Thoughts and happenings from a life on Malta

Location, location, location – the cry of real estate agents worldwide. If Cafe Delos has nothing else going for it, it surely can’t be faulted on its location.

Think St Paul’s Island…Selmun…Mistra Bay…the coastal walk connecting St Paul’s Bay, Bugibba and Qawra…Gozo in the distance. All this visual delight is painted on the glass canvas of Cafe Delos’spanoramic windows, one floor above the flow and ebb of promenade life. Another glass wall looks onto the pool area, part of the Dolmen Hotel complex this coffee shop blongs to.

The downside for those suffering from sweet-tooth syndrome is the limited, and unexciting, selection of cakes, many of which share the same hard crust for a base. The saving grace is the baci cake, rich in nuts drowning under a thick dollop of Nutella. Today, however, its blandness disappoints me.

Whatever the season, this is the place for the most sinful of ‘kisses’ and seductive of views.

In an earlier post (A Simple Pleasure), I referred to Caffe Portomaso as one of my favourite coffee places. Although one can also have a meal there, I haven’t done so and will therefore restrict my comments to the cafe aspect.

One of the reasons I’m drawn to Caffe Portomaso is because with three of its four walls being constructed entirely of glass, it’s suffused with natural light. Thus, even when sitting inside, it’s just like being outside on the spacious terrace.

Then, for those with a sweet tooth like myself, there’s the interesting selection of cakes to compliment a cappuccino or pot of tea. One of my favourites is the carrot cake, although anything which contains chocolate usually offers stiff competition to it.

Finally, the price. €5 for coffee and cake is pretty reasonable, all the more so when taking into consideration the availability of free wi-fi.