Ta' Marija Restaurant - Maltese Speciality Restaurant

info@tamarija.com

Constitution Street, Mosta

Tel: +356 2143 4444

The Muscat Family

Ben Muscat

As a young graduate of The Northern Polytechnic in London, Benny soon took the plunge in the leisure industry in 1964 by taking over a bar in Mosta. Together with his then partner, Joe Scicluna, he converted it into The Whisper Knightclub, a steakhouse and entertainment venue that was renowned by many as “THE” place to be at the time. Frequented by locals but also popular with the British and Nato officers, the place was a hive of activity and Benny remembers “We had to keep a strict door policy as The Whisper became crowded at the early hours of the evening... our closing hours kept on extending till early morning hours.”

In 1990, Benny and his lovely wife Marija decided to combine their culinary and entertainment skills to convert the place into Ta' Marija, which literally translated means “at Maria’s” or in French “Chez Marie” welcoming patrons into the heart of the Maltese home. Ta' Marija soon became and remains a foremost exponent of Maltese cuisine serving a variety of traditional meals and becoming a platform for local artists’ talent, with renowned friendly Maltese hospitality at its best.

Benny, Marija and Ben Jr.

When visiting the restaurant today you will invariably find Benny with his Chef Patron apron and “I love Cooking and Arsenal” chef’s hat in the open layout kitchen. Benny will proudly present his own (and quite famous) olives and sun dried tomatoes to his regular guests!

Marija Muscat

Marija is not merely the woman behind the man. She is the face of the restaurant which proudly carries her name. With an ever ready smile, and exuding Maltese beauty, warmth and charisma Marija is the hostess extraordinaire, comparing most shows in English, French and German. Marija is currently also learning Spanish.

Ben Muscat Jr.

From an early age, Ben used to help his parents in the Whisper days, from the bar “at the age of 10 I was already preparing Margheritas to the guest’s amazement” … to the kitchen and finally in the restaurant particularly where the finances were concerned! In fact, Ben qualified as a chartered accountant in London and experienced an international career in the finance world with a major accountancy firm.

"At the age of 31 I came to a crossroad where, although enjoying life in London, I decided to return to my roots in Malta."

Ben took over the operation of the restaurant from his parents in 2003 and quickly got to work to consolidate his parent's experience and ideals, and encapsulate them into a modern framework of management style.

Today Benny, Marija and Ben Jr. work together as a family and team with their staff to present a warm and friendly Maltese dining experience.