Merchants Street runs parallel to Republic Street through the lower half of the city grid, and for centuries it was Valletta's commercial spine. The old market — Is-Suq tal-Belt, Valletta's covered market — stands midway along the street in a 19th-century cast-iron structure that was sensitively restored in 2018 after long neglect. The market now houses food stalls, a supermarket, a wine bar, and a rooftop restaurant, and is the best place in Valletta to buy Maltese cheeses, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and local wine.
The street itself is pleasant to walk end to end — quieter than Republic Street above it, with a mix of traditional shops, the occasional palazzo, and views down the steep cross-streets to Marsamxett Harbour on the north side of the city. At the Republic Street end is St George's Square, Valletta's main open space, used for national ceremonies and outdoor events.