Mercato Coperto di Rimini
Tucked inside a handsome early-20th-century building on Piazza Cavour, Rimini's Mercato Coperto is the beating culinary heart of the city — a place where fishermen's wives, cheese mongers and piadina vendors have coexisted for over a century. Come hungry and ready to graze.
What to buy and eat
The fish counters along the eastern aisle are stacked with the morning's Adriatic catch: razor clams, scallops, cuttlefish and the fat, sweet mazzancolle prawns that are a Rimini speciality. Arrive before 10:00 to see the best selection and watch locals negotiate over sea bass as if it were a Renaissance land deal.
Head to the deli stalls for sliced squacquerone — a soft, tangy Romagnolo cheese that melts on the tongue — or pick up a wedge of Formaggio di Fossa, the cave-aged sheep's cheese that smells like a cellar and tastes like a revelation. Several stalls will vacuum-pack purchases for travel.
The piadina ritual
No visit is complete without a piadina from one of the market's dedicated piadinerie. This unleavened flatbread, cooked on a terracotta testo griddle, is the street food of Romagna: order it stuffed with squacquerone and rocket for the classic combination, or go rogue with prosciutto di Parma and fig jam.
The market closes around 13:30, so time your visit as a mid-morning snack stop before heading to the beach or old town sights.
More of Rimini
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Rimini →
