Right in the centre of all this we found Ole Ole Tapas Restaurant. A tranquil Spanish taverna which reminded me so much of Jerez. It was owned by Spanish people, and filled with Spanish people. It was just what we were looking for when we arrived. A meal for the two of us, including two bottles of wine barely scraped 35 euros – a bargain really. Especially considering below, is not even half of what we ate.
We nestled ourselves in to our seats with an Olympic speed gulping of red wine and a mouthwatering bowl of hot, grilled chorizo in a paprika and red wine sauce. It was simple and rustic but good quality and well flavoured – it went perfectly for dipping our hot bread in to afterwards as well.
Presentation was not at the forefront of Ole Ole’s mind and was still very stuck in the 80’s. A small plate of ham and cheese croquettes were not at all offensive but lacked in real deep flavour and the breadcrumbs were a little cheap and simple. Still it served its purpose of a little Spain in Malta.
Stuffed mussels with cheese and green peppers coated in more of those packet resembling golden breadcrumbs were gone in a flash, and actually (despite the breadcrumbs) were delicious. The smell seeping from the sides of the shell really was a giveaway – it definitely taught me not to judge a plate of food by its appearance.
Patatas bravas were fluffy inside but anemic, and had little to no flavour. The bravas sauce was also much too thin and had a potent vinegar taste – these needed a lot of work. Perhaps besides a full bodied red you’d maybe not notice – but i certainly was not satisfied.
I really had to adjust my scoring a little in Malta. They have a different aspect on food and i had to rate it, as if i were Maltese. And that said, i wasn’t blown away by any restaurant on my travel – but instead pleasantly surprised. Yet Ole Ole did have one great thing to offer – a delicious home made tortilla. Seasoned to perfection and gooey on the inside. It may not look it, but it was heavenly.
All the food here is very simple, and while the restaurant applaudes their paella’s, i never got round to trying it. A plate of fresh oranges were topped with brown sugar, coffee, and a lot of Tia Maria. It was refreshing, yet i left feeling though i’d consumed a whole bottle of the liquor – it was my kind of dessert.
We finished our meal with yet another bottle of local Maltese red. And while it won’t be winning any awards anytime soon at 8 euros a bottle – it certainly had its charms. Ole Ole was so typical of what i remember of Jerez. Simple, old fashioned and rustic – yet they still have their charm. I wouldn’t come back to Ole Ole, but for Bugibba its far cry from the full english breakfasts and roast dinners on offer, because in 2014 – are brits really still that scared of foreign foods?
5/10
