Mercato Centrale
Mercato Centrale is a soaring two-storey cast-iron market hall built in 1874, sitting in the heart of the San Lorenzo neighbourhood. The ground floor is a working food market where Florentine butchers, cheesemongers and pasta-makers have traded for generations; the first floor is a buzzing food court open until midnight.
Ground floor: the real market
Downstairs is where locals shop — stalls piled with porcini mushrooms, wheels of aged Pecorino, glistening lampredotto (Florentine tripe), fresh pasta in every shape, and the city's best selection of Chianti and Brunello. It is the most atmospheric and authentic food shopping experience in the city.
Look for Nerbone, a legendary lunch counter operating since 1872, which serves a bollito (boiled beef) panino dunked in cooking broth for around €4. It is exactly the kind of honest, unglamorous Florentine lunch that no restaurant can replicate.
First floor food hall
The upstairs food court, opened in 2014, houses around 20 stalls covering everything from wood-fired pizza and fresh pasta to craft beer and artisan gelato. It is lively, well-designed and open until midnight — making it an excellent option for a late dinner when most trattorias have closed.
Friday and Saturday evenings see live music and a particularly festive atmosphere. Grab a Negroni from the bar, find a table near the open windows and watch the San Lorenzo neighbourhood come alive below.
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