Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Stanley’s Chippy

  • Malta – Gozo – Victoria – Stanley’s Chippy (New Owners)

    I don’t often go to the same place twice when away as there are so many different locations to explore. However, the food at this fish and chip shop was excellent last year (2019 review of Stanley’s…..) so I thought that Liam might like to try it.

    We got to the cafe and something seemed wrong, the menu board at the side didn’t mention the fish and chips that the shop is noted for, but it was listed on the main menu board. It was clear that there were new owners and everything felt very different. The person who I think was the new owner came up to us and immediately said that they no longer serve fish and chips, but instead are a bistro with a range of freshly cooked meals which change on a regular basis.

    I wish the owner well, but we decided to leave and risked looking like stereotypical Brits abroad….. It transpired that the cafe had only been open under its new owner for around two hours when we walked out, so I hope he wasn’t too offended. He does need to rebrand though, the Stanley’s name needs to go and the menu boards need to be replaced if he’s switching the menu to something different. Although he might well make more money from reverting to the previous menu……

    So, onwards instead to the Black Cat cafe.

  • Gozo – Victoria – Stanley’s Chippy

    After visiting five museums and two cafes during the day, a fine dining experience awaited. Well, what I call fine dining, which was a very British fish and chip shop in the middle of Victoria. The restaurant (I’ll call it a restaurant, although it was something between a cafe, chip shop and restaurant) is in a beautiful location, situated in front of the Cathedral of the Assumption. It’s quite a small restaurant, just a handful of tables and a small kitchen area, but it was clean and comfortable.

    The drinks menu, very reasonably priced.

    The drink, a refreshing Fanta  🙂

    The large fish and chips, which is the restaurant’s signature dish, and which was well presented with everything at the appropriate temperature. The portion size was generous and it was well drained, so wasn’t at all greasy. The batter on the fish had a light and pleasant taste, with an rich flavour. The fish was light and it didn’t taste like cod, although I have no reason to suspect that it wasn’t. The chips were firm on the exterior and fluffy on the interior, with the mushy peas actually having a decent taste. It was all well above average, with the batter on the fish and the mushy peas being of a notable high standard.

    The service was near perfect, a rare level of friendliness and engagement from a staff member who seemed proud of what the restaurant offered. The whole service style was informal and down to earth, and I got the impression that a regular group of customers come here and that there’s a little community going on.

    This isn’t the restaurant that I would have expected in the location in which it’s sited, but I’m glad that it’s there. It had a welcoming feel to it, with the staff being pro-active and helpful. I felt comfortable whilst eating here and got the impression that the food would of been of a high standard across the entire menu. The restaurant doesn’t seem to want to pretend it’s something that it’s not, and the menu was compact and manageable. All rather lovely.