Is-Suq tal-Belt

What makes it special

It is the covered market hall of the walled city, and a Maltese heritage site. Its interior is worth a slow look before you order lunch.

Look up from the food court. The frame is cast iron and wrought iron with limestone, and that iron interior, one of the first of its kind in Malta, is still intact. Hector Zimelli designed the hall, and it was finished in the 19th century.

The building was renovated and opened to the public again in January 2018, once more as a hall for food producers and sellers. The building has four floors.

Food from around the world shares the counters, with Maltese cooking among it.

Visiting

There are about fifteen stalls in the ground-floor food court, and that is where the visit happens. They sell freshly cooked dishes to eat on the spot; some are branches of outlets elsewhere, others trade only here. The hall also suits a coffee or a beer between sights, and it gathers many local specialties under one roof.

For groceries, head one level down. The basement is a Spar supermarket.

Merkanti Restaurant occupies the top floor, two levels above the food court.

Tips

From Sliema or the Three Cities, take the ferry into Valletta, a crossing of a few minutes. Buses arrive at the terminus a short walk away.

For picnic supplies or a bottle to take away, shop the Spar downstairs rather than the food counters.