Dining at Sciacca Grill St. Julians: A Rollercoaster of Flavors

I recently had the chance to dine at Sciacca Grill St. Julians, and let me tell you, it was quite the experience. My first visit was during the midst of a pandemic and it was amazing. The restaurant was nearly empty and the service was great. The food was top-notch and I left feeling satisfied and impressed. However, my second visit was a different story.

After having such a wonderful experience during my first visit, I was eager to return to Sciacca Grill St. Julians. Unfortunately, my second visit was a bit of a disappointment. Although the service was still great, the food left much to be desired.

I informed the chef that I enjoy raw or near-to-raw food, such as carpaccio, blue or rare steaks, and raw seafood. Unfortunately, the starters were a huge disappointment. The octopus was gamy and lacked flavor, the scallops were overcooked and had a weird glaze that took away their natural taste, and the prawns (ta Malta) were cooked and became so hard that I couldn’t enjoy them.

For my main course, I ordered fish, which wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t restaurant quality. The taste and texture could easily have been achieved at home, and the presentation was nothing special. My husband ordered lamb, which was overcooked and lacked flavor. The only good things we had were the oysters and the trio of sausages.

Along with four cocktails and a bottle of water, the bill came to just over €210, which I felt could have been better spent at one of the other numerous restaurants on the island.

In conclusion, my experience at Sciacca Grill St. Julians was a bit of a rollercoaster. The first visit was amazing, but the second visit was a disappointment. The food didn’t live up to my expectations, but the service was still great. Would I go back again? Maybe, but it’s difficult to say. If you’re looking for a good seafood restaurant on the island, there are plenty of other options to choose from.