Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546491
7 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWS IBER&CO & CASA PEPA: Two ways to love Spain IBER&CO THE story of authentic Spanish gastronomy in Malta didn't be- gin in a shop or at a market stall. It began at a table — Iber&Co's table. Founded by Antonio Cortés, Iber&Co is the taberna that set the benchmark for genuine Spanish dining on the island. Not a restaurant that happens to serve Spanish food, but a true taberna built on the prin- ciples that have made Spanish food culture one of the world's most beloved: honest ingredi- ents, time-honoured regional recipes, and the kind of warm, generous hospitality that makes guests feel expected before they even walk through the door. The menu travels the breadth of Spain — tapas built for sharing, plates that reward pa- tience, wines chosen to open conversations. Everything here is done with conviction: sourced right, cooked with care, served with the pride of someone who genuinely be- lieves in what they're putting on your table.That belief hasn't gone unrecognised. Iber&Co holds the ICEX Colmados from Spain certification from Spain's official Trade and Investment Agency — a mark awarded only to establishments that meet the highest standards of Spanish culinary authenticity outside Spain itself. For Antonio, though, the tab- erna was never meant to be the end of the story. It was the beginning. CASA PEPA What started at Iber&Co's ta- bles found its natural next chap- ter on the shelves of Casa Pepa. Opened by Antonio Cortés alongside his partner Damián, this curated gourmet shop in Naxxar is the extension of the same passion — built on the be- lief that authentic Spanish food deserves to be not just experi- enced, but taken home. Casa Pepa carries the finest Spanish products: Iberian char- cuterie, artisan olive oils, aged cheeses, hand-selected con- serves. Every item reflects the same uncompromising com- mitment to quality and origin that defines the Iber&Co name — and carries the same ICEX cer- tification to confirm it. A taberna, then a shop. A din- ing room, then a pantry. The sto- ry keeps growing — and it's all very much worth following. Naxxar · Casa Pepa THIS IS A PAID COLLABORATION Discover more Restaurants and Colmados from Spain Case officer says high-rises have already altered nearby heritage settings A planning application propos- ing the demolition of a villa in St Julian's and its replacement with a 93-bedroom hotel rising to 10 floors has been approved despite concerns over its visual impact on nearby scheduled heritage buildings, including the Grade 2 St Augustine's Convent and St Rita Chapel. The project set on the corner of Sqaq Lourdes and Triq San- tu Wistin, includes a 10-sto- rey-hotel with five basement levels, a rooftop pool and ancil- lary facilities. The proposal falls within the setting of the Grade 1 sched- uled Villa Rosa and the Grade 2 scheduled convent and chapel. Heritage NGO Din l-Art Hel- wa, argued that the develop- ment would undermine the visual setting of the scheduled properties and cited Planning Authority Circular 3/20, DC15 guidance and the Strategic Plan for Environment and Develop- ment (SPED), which require developments to safeguard the setting of cultural heritage as- sets. However, the case officer con- cluded that the proposal com- plies with planning policies and does not significantly increase the impact on the surrounding heritage buildings. The report notes that a Visual Impact Assessment and pho- tomontages were submitted specifically to assess the rela- tionship between the proposed hotel and the nearby scheduled properties. Central to the recommenda- tion was the position adopted by the Superintendence of Cul- tural Heritage (SCH), which ac- knowledged the site's proximi- ty to the heritage buildings but concluded that the area's his- toric context had already been substantially altered by existing and approved large-scale devel- opments. According to the SCH, the proposal "does not discernibly increase impact on the context or on the values of the con- vent" and therefore did not warrant an objection. The most notable develop- ment in the area is the 12-sto- rey Hyatt Regency Malta, lo- cated just metres from the proposed site, approved in 2018 on land owned by the Augustinian Order despite ob- jections from the superintend- ence and the Archdiocese of Malta. The case officer adopted the same reasoning, concluding that the hotel "is not consid- ered to result in a significant adverse visual impact" on Villa Rosa or the convent and chap- el, nor would it compromise their appreciation or heritage significance within the wider townscape. The report also argues that the proposed building would sit within an already urbanised skyline characterised by com- parable tourism developments and would remain below the maximum height permitted under the Height Limitation Adjustment Policy for Hotels. The development will pro- vide just nine on-site parking spaces, well below the 29 re- quired under planning policy. The developer will instead pay €146,000 under the Commut- ed Parking Payment Scheme to compensate for the shortfall of 20 parking spaces. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Photomontage of proposed development in Paceville