About one80 Valletta
Six years after our first restaurant was opened, one80 comes home to the island’s capital city. The one80 name was originally inspired by the view of the majestic Grand Harbour from the Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta, so it is only right that our city-centre outlet is where we’re truly refining the one80 concept.
We’re combining all the right ingredients to develop a fresh concept for our most intimate restaurant yet. A rustic menu highlights the freshness and flavour of our dishes, inspired by Mediterranean staples with Asian and Middle Eastern influences. The result? A colourful explosion of flavour with every bite. For drinks, browse through our wine library to find your perfect pairing.
Open day and night, one80 ‘Tal-Belt’ subtly shifts to match the mood; its warm-neutral interiors are the perfect setting for laidback lunches, elevated casual evenings and jubilant celebratory dinners. A private room downstairs is also available for business lunches and events.
Inspired by the beauty of Valletta, local art prevails throughout the restaurant, both on the plate and the walls. Local artist Darren Tanti’s hand-painted portraits provide a glimpse into the lives of contemporary Maltese society, while the green walls reflect the city’s traditional Maltese balconies. You may even note the mix of classical and modern Maltese and Italian songs filling the room as you dine.
This outlet marks a new Chapter in the one80 story, but the high-level quality experience remains the same.
Ryan Vella
Head Chef
Head Chef Ryan Vella leads the way at one80 tal-Belt, with every dish being one that he truly loves. Ryan discovered his passion for cooking while working as a waiter during his student years. He went on to attend culinary school and was offered a position to lend a helping hand in the kitchen. It was not long before Ryan moved overseas to further his experience, learning from leading chefs such as Tom Kerridge at The Hand and Flowers in the U.K., and spending six months cooking at L’enclume, located in Cartmel within the Lake District.
Ryan’s ethos is simple – he likes to cook food that is not too refined, but still looks and tastes good. For him, flavour is the most important factor to consider and his menus often combine a mix of Asian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavours. As a starting point, Ryan looks for fresh and local ingredients before adding his creative flair into the mix.
Our chef’s favourite hobby, unsurprisingly, is cooking. He finds inspiration from books and chefs like Tom Kerridge, Yotam Ottolenghi and Greg Malouf.
Thomas Muscat
Restaurant Manager
Being bubbly and sociable by nature, Thomas found his perfect match in the hospitality industry. He enrolled in a Food & Beverage Service course from the Institute of Tourism Studies to pursue his passion and was always fascinated by mixology and the restaurant environment. Interacting with guests and listening to customers comes naturally to Thomas, who went on to gain experience in the hotel industry abroad. Working his way up from entry-level positions to Restaurant Manager, Thomas has sharpened his knowledge by working with people from different cultures and backgrounds and learning more about wines, spirits, service, purchasing and costing control!
For Thomas, every day on the job is different and that is what excites him most about his work. Meeting different clients daily, surprises can pop up around every corner. Thomas is always up for a challenge and loves satisfying client demands and creating tailored solutions for specific requests – he thrives on guest satisfaction. But in his spare time, Thomas enjoys winding down with family and friends or getting his hands dirty working on his cars in the garage!
History of Palazzo Spinola
Built at the time of the founding of Valletta, it was occupied by several notable members of the Spinola family, including Fra’ Giovanni Battista Spinola de Villaroel, Fra’ Paolo Raffaele, and Fra’ Gio Batta Spinola, all of whom were prominent members of the Order of St John.
In the first half of the 18th Century, the Marquis Testaferrata of San Vincenzo Ferreri acquired the palace from Marquis Carlo Spinola.
Eventually, the palace was divided into three portions, one part of which, with its entrance on Christopher Street, was, in 1922, rebuilt into a block of apartments – at the time among the finest in Valletta. The apartments remained occupied by sitting tenants as a result of the negative effect of the Second World War and controlled rent laws, and they finally fell into disrepair.
An extensive restoration campaign by the de Petri Testaferrata group resulted in this portion of Palazzo Spinola being successfully converted into a luxury business centre. This includes a deluxe restaurant on the ground floor, managed by the one80 group. Individual suites now house a good mix of high-level private and governmental entities, all of which enjoy the services that this magnificent portered block can offer in the very heart of Valletta.
The remaining two portions of the Palazzo Spinola, one fronting Frederick Street, and the other fronting Republic Street, are now also fully restored and occupied by Lombard Bank as their head office.
Paintings series displayed at one80 St. Christopher Street, Valletta
by Darren Tanti
The artworks presented at one80 Valletta are inspired by the elegant design featured within the restaurant. The motif of traditional Maltese architecture features, together with the serene pastel palette that permeates the environment, inspired the artist to create a collection of paintings that celebrates elegance, beauty and the good life.
The paintings feature contemporary Maltese women inviting the patrons to enjoy the experience at our restairant with a subtle smile, taking selfies in stylish attires or else with ageless youthful beauty.
Darren Tanti
Artist
Darren Tanti (1987) is an artist renowned for his thematically loaded and technically accomplished paintings. His focus is hyperreality and the integration of the digital into explorative painting techniques. Tanti has participated in numerous art projects and exhibitions in international contexts. Some of the most prestigious exhibitions that Tanti participated in are the 15th edition of the ‘Biennial of young artists from Europe and Mediterranean’ held in Thessaloniki in 2011, ‘Time, Space, Existence’ at the Venice Biennale of Architecture in 2014, through AP and ‘HomoMelitensis’ as one of the artists representing Malta in the Venice Biennale of Art, 2017. Tanti has also participated in all the editions of the prestigious Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale.
Apart from the different awards received, Tanti has won ‘Divergent Thinkers 2’ (national art competition whose aim is to discover original/lateral approaches to art) and he was shortlisted for ‘The Commonwealth Young Achievers Award, 2015’. One can find artworks by Tanti in the National Collection of Art in MUZA and The Embassy of the Republic of Malta in Washington D.C.
