Għar Lapsi’s Ta’ Rita Restuarant is set to lose its iconic blue colour and retro look after a Planning Authority case officer recommended revised plans for approval. 

The building’s facade is set for a complete modern overhaul, gaining an extra floor in the process. It will only be 0.6 metres higher. However, designs show that the new development will be bulkier than its predecessor.

A PA case officer recommended the plans despite objections from the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, which wanted to preserve the modernist blue facade. 

Instead, the case officer recommended the façade be painted an earthy tone to ensure it blends more with the landscape. 

The PA is expected to approve the development. A final decision will be taken by the Planning Board on 4th March.

Ta’ Rita opened its doors back in the 1930s as a bar for the Royal British Marines and was extended into a restaurant in 1966. Over the years, it has become one of the most famous Maltese food restaurants on the island and is particularly renowned for its rabbit.

The proposal will convert the building into a three-floor guesthouse complex, including a restaurant, an outdoor pool, underground parking, a scuba diving shop, a multipurpose hall and a play area.

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