"Two vaulted 17th-century magazines carved into Mdina's bastion walls — the most atmospheric room in the city."
Bacchus occupies two vaulted chambers built into the bastion walls beneath Greek's Gate, originally constructed as gunpowder magazines for the Knights of Malta. The stone is bare, the lighting candle-low, and the two vaults seat approximately eighty across the full room. The setting is one of the most architecturally distinctive in Malta.
The kitchen cooks a confident Mediterranean menu with Maltese accents. Signatures include a slow-braised rabbit in red wine (the national dish, correctly executed), grilled swordfish with caper berries and local tomato, and a traditional stuffat tal-fenek that is among the best in the country. The pasta is house-made; the bragioli (stuffed beef olives) is a long-standing signature.
Wine list is short but thoughtful with good Maltese representation and a selection of Sicilian and southern Italian bottles. The house wine is a local Delicata blend and is better than expected.
Service is Maltese-warm rather than formal. Reservations advisable, particularly on weekend evenings and during festival periods.
For a proposal or an atmospheric first date, the back vault at Bacchus is extraordinary. Request it specifically. The sound dampening of the stone walls and the candlelight produce an atmosphere no modern room can replicate.
Proposed in the back vault. The rabbit course was timed perfectly. Our reaction was louder than the room. Nobody minded.
The stone vaults and slow-cooked rabbit made the case for Mdina as a date destination. We booked a second dinner two nights later.