A new chapter is dawning for the iconic St Paul’s Bay establishment that used to be called Ostrica at Gillieru.

Following the recent closure of Ostrica, the iconic location is set to be transformed in the coming months into a bistro and a wedding and events venue.

Positioned next to St Paul’s Bay Harbour, the venue will have an indoor and outdoor area and will allow couples to celebrate their big day right by the sea.

The venue will also host the weekly Mamma Mia Mediterranean nights that used to be held at Ostrica.

Meanwhile, the Gillieru Harbour Hotel remains in operation, as does the Gillieru Cafe inside it, which caters to hotel and walk-in guests alike.

Both the venue and the bistro will be run by the hospitality management company Bastions View Ltd, which took over Ostrica in October 2024.

Since then, Bastions View Ltd has set out to begin a new chapter, taking time to observe, reflect, and explore how best to honour and give back to the Gillieru area, whilst respecting the heritage of the site, whose history is knitted into the very fabric of St Paul’s Bay. 

In fact, it traces its roots to the early 1900s when home cook Rosi and her fisherman husband Toni set up a small eatery to feed the contractors and masons who were building the seaside town. 

The bar has been in operation since 1979

They will therefore continue to use the old bar, which has been in operation since 1979, when the establishment was run by Rosi and Toni’s sons. 

More updates, including the names of the wedding venue and bistro and the official opening date, are set to be released in the coming months.