L'escargot, Mellieha, Malta

Names can be deceptive!

Last year, I discovered such a friendly and bargainous restaurant in Mellieha and this year, I simply had to go back en route to the beach! I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the name, but fear not veggies and fussy eaters, there are NO SNAILS here, just good old 'normal' food. By normal, I mean an extensive collection of sandwiches at a purse- friendly 2-3.50 Euro, burgers, pasta and desserts. All the sandwiches are served with a splendid salad; none of your boring British-style salad but featuring butterbeans and kidney beans to add some substance.

TIP: ask for 'ftira' instead of a normal baguette. This is traditional Maltese bread and is beautiful! I wish they sold it in the UK, it would be heavenly with cheese 'n' pickle.

I have also sampled the Penne Arrabiata here and that met my rigorous standards for spiciness. The coffee is both potent and good value!

My only complaint about the restaurant is that they only have 1 toilet and that is situated very close to the bar- no good if there's a queue! However, the friendly staff, good atmosphere and tasty snacks more than make up for this little quibble.