Commando

The story

Commando Restaurant in Mellieħa, Malta – Michelin Bib Gourmand French-Mediterranean Cuisine

Commando Restaurant – Mellieħa, Malta

Commando sits along the winding road that leads from the village of Mellieħa, through the lush valley, down to Ghadira Bay. The restaurant occupies a tastefully restored 300-year-old building, its cosy charm inherited from the original stone walls and enhanced by a non-invasive, elegant décor. The name itself traces back to the wartime 1930s, when the building first became a place of gathering and sustenance.

The kitchen is led by Head Chef Daniel Vella McIntyre, who joined as sous chef in the early days and now orchestrates a small, tightly coordinated team. “Like a finely-crafted timepiece,” the restaurant’s own description reads, and the precision shows. Sous Chefs Jacob Oliver Busuttil and Thomas Stellini bring experience from De Mondion and a talent for baking respectively, with Thomas responsible for the irresistible bread aroma that drifts through the dining room each morning. Front of house is managed by co-owner Rossana Ciappara, whose warm smile has been a constant since she was the restaurant’s first hostess, and Zach Field, a Mellieħa native who moved from the kitchen to hospitality.

The menu balances tradition and experimentation, drawing on French technique and Mediterranean ingredients. Starters include a foie gras and chicken liver pâté with orange marmalade and laminated brioche, or grilled local octopus with lardo di colonnata, pine nuts, and caponata. Pasta courses feature a ‘Carbonara’ scarpinocc with guanciale and egg yolk, and local red prawn and sea bass tortellini in a prawn bisque. Main courses range from wild sea bass with ratatouille and vadouvan-mussel butter sauce to grain-fed beef rib eye with caramelized onion purée and pepper sauce. Desserts lean classic: Madagascar vanilla crème brûlée, a lemon ‘cheesecake’ with shortbread and meringue, and a dark chocolate delice with pistachio brownie.

In 2026, Commando earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand for the seventh consecutive year, placing it among just five restaurants in the Maltese Islands with that distinction. The award highlights good quality, good value cooking – a promise the team delivers nightly, from Tuesday to Saturday dinner and Sunday lunch. Whether seated indoors or on the outdoor terrace, guests experience a kitchen that runs with quiet confidence, turning out refined French-Mediterranean dishes without pretence.