Michelin Star restaurant ION The Harbour at Iniala Harbour House has appointed Melissa Sambugaro as its Reservations and Events Manager, she has announced.

Previously of the Grand Hotel Excelsior Malta, where she most recently served as Guest Relations Manager, Ms Sambugaro took to social media to celebrate the appointment, proclaiming: “May this new adventure begin”.

Along with a breadth of knowledge and experience, she brings with her to the role impressive linguistic skills, able to speak five languages: Italian, Maltese, English, French, and Spanish.

She joins the foundling establishment as it continues to move from strength to strength this year.

The restaurant, one of Malta’s youngest, was awarded its first Michelin Star after barely half a year of operations earlier this year.

In the words of Michelin at the time, the fourth-floor restaurant, sitting atop a stylish hotel, offers “skillfully prepared dishes from chef Andrew Borg”.

“The daily menus are dictated by the best produce available from local farmers and fishermen and the cooking is classically based, with Mediterranean influences and a modern edge,” the guide said.

Additionally, the restaurant is in the midst of a residency with acclaimed London chef Alex Dilling, who is “widely seen as the UK’s next top chef”.