Cafe Del Mar

I have only had the opportunity to visit Café Del Mar on one occasion. However, it is one the most beautiful lidos I have ever seen. We visited on a Sunday evening but not during a particular event, as normally, these events can be quite pricey.

I didn’t quite know what to expect as the area surrounding the National Aquarium seemed very ‘basic’ for want of a better word. However, Café Del Mar is a hidden away treasure that is location behind the Aquarium and overlooks the water front at St Paul’s Bay.

Café Del Mar was opened in 2013, making this establishment still relatively new and somewhat innovative. It offers its visitors some of the most amazing views of the water at St Paul’s Bay and has been home to the sighting of some of the best sunsets in Malta. Café Del Mar forms part of the National Aquarium and offers its visitors the chance to relax, swim, eat, drink and party – with something different to do at a different point during the day.

The venue itself caters for all with many facilities. It offers;

• Infinity Pool

• Restaurant Facilities

• VIP Terrace Area

• 500 sun-loungers including VIP

• Lounge and Sofa Area

• Parking for approximately 160 cars

• Complimentary parking

• Access for all

• A La Carte Menu

• Cocktails

• Sea View

• Free Wifi

The venue has a little something for everyone to enjoy, but we were going to Café Del Mar to experience the great music and taste some of their well-known cocktails.

As our journey would take us around an hour to arrive there, we knew that we had to set off in plenty of time. We arrived at Café Del Mar at around 7pm, with its doors due to close that evening at around midnight.

It was already incredibly packed by the time we arrived, not surprising as the venue itself is absolutely gorgeous. Stark white was the only colour (besides the blue waters of the sea and pools) to be seen, making this place seem very exclusive. We all felt very much underdressed for the occasion, as the venue is also somewhat reminiscent to that of Ocean Beach Club in Ibiza.

A DJ was playing in the raised booth that overlooked the water-front and was playing some beautifully intertwined remixes of Jazz and House music, with some added beats of Electronic and Dance waves throughout.

We headed straight for the bar to which we found a menu that was calling our name. The cocktail menu is not too extensive, and each cocktail would cost you around €8. Not bad for a place of this caliber and grandeur. I was expecting upward prices of €10+.

I opted for a classic mojito, one of my cult favourites as it is highly refreshing.

Having previously worked in a bar, I know how a well-made cocktail should be prepared. The bar man had come to inform (jokingly) that he hates making mojitos. I on the other hand, used to love making them as the garnish involved with them, made them look beautiful. Or so I hoped.

I received minimal mint and a garnish of a wedge of lime. I was slightly disappointed as I was expecting something slightly more aesthetically pleasing and he definitely rushed our order. Granted, the bar was busy, but it is all about the customer experience, especially when making cocktails as they are very visual.

We took our drinks and headed to the top lounger area of the venue where we sprawled across an incredibly comfortable lounger-bed. We were surprised that we could score one of these beds as the venue was absolutely packed by this point.

Everyone seemed to be dressed in some of their best party attire, as they flocked to the DJ stage beneath us. We wanted to take in the views of the sunset and the water before heading downstairs, so we enjoyed the music from afar and began talking to some of the people around us.

The people seemed in very good spirits and we were able to get to know some great people who all had a very interesting story to tell. That is one of the great things about travelling, that you can speak to people whom you would never normally have the chance to do so and hear some of the most amazing stories from their lives.

As the sun was setting, the phones were rising as everyone wanted to capture a snap of the beautiful view that would soon surround the entire water front.

We took the opportunity to get some great shots of St Paul’s and the venue itself and then once the sun had set, we moved towards the dance floor.

The music was blaring, and the smoke machine was roaring. The entire atmosphere was wonderful, and it made for a great evening. It was nice to actually be able to move at this venue, as opposed to the confines of Paceville’s clubs.

We headed back over to the bar where I wanted to try something a little different. I opted for a Raspberry Margarita, which was incredibly refreshing. The bitterness of the Tequila was balanced beautifully with the tangy raspberry and sweet and sour mix. It made for a beautiful cocktail, that costed €8.45.

Our original plan was to stay until the last bus, which was at 10:30pm. However, we were having such a good night, that we decided to stay until the end of the event and simply get a taxi home. As we were quite far from home, we thought that this would have been a costly journey, however, it only cost us €5 each in order to get home. We did have to wait around 30 minutes for a taxi to arrive, but this gave us time to order some food at the local truck offering some form of fast food.

Café Del Mar is not just open on a Sunday for some great events, but they have events running throughout the week which all look very appealing. Some are free entry, others there are a cost, so it depends on what type of event one is looking for.

I would seriously recommend trying this place, whether it be during the day or night, as there will always be something on offer, and the views – lets just say you wont be disappointed.