Murella extension to give Gozo a cocktail piano bar

Jubilee Group is preparing to unveil the sister island’s only cocktail piano bar just months after opening its Marsalforn promenade eatery Murella in March, chief executive Alex Scicluna told The Times Business.

Occupying an extension of Murella’s current footprint, the venue will pay tribute to the Scicluna brothers’ late father Anton. The bar will not only continue to use the family’s nickname Tal-Murella as its name but will also recall Mr Scicluna’s love of Gozo’s theatre. He is best remembered for his theatrical productions and plays.

Murella Cocktail Piano Bar opens in early December with a decor inspired by an original 1929 Venetian landscape backdrop which will occupy an entire wall. Mr Scicluna says the family has also acquired an antique projector among a collection of props.

It will feature a perimeter curved walkway and piano stage, with steps leading to a lower level with fixed tables at which 60 or 70 patrons will be able to enjoy fine spirits.

The double height ceiling has allowed for a sizable balcony where patrons will have a better view of the musicians. Open seven days a week, Murella Cocktail Piano Bar will feature internally lit coloured glass columns, plush carpeting, and wooden floors inspired by the piano bars of old.

“The bar has been designed to be warm and welcoming to evoke a bygone era but with a modern twist,” Mr Scicluna explained.

“We are working hard to identify the appropriate musicians and staff to create the Cabaret-style atmosphere we envisage. Even the cloakrooms have been inspired by theatre dressing rooms. My brothers Mario and Anthony and I are having fun with this latest venture.”