Mercato Centrale
Built in cast iron and glass by architect Giuseppe Mengoni in 1874, Mercato Centrale is Florence's most vibrant food market and a genuine working neighbourhood institution rather than a tourist trap. The ground floor sells fresh produce, aged Pecorino, cured Cinta Senese salami and fresh pasta to local chefs; the first floor is a lively food hall where you can eat extraordinarily well for very lit
Ground floor: the real market
Arrive before 9 am to see the market at its liveliest — fishmongers unpacking fresh catch, butchers trimming Chianina beef, and cheese vendors offering tastes of DOP Parmigiano aged 36 months.
Nerbone, a legendary trattoria tucked inside the ground floor since 1872, serves a bollito (boiled meat) sandwich and ribollita soup that have fed Florentine market workers for generations. Cash only, no reservations, queue at the counter.
Look for the stall selling handmade tortellini and pappardelle — you can buy fresh pasta to cook at your accommodation or simply watch the pasta-makers at work.
First floor food hall
The first-floor food hall (open until midnight) hosts around 15 vendors covering everything from Lampredotto (Florentine tripe) sandwiches to craft gelato, wood-fired pizza and natural Tuscan wines by the glass.
It is a reliable rainy-day refuge and a sociable spot for a late lunch when every trattoria in the centre has a queue.
The rooftop terrace above the food hall offers a quiet view over the San Lorenzo neighbourhood rooftops — easily missed but worth seeking out.
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