Walter Finch
GIBRALTAR’S Bistro Point restaurant, perched at Europa Point with commanding views across the Straits to Africa, is set to be demolished to make way for university classrooms.
The revelation has sparked outrage amongst locals who describe the clifftop venue as a ‘national asset’ with some of the world’s most spectacular views.
Restaurateur Bryan Zammit, who runs the Zammit Group, has confirmed he had agreed a price with the Hunter Brothers to purchase the lease but the University of Gibraltar blocked the sale.
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The university instead plans to demolish the building to create additional classroom space.
“I negotiated and agreed a price with the Hunter Brothers to buy the lease, and the University decided not to allow the sale to go through, as they wanted to demolish it to create classrooms,” Zammit said.
The businessman revealed he had planned to relocate his upmarket Paparazzi restaurant to the prime location and operate it as a proper upscale venue with shuttle services for clients.
Zammit said he raised concerns with both the university and government minister about losing the iconic venue, pointing out that the restaurant had cost taxpayers over £1 million – a figure recorded in Parliamentary Hansard.
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However, he was told the minister could not intervene in the university’s decision about the premises.
“Be it me or anyone else that would have run that restaurant, it’s an absolute shame to lose such an iconic venue for Gibraltar,” Zammit added.
The news has prompted calls for government intervention to preserve what locals consider a vital tourism asset.
The restaurant’s position at Europa Point offers unrivalled panoramic views across the Mediterranean to the North African coast.
This is not the first time Zammit has been frustrated by government decisions over prime hospitality locations.
He revealed he had also approached the same minister about another iconic site that would have appealed to both locals and tourists, only to see it converted into a bookshop instead.
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