Is-Suq tal-Belt — the City Market — is Valletta's covered market, housed in a Victorian cast-iron structure on Merchants Street. Built in 1861 and restored in 2018 after years of decay, the market now operates on multiple levels with food stalls and vendors on the ground floor and a wine bar and rooftop restaurant above. The market sells Maltese produce: local honey, ftira bread, bigilla bean paste, sun-dried tomatoes, preserved olives, and the ubiquitous pastizzi.
The restoration is well done — the original ironwork and glass roof have been retained and the space feels genuine rather than sanitised. It is a good place to eat lunch cheaply and to buy Maltese food products to take home. The rooftop terrace has views across Merchants Street and is a reasonable spot for a drink in the evening.