Hole in the Wall, Sliema

Last updated
A pic of the Hole in the wall, Sliema, from the outside Holeinthewall.jpg
A pic of the Hole in the wall, Sliema, from the outside

The Hole in the Wall is a restaurant and bar located in Sliema, Malta. [1] [2] [3]

According to The Times of Malta it is the oldest bar in Sliema. [1] Loving Malta merely calls it one of the oldest. According to the bar's web-site it was originally a stables, and was turned into a bar in 1922 by Manuel Scicluna. [4] The website notes "At the time, it was literally a hole in the wall, with no seating & selling take-away wine from huge vats."

Originally the owners sold wine from vats, to offduty airmen and soldiers, who referred to the then unnamed venue as "the hole in the wall". [1]

From 1959 to 2005 the bar was owned and operated by Joseph Mifsud followed by Spiru Micallef to Anthony Bartolo and his sons. [1] The Bartolos were from a family that specialised in food and catering, and the family owned several restaurants, including one next door. According to The Times of Malta, subsequent owners made bad management decisions, and the venue was in decline.

Ian Schranz described the bar, when he bought it, as a sports bar, where male patrons arrived in a group, to watch sporting events on TV, got loudly drunk, and hooted and hollered at women passing on the street. [1] [5] Schranz described some of the steps he and his brother and co-owner took to attract a different clientele, starting with no longer tuning in to sporting events.

Schranz, an indie rock musician, says they bought the bar on a dare, and had to spend their first six months learning how bars operate. [1] [5]

When The Times of Malta reported that the government of Malta had shut down all pubs and restaurants as a precaution arising from the spread of the Covid 19 virus it noted that The Hole in the Wall had already shut down, due to the downturn in business due to the virus. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bar (establishment)</span> Establishment serving alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises

A bar, also known as a saloon, a tavern or tippling house, or sometimes as a pub or club, is a retail business establishment that serves alcoholic beverages, such as beer, wine, liquor, cocktails, and other beverages such as mineral water and soft drinks. Bars often also sell snack foods, such as crisps or peanuts, for consumption on their premises. Some types of bars, such as pubs, may also serve food from a restaurant menu. The term "bar" refers to the countertop where drinks are prepared and served, and by extension to the overall premises.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wetherspoons</span> British pub chain

J D Wetherspoon plc is a pub company operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The company was founded in 1979 by Tim Martin and is based in Watford. It operates the sub-brand of Lloyds No.1 bars, and around 50 Wetherspoon hotels. Wetherspoon is known for converting unconventional premises, such as former cinemas and banks, into pubs. The company is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

Beangrowers are a Maltese three-piece indie rock band consisting of Alison Galea, Mark Sansone and Ian Schranz. All three were born in 1977 in St. Julian's, Malta. The members of the band are also songwriters, resulting in their albums reflecting diverse influences, including indie rock, punk, and goth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gżira</span> Local council in Central Region, Malta

Gżira is a town in the Central Region of Malta. It is located between Msida and Sliema, also bordering on Ta' Xbiex. It has a population of 11,699 as of January 2019. The word Gżira means "island" in Maltese, and the town is named after Manoel Island which lies to the east of Gżira, between the Sliema peninsula and Valletta. The seafront of Gżira has views of the walled city of Valletta, which is illuminated at night, forming a backdrop to Manoel Island, the yacht marina and a seafront public garden. Kappara is located close to Gżira. The Orpheum Theatre is located in Gżira.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sliema</span> Local council in Central Region, Malta

Sliema is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the most densely populated town on the island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paceville</span> Administrative Committee in Malta, Malta

Paceville is a district in St Julian's which is the main nightlife hub in Malta, being heavily populated with nightclubs, bars, stripclubs, pubs and restaurants, it is hence also known as 'Malta's Sin City'. Paceville is located between Spinola Point and Dragonara Point, delimiting Spinola Bay and St. George's Bay respectively. Paceville is seen as a party destination in Europe and is a popular place for locals and tourists alike.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luxury box</span> Class of seating in arena or stadium

The luxury box and club seating constitute the most expensive class of seating in arenas and stadiums, and generate much higher revenues than regular seating. Club ticketholders often receive exclusive access to an indoor part of the venue through private club entrances, to areas containing special restaurants, bars, merchandise stands, and lounge areas of the venue that are not otherwise available to regular ticketholders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ratskeller</span> German term for bar or restaurant located in the basement of a city hall

Ratskeller is a name in German-speaking countries for a bar or restaurant located in the basement of a city hall (Rathaus) or nearby. Many taverns, nightclubs, bars and similar establishments throughout the world use the term.

