Marsaxlokk Fish Market

For those of you who are self-confessed and incurable ‘foodies’ you’ll be only too aware that secret of great cooking is not a complicated one. As a famous chef once said: “It’s merely the application of heat to fantastic ingredients.” Put another way, it’s about using the best and freshest produce available. And that’s why, for foodies, the Marsaxlokk Fish Market is really going to tickle your turbots. 

Marsaxlokk is Malta’s foremost fishing village with a quaint harbour that has seen fishermen sailing in and out of its bay since time immemorial. The art of supplying fish here is also unchanged by the passage of time. The daily catch is collected, packed and taken to be sold at the fish market in Valletta.

However, on Sundays, it’s all change! The catch stays in the village and is sold by the fishermen themselves direct to the public at the Marsaxlokk Fish Market.

There’s no ceremony here. It’s totally back to basics. No standing on ice, no loading on and off lorries, no transporting around the country to various supermarkets. It’s out of the sea into the boat then out of the boat on to a stall and into your bag. Fish just does not get any fresher or more delicious than this!

It’s also worth visiting for the market’s picturesque locality amidst the charming quayside houses and fresh sea air. You can wander through stalls laden with all types of fish that were coursing through the depths of the Mediterranean just a few hours or minutes ago that same morning.  

On sale each day you’ll find a different selection. They sell what they’ve plucked from the water and nothing else. So, depending on the season, such specimens as bass, grouper, dentex, stonefish, white bream, red mullet, tuna and swordfish are common as well as the famously delicious local lampuki, or dolphin fish, in late autumn. Octopus and squid are also frequently available to make mouth-watering soups or pasta sauces.


If you’re self-catering then this is the place to come to get something tasty to bang on the barbeque for your meal that night. However, if you’re staying in a hotel, the chances are that you probably don’t have the luxury to cook your own lunch. 

If that’s the case then don’t despair, because you can still sample Marsaxlokk fish in all their fresh glory. All you have to do is visit one of the many restaurants on the edge of the bay. The majority of these specialise in seafood, (why wouldn’t they?) and they take great pride in their chef’s capabilities and in showing off the local produce in its best possible light.

We’ve never known them to serve a bad meal here but then there’s something about eating fresh seafood when you could almost bend over and dip your fingers in the Mediterranean that makes the taste extra special.

Although it’s primarily focused on fresh fish, the Marsaxlokk Fish Market also includes stalls and hawkers selling other items such as local arts and crafts as well as souvenirs and refreshments.  When you’ve done your browsing, you could either stop for lunch or make your way to the beach and take a quick dip with the fish in the inviting sea.

Marsaxlokk is well-served by the excellent bus service on Malta.