Anno 1743 is one of Maritim Resort & Spa’s restaurant, though the hotel is in renovation, this restaurant is open. Situated in the north west side of the island, Balaclava, the drive there instantly has you feeling on vacation. The restaurant itself is separate from the hotel near Château Mon Désir another one of Maritim’s restaurants. Anno 1743’s restaurant has been carefully built into an existing old powder mill. This powder mill is a national monument that they’ve beautifully integrated their restaurant into. Because of this they have kept the rustic charm of the monument. Let’s get to the full Anno 1743 restaurant review!
AMBIENCE
Our Anno 1743 restaurant review starts with the impressive setting. The architecture clearly puts forward the original structure and features of the powder mill. However as you enter the restaurant you feel the warmth of the place with its mood lighting. The industrial décor mixed with the old structure beautifully compliments each other. You are immediately transported into a mix of modern yet historical world. The feel of the place is chic with a laid back approach, you could compare it to a “chic nest”.
Anno is not your regular restaurant, with their bar in a separate space from the dining area. “The Distillery” is the place for rum tastings with their elegantly displayed rum collection. It’s an impressive space as soon as you walk into it you feel the history behind it with the tall ceiling. The restaurant also has a rooftop area giving you a beautiful view on the river and “Chateau Mon Désir”. However, be prepared to brave quite a few stairs before making it to the top.
FOOD
Anno 1743’s menu accommodates a good variety of as well as vegetarian options. We really enjoyed their basket of freshly made bread. They came still hot and the butter melts instantly on it. The steak fries was the only type of steak available at lunch time. However we did see that their dinner menu includes a wider variety of cuts for their steak. Those might be better for steak lovers. In our case the lunch steak fries was subpar. For the price at 180gm the steak was quite tough. A good chunk of it was too chewy to eat unfortunately. Though the seasoning on it was well done, the cooking of the meat didn’t exactly hit the spot. It was more cooked than the medium steak we asked for, this may be because it’s a thin cut.
The bouillabaisse on the other hand was quite nice, flavorful and a good serving. The pork chops accompanied but by the braised carrots were good too though the meat was a bit overcooked. This can then make the meat dry, but the sauce helped with that. However the highlight of the meal was the dessert, the duo of chocolate mousse is simply to die for. With a great silky texture and crunchy bits within the dessert. It made for a nice little surprise. The marble crème brulée with pistachio cake was also delicious, sweet but not too sweet. Here also the mix of textures was perfect!
Overall, the variety of choices in dishes is great, however the attention to detail to each dish individually could be better. But the desserts are a different story! Delicious desserts to end on a sweeter note.
SERVICE
The service is really quite impeccable. The waiters are very welcoming and their attention to our needs is exemplary. They were friendly in their approach and made us feel very comfortable. Everything was served in a timely manner and they did not hesitate to check on whether we needed their assistance.
What’s great about the service there is their swiftness, they were always there when we needed them. However they were never hovering over ask or intruding. Their service was always readily available but you barely noticed all the action going back and forth from tables to kitchen.
The professionalism and warmth is on point. Though the food could be better, the level of service and décor has us wanting to go again. We’ve now been there twice, and what really attracts us is the ambiance as we enter. And the welcome that we get, which we can tell comes from the service oriented nature of hotels.
Anno 1743 is a type of restaurant that maybe is best for getting drinks with friends during their TGIF nights on Fridays. A place that you enjoy being at and catching up with friends at. We would go again in the hopes that the food gets better or to try a different dish, to enjoy the atmosphere and the service level they provide.
Overall, this restaurant is definitely a place to try, however depending on the dishes it can be a hit or miss. But you will feel the great ambiance of this place and be very well taken care of by the personnel.
Let us know if you’ve been to Anno 1743 and what your experience was there! We’d love to hear how you experienced this restaurant and your Anno 1743 restaurant review. Let us know what you recommend we try on their menu.
RESTAURANT CONTACT INFO
Website: https://www.maritim.com/en/hotels/mauritius/hotel-mauritius/restaurants-bars
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anno1743/
Phone number: +230 204 1000
E-mail: info.mau@maritim.com
Disclaimer: All restaurant reviews are written from our personal experience at the restaurant on this specific date and time. These are recommendations that we hope you add to your list of places to try and enjoy.