Chelsea Place was a restaurant at 147 Eighth Avenue in New York City's Chelsea district, founded in 1974 and operational until 1992. It was unusual in that the restaurant was hidden in the back of an antique shop. In the back of the store was what appeared to be a large wardrobe with mullioned mirrored doors. Opening the doors, however, revealed a piano bar area. Passing through the bar, an unadorned door opened onto a staircase which led down to a basement seating area. This area contained several dining rooms surrounding a glass-enclosed garden which gave an atrium-like feel, having several windows placed along a wall near the top. The garden included such eclectic furnishings as a totem pole and a pond with ducks. Total seating capacity was around 100. The food was Northern Italian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bark Bark Disco</span> Maltese Musician

Ian Schranz, best known by the stage name Bark Bark Disco, is a Maltese indie musician. Schranz first began his career as the drummer of the band Beangrowers before establishing himself as a solo artist.

Jones Bar-B-Q Diner is a barbecue joint in Marianna, Arkansas, US, that has been open since at least the 1910s. According to business guide Black Business, it is believed to be the country's oldest black-owned restaurant. In 2012 it was recognized by the James Beard Foundation as an "American Classic".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Scicluna</span>

Charles Jude Scicluna is a Canadian-Maltese prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been the Archbishop of Malta since 2015. He held positions in the Roman Curia from 1995 to 2012, when he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Malta. Both as a curial official and since becoming a bishop he has conducted investigations into sexual abuse by clergy on behalf of the Holy See and led a board that reviews such cases. He has been called "the Vatican's most respected sex crimes expert". Since November 2018 he has also been an Adjunct Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the curial body responsible for dealing with clerical sexual abuse cases on minors around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veritable Quandary</span> Defunct restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Veritable Quandary, sometimes abbreviated as V.Q. or VQ, was a popular restaurant in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. It was established in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palazzo Parisio (Naxxar)</span> Mansion, palace in Naxxar, Malta

Palazzo Parisio, formerly known as Scicluna Palace, Palazzo Scicluna, and officially Palazzo Parisio and Gardens, is a 20th-century palace in Naxxar, Malta. On site was a hunting lodge built in 1733 by Paolo Parisio, and was used as a summer or permanent residence, barracks and a college, before being acquired by the Marquis Scicluna in 1898.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry in the United States</span> Impact of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the United States restaurant industry via government closures, resulting in layoffs of workers and loss of income for restaurants and owners and threatening the survival of independent restaurants as a category. Within a week after the first closures, industry groups representing independent restaurateurs were asking for immediate relief measures from local, state, and federal governments, saying that as many as 75 percent of independent restaurants could not survive closures of more than a few weeks. By late July, nearly 16,000 restaurants had permanently closed.

Berbati's Pan was a Greek restaurant, bar and music nightclub in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was located at 231 Southwest Ankeny Street and operated from 1985 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Le Pavillon (Daniel Boulud restaurant)</span> Restaurant in Manhattan, New York City

Le Pavillon is a restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The restaurant is owned by the Dinex Group, a restaurant company led by chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud. Le Pavillon opened in May 2021 in One Vanderbilt, a skyscraper completed in 2020 in Midtown East.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alberta Street Pub</span> Music venue and restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Alberta Street Pub is a music venue and restaurant in Portland, Oregon's King neighborhood, in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mucca Osteria</span> Italian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Mucca Osteria is an Italian restaurant in Portland, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose City Book Pub</span> Bookstore and restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.

Rose City Book Pub is a bookstore and bar in Portland, Oregon.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Another Drink in the Wall : Sliema's Oldest Bar". Times of Malta . 2021-01-04. Archived from the original on 2021-01-10. Retrieved 2021-01-25. Despite its blink-and-you-miss-it exterior, the Hole In The Wall – the oldest pub and bar in Sliema – is now a revelatory Diagon Alley inside.
  2. David Grech Urpani (2016-12-06). "One Of Sliema's Oldest Pubs Is Now Its Newest!". Loving Malta . Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  3. "Hole in the Wall Bar". My Guide Malta . Archived from the original on 2021-01-25. Retrieved 2021-01-25. The Hole in the Wall pub has been around for over 90 years. It was originally used as stables owned by Miss Antoinette Ganado who sold it as a pub to its very first owner, Manuel Scicluna. At the time, it was literally a hole in the wall with no seating space selling take-away wine from huge vats.
  4. "Hole In The Wall, 1922: the story of the oldest bar in Sliema". Archived from the original on 2020-11-28. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  5. 1 2 Maria Pace (2019-06-11). "Ian Schranz: 'I cry all the time. Probably watching Moana or Frozen'". Malta Today . Archived from the original on 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2021-01-25. Fatherhood, music, and owning the iconic Hole In The Wall pub in Sliema – Beangrowers drummer and Bark Bark Disco singer-songwriter Ian Schranz tells all in the Q&A
  6. Laura Swale (2020-03-22). "How coronavirus cancellations have hit the entertainment industry". Times of Malta . Retrieved 2021-01-25. This week, the government announced that all bars, restaurants and clubs would close. Even before this latest development, Sliema's live music venue Hole in the Wall had already announced a temporary closure in light of the nature of its business "which brings people together and exposes our staff to hundreds of people on a daily basis", and Hugo's had already taken the decision to close its pubs, restaurants and bars in Paceville.