Mercato Centrale
The Mercato Centrale is two markets in one: a gritty, authentic ground-floor produce hall where Florentine nonnas have been buying their ribollita vegetables since 1874, and a slick first-floor food hall where you can eat some of the best fast-casual Tuscan food in the city without paying white-tablecloth prices.
Ground Floor — the Real Market
The cast-iron and glass ground floor, designed by Giuseppe Mengoni (the same architect behind Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II), is a working neighbourhood market selling aged Pecorino, lardo di Colonnata, fresh pasta, wild boar salami and seasonal Tuscan produce. It is not a tourist trap — the prices and the clientele confirm it.
Arrive between 8 and 10 am when the stalls are fully stocked and the vendors are in the mood to let you taste before you buy. The cheese and charcuterie stalls in the northeast corner are particularly well-stocked.
First Floor Food Hall
The upper floor, opened in 2014, is a lively, open-plan hall with stalls run by named Florentine producers covering lampredotto (the city's beloved tripe sandwich), fresh pasta, pizza, gelato, craft beer and natural wine — all under one roof with communal tables and a convivial atmosphere.
The lampredotto stall run by Nerbone — a Mercato Centrale institution since 1872 — is the place to try Florence's most divisive street food: slow-braised cow's fourth stomach, scooped into a crusty roll and dunked in cooking broth. Order it 'bagnato' (dipped) and 'piccante' (with green salsa).
When to Visit
The ground floor market runs Monday to Saturday, roughly 7 am–2 pm. The first-floor food hall is open daily until midnight, making it a reliable dinner option when the rest of San Lorenzo feels too touristy.
The surrounding streets of the San Lorenzo neighbourhood are lined with leather stalls of variable quality — focus your shopping energy inside the market itself, where the food provenance is traceable and the vendors knowledgeable.
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