Bus Bingo Episode 3: Dingli, Great Chicken And A #ScenicSunday
We’re 3 episodes deep in this epic adventure, but if you don’t know the rules of Bus Bingo, you can get yourself up to speed here. Basically, I just go to the Bieb il-Bombi bus stop and get on the first bus that comes, no matter where it’s going.
I still get mega nervous when I get to Bombi as if the next bus could take me to another dimension where bad things happen to good people. But today, fate had determined that my journey would, in fact, take me to Dingli.
2018: A Bus Odyssey
Having successfully averted travelling to another dimension, I settled down on the bus with my adventure partner and googled Dingli attractions. I mean, obviously there are the cliffs, but (as is standard as soon as I leave my house) I was hungry, so that needed to be dealt with as a priority.
One place that kept coming up in our search was Diar Il-Bniet, so we decided to skip the self explanatory “The Cliffs” restaurant in favour of this more mysteriously-titled eatery. Who knows? Perhaps it was a gateway to another dimension (although with that name, a potentially questionable one).
I’ve found food heaven and I’m not leaving
I was all prepared to describe this restaurant as a “hidden gem”, but after seeing how busy it was, I don’t think “hidden” would have been accurate. It appears everyone knows about this place, and from the looks of things, we were not going to get a table.
I spoke to the lovely lady behind the counter who didn’t bat an eyelid at how presumptuous it was of us to show up at 1pm on Sunday and expect to get a table. It took her a few minutes, some complex trigonometry and a couple of staff huddles, but she kindly managed to figure out a way to squeeze us in.
We were served promptly and I ordered the roast chicken (those who remember the carnage of Episode 1 will know that there’s not much I won’t do for roast chicken), and some of their homemade lemonade – which was amazing, btw.
I looked around and instantly fell in love with the place. Everything down to the last detail has had so much thought put into it. It has a homely, farmhouse feel, but with touches of quality everywhere. It feels totally down to earth, like I could come in here hungover, reeking of bad decisions and not be judged – but at the same time, it’s completely 5 star.
I watched the smartly-dressed and slightly sweaty chefs buzzing around in the open kitchen, managing not to swear despite the heavy workload. The waitresses were relaxed but attentive, and not being verbally abused by the manager in front of customers (a refreshing change from what I see all too often – don’t take that shit from anyone guys, I promise they need you more than you need them).
The chicken was out of this world and the portion size wasn’t too big, so I didn’t have to discreetly undo the top button of my jeans to avoid getting gangrene in the lower half of my body, which is always a bonus. My adventure partner had the lasagna which was polished off in its entirety too.
As if this delight couldn’t get any better, the restaurant also has a little shop section selling homemade, organic treats. I mean, I literally could go on and on and on about this place. I want to marry it. Anyway, I’m going to stop gushing and just recommend that you go. You won’t regret it.
Romance is alive and well in Malta
Now, what better place to walk-off a chicken than Dingli? We left the beautiful Diar Il-Bniet and headed towards the cliffs for a leisurely Sunday stroll. I’m not sure exactly when I became the kind of person who goes for “leisurely strolls”, but I’m pretending that it is not a reflection of the rate of acceleration I seem to be going through my thirties.
The views were spectacular as always, and the paths were dotted with families and couples enjoying what was left of the weekend. I even saw an older gentleman pick a flower from the grass and offer it to his lady-friend. Of course, this made me all emotional and led me to ask my adventure partner why the last thing he gave me was a short yet enthusiastic lecture on how to wash Tupperware correctly. But love comes in many forms, as do our Bus Bingo adventures – and the next one has its work cut out if it’s going to beat today.
Notes:
- Don’t go too close to the edge, those cliffs are fucking high
- When faced with a choice, always choose chicken
- Don’t ever stop picking flowers for your favourite person