ION Harbour by Simon Rogan
Valletta, Malta
⭐2 Stars
The Experience
From Michelin Guide
On the sea front, on the fourth floor of Iniala Harbour House, one of the most elegant hotels in Malta, you’ll find impeccable service, a great view and truly special cuisine at ION Harbour. The kitchen is led by chef Simon Rogan, who holds Three Michelin Stars for his Lake District restaurant, L’Enclume, in the UK. Resident chef Oli Marlow offers complex dishes, using produce grown, reared or caught from the Maltese islands wherever possible, following the chef’s farm-to-fork philosophy.Our advice is to reserve one of the tables alongside the windows on the terrace (covered and heated in winter) to enjoy an even more spectacular view. The wine list is extraordinary, featuring around 500 bottles offered in various tasting journeys, as well as a wide selection available by the glass.
Unique Things
From Visitor Experiences
1. Innovative Use of Surplus Ingredients in Drinks
ION Harbour features a unique drinks list that creatively uses surplus ingredients from the kitchen, such as peels, stalks, and stems, turning what would be waste into distinctive beverages. This approach highlights sustainability and resourcefulness in their menu design.
2. Location with Spectacular Views
The restaurant is situated on the fourth floor of the Iniala Harbour House hotel, offering diners breathtaking panoramic views of Valletta’s Grand Harbour. This setting combines fine dining with an exceptional visual experience, making the location itself a unique aspect of the restaurant.
3. Hyperlocal and Terroir-Focused Cuisine
Simon Rogan’s menus at ION Harbour are deeply inspired by hyperlocal ingredients that are foraged, fished, or farmed by sustainable and ethical local producers in Malta. The restaurant emphasizes seasonality and the Mediterranean terroir, showcasing the abundant produce of the Maltese countryside and waters, including collaborations with local foragers and farms like Red Earth farm in Naxxar.
Ingredient Stars
From Visitor Experiences
The most honored or signature ingredients at ION Harbour by Simon Rogan in Valletta, Malta, reflect a strong focus on hyper-local, seasonal, and sustainable produce from the Maltese region. Key ingredients include:
Xemxun Cheese: A unique cheese made from local goat milk, developed in collaboration with local suppliers. It represents the restaurant’s commitment to showcasing indigenous dairy products in innovative ways.
Bidni Olive Oil: Produced from the indigenous Bidni olive variety, this monovarietal olive oil has a sophisticated terroir profile and is a distinctive Maltese agricultural product. It is used to enhance dishes with a unique local flavor.
Local Seafood: Given Malta’s Mediterranean location, fresh, sustainably sourced seafood is central to the menu, reflecting the island’s culinary identity and Simon Rogan’s signature style focused on the sea’s bounty.
Foraged Ingredients: The restaurant works closely with local foragers like Keith Abela and farms such as Red Earth in Naxxar to incorporate wild and farmed produce, emphasizing terroir-focused cuisine and the island’s natural abundance.
Seasonal Maltese Produce: The menu changes with the seasons to highlight the best of the Maltese countryside, including vegetables and herbs that are harvested at their peak to create vibrant, fresh dishes.
These ingredients are used in signature dishes such as the grilled salad, which exemplifies the Mediterranean influence and the restaurant’s ethos of celebrating local terroir and sustainability. Overall, ION Harbour’s cuisine is a refined expression of Malta’s unique agricultural and marine resources.