ION Harbour by Simon Rogan

ION Harbour by Simon Rogan: two Michelin stars in the Grand Harbour of Valletta

ION Harbour is Simon Rogan's first restaurant in the Mediterranean and the only one in Malta with two Michelin stars. It is located on the fourth floor of the Iniala Valletta hotel, on St Barbara Bastion, overlooking the Grand Harbour and the historic Three Cities of Cospicua, Vittoriosa and Senglea. Its approach revolves around seasonality and local produce, with a menu that changes continuously.

Seasonal, locally sourced cuisine

The restaurant follows the ethos of Simon Rogan, a pioneer of the farm-to-table movement, with hyper-local ingredients harvested, fished or foraged by regional producers selected for their sustainability. The team works with suppliers and growers who are committed to the environment and to their craft. The offering includes a multi-course tasting menu for lunch and dinner, and a shorter tasting menu for lunch. The wine list is complemented by a drinks list that makes use of kitchen surplus such as peels, stalks and stems.

Experiences at sea

ION at Sea brings Simon Rogan's culinary philosophy to the water through dining experiences on board luxury yachts, which travel along the Maltese coast and combine seasonal cuisine with the marine environment.

Team and leadership

Simon Rogan, chef patron, is recognised as one of the pioneers of farm-to-table. In 2002 he opened his first restaurant, L'Enclume, in the village of Cartmel in the British Lake District, focusing on hyper-local and seasonal ingredients. L'Enclume holds three Michelin stars, five AA Rosettes and the UK's leading position in La Liste. Rogan has developed his own sustainable farm, Our Farm, and is chef patron of nine award-winning restaurants in London, the Lake District, Malta and Hong Kong. In 2021 he received the Michelin Green Star at L'Enclume and at Roganic Hong Kong. Following a four-hands dinner at ION Harbour in October 2022, he took over the restaurant and brought his style of cooking to Valletta. He has also opened a version of Aulis at Iniala Beach House in Thailand, which earned a Michelin star in less than a year.

Oli Marlow is the executive chef. He began working with Simon Rogan in 2012 as chef de partie at the then pop-up Roganic, which he later led to a Michelin star upon its permanent return in 2017. Before returning to Roganic, he worked at three-Michelin-starred restaurants such as Eleven Madison Park in New York, Maaemo in Oslo and The Fat Duck in Bray. In 2019 he took on the role of executive chef at Roganic Hong Kong, which received a Michelin star less than ten months after opening and also a Green Star. He is executive chef of ION Harbour, which opened in 2023 and was awarded two Michelin stars in 2024, and of Aulis Phuket, which opened at the end of 2023 and was awarded a Michelin star in 2024.

Christian Cali is the head chef. Born in Milan and raised in Sicily, he comes from a family with a bakery and has experience in one- and two-Michelin-starred kitchens in Barcelona, Malta and Dubai. He rejoined the team in 2023, when Simon Rogan took over ION Harbour, with the aim of consolidating the farm-to-table philosophy in the Maltese hospitality scene. He promotes the use of native, seasonal and local produce, and works in connection with local fishermen, farmers, communities and artisans. His work coincided with the historic achievement of ION Harbour becoming the first restaurant in Malta to obtain two Michelin stars.

Bartek Roslon is sous chef. Of Polish origin, he began his culinary career in 2012 in the UK, where he worked in kitchens in London, Cardiff and Manchester and took part in the opening of two notable restaurants. He settled in Malta after a trip in 2018 and in 2020 joined the Hyatt team for its grand opening on the island. In June 2021 he started at ION Harbour as chef de partie and within six months was promoted to sous chef. He is inspired by Simon Rogan's farm-to-table philosophy and by learning alongside chefs such as Simon and Oli.

Keith Abela is the head of sustainability. He comes from a family of farmers and fishermen in northern Malta and has dedicated his career to cultivating and using local produce. He began at the age of 13 in a hotel kitchen and worked in renowned kitchens such as The Grand in the UK, under the Roux brothers, where he adopted hyper-local cuisine. Back in Malta, he established a restaurant focused on locally sourced ingredients, often from his own garden, and began teaching food science and preservation at a local training centre. At ION Harbour he connects the restaurant with local suppliers, develops products such as Xemxun cheese, made with local goat's milk, and repurposes surplus into kombuchas, syrups and other preparations, in line with Simon's zero-waste ethos. He also leads foraging trips to discover unique ingredients and collaborates with NGOs to protect indigenous species.

James Christie has been the restaurant manager since it opened. He previously worked as head sommelier at Locatelli in Cyprus, where he gained experience in luxury hospitality and in hotel restaurant service. Maltese, he has developed much of his career on the island and has held management positions in various restaurants. Eszter Fodor, from Budapest, is assistant restaurant manager and has experience in boutique hotels and luxury properties.

The founder and the Iniala setting

Mark Weingard is the founder. A self-made entrepreneur and investor, he was a pioneer in the fintech sector and in 2013 moved into hospitality and real estate with the opening of Iniala Beach House in Thailand. The Iniala brand later expanded to Malta with Iniala Harbour House and ION Harbour, as well as a luxury villa project in Barcelona. Weingard is also a philanthropist: in 2003 he founded the Inspirasia Foundation, which has allocated more than 15 million dollars to charitable causes. In Malta he created the Academy of Givers, a membership organisation that promotes philanthropy and corporate social responsibility, and the Malta Social Impact Awards, which evolved into the television programme Changemakers. He holds a first-class honours degree in Economics and Statistics from the University of London.

Iniala Valletta, the hotel that houses the restaurant, occupies several renovated townhouses and palazzos, along with their underground vaults, and holds two Michelin Keys. In addition to ION Harbour, it has a state-of-the-art gym and an underground spa.

Awards

ION Harbour opened in 2023 and in 2024 obtained two Michelin stars, becoming the first restaurant in Malta to achieve that distinction. The restaurant is part of Simon Rogan's portfolio, which includes nine award-winning establishments in London, the Lake District, Malta and Hong Kong.

Location and contact

Phone: +356 9911 0166 · Email: dine@ionharbour.com · Hours: Friday: 12:30 - 14:00. Dinner: Monday to Sunday, 18:30 - 2:00