Interiors

July 18, 2024 – Published in Design & Decor Spring-Summer 2024 issue

Taste a year-round dining experience at The Phoenicia Malta’s Contessa

Photography: Sandor Venczel and Christine Darmanin

For gastronomes across the globe, the opportunity to dine in an eye-catching new culinary destination is unmissable – and the recently unveiled Contessa at The Phoenicia Malta offers guests exactly that. 

 

Contessa showcases this five-star hotel’s rich history, cultural significance, and legacy of extraordinary hospitality through both culinary and architectural innovation. Here, local and international guests can indulge in high-end Southern Mediterranean cuisine with a symphony of flavours, elevated by tableside theatre and signature dishes that ignite the senses. 

Contessa emerges from the cherished Phoenix restaurant at The Phoenicia Malta, transforming its popular Terrace into a lavish conservatory. 

This year-round dining space now offers guests the chance to revel in its mouth-watering menu while taking in uninterrupted views of Malta’s sunlit or starlit sky or across the hotel’s expansive gardens towards historic Valletta.

Embracing The Phoenicia Malta’s unique vision to present an exceptional guest experience, interior designer Michele O’Reilly from The House Shop led the project. “The brief was clear: create a flexible space for both day and night dining experiences, all year round and for private events, as desired. Plus, maximise the views, incorporate plenty of greenery, and create a seamless transition from the interior dining area onto the terrace,” she shares. “There’s a great sense of responsibility that comes with the privilege of being asked to create something of this calibre. Embarking on this design journey has been an incredible experience for us.” 

She drew inspiration from the property’s stone façade, selecting fabric with an orange-coloured, classic French Riviera stripe from Manuel Canovas to complement the sandy tones of the natural limestone of the arches that serve as a backdrop. With the contrast between pattern and texture playing a key role, Contessa reflects the warmth of Malta’s climate with reds and yellows, while evoking the hotel’s famous landscaped gardens with botanical elements and greenery. 

Basking in the diffused light of the timeless silhouettes of Louis Poulsen lamps, guests who crave a more private dining experience can still relish in the stunning panoramic views from the carefully positioned, outward-facing, and imposing circular booth-like banquettes.

A first-of-its-kind, state-of-the-art canopy system enables Contessa’s year-round experience, reveals O’Reilly. 

“The retractable clear-glazed canopy allows natural light to flood the space during the day, while providing protection from the elements when necessary. At night, the canopy can partially or fully close to create an intimate dining or club environment, complete with atmospheric lighting and music. During pleasant weather, bi-folding glass doors and guillotine windows can open up the space, allowing guests to move freely between the two areas.”

Named in homage to one of the co-founders of The Phoenicia Malta, Countess Strickland, Contessa and its stunning conservatory mark the next chapter in the story of a five-star property that opened its doors in 1947 and, today, remains an architectural jewel, a beacon of timeless elegance, and a pioneer of culinary innovation. 

Discover the exciting dining experience that awaits at Contessa, and book your table today for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner on +356 2122 5241 or contessa@phoeniciamalta.com

www.phoeniciamalta.com/contessa

The Phoenicia Malta, The Mall, Floriana

info@phoeniciamalta.com 

www.phoeniciamalta.com