering food. As so often in Lebanese restaurants the mezze are the main event. The Muhammara (red pepper dip with walnuts and molasses) at €9 is utterly delicious, by far the best dish. The staples – Moutabal (smoked aubergine) straightforward hummus and baba ghanouj were all well executed and tasty at €9. I couldn't face the black hummus with white truffle, portobello mushrooms and beef – too many things in one dish I thought. But this may have been a mistake. Certainly you should order lots of the mezze because the main courses are small portions, particularly the lamb chops which while they cost €35 are so small I thought they'd brought a cocktail appetizer by mistake. A better bet is the slow cooked lamb which had well balanced Eastern flavours. Sides are extra. The Lebanese side salad which was good but needed a touch more mint. The side of grilled vegetables was disappointing.
Atmosphere at Al Kasbah: 6/10
Not quite there. I'm afraid this feels like an attempt to create an upmarket Lebanese restaurant that ran out of money. In the rather stark lighting, the all too obvious 'tinny' touches fail to hit home. Being in a hotel, the crowd is very much American tourist. We were asked if we "wanted to put the bill on our room," and, horror of horrors for a food critic "is this your first time eating Lebanese food?" I struggled not to say "actually this is about my 1000th time". The terrace outside is the lounge part, but be warned it is nearly as small as the portions.
Service at Al Kasbah: 5/10
Let's just say there is also more work to do here. I sometimes wonder if restaurants should be more like theatres and have a 'preview' period when prices are discounted so that punters are more tolerant. In a high quality, crowded market, restaurant "dress rehearsals" are not acceptable. Especially at these prices. The wine list appears currently to be a work of fiction. After trying to order a few wines on the list which they didn't actually have we had to go to the bar and look at what they did have. Just five whites – one was a screw top, another a basic Grillo and the only Lebanese white was €160 which seemed excessive. Indeed if the wine list ever becomes a reality there is no way Maltese customers are ever going to be happy paying these prices. The good wines all seemed to be over €200, some over €300. London prices won't work in Malta out of tourist season.
Cuisine
Lebanese, Middle Eastern mezze
Price Level
€€€€
Ratings
Al Kasbah — Frequently Asked Questions
What type of food does Al Kasbah serve?
Al Kasbah is a Lebanese, Middle Eastern mezze restaurant in St. Julian's, Malta.
How expensive is Al Kasbah?
Al Kasbah is rated €€€€ for price (on a scale of € to €€€€€).
Where is Al Kasbah in Malta?
Al Kasbah is located in St. Julian's, Malta at Ground Floor, Hard Rock Hotel Malta, St. George's Bay, St. Julian's, Malta.
Is Al Kasbah worth visiting?
Al Kasbah scored 26/40 in our independent Malta Guide review, covering food quality (15/20), atmosphere (6/10) and service (5/10).
Can I book a table at Al Kasbah online?
Yes, Al Kasbah accepts online reservations via their official website.