MAY 2023 VISIT This…read moreis absolutely the most horrendously owned business I have ever encountered. Yes - 1 saw ALL the negative reviews (from TripAdvisor) about the owner; but being Korean and being on our honeymoon/missing some food back home, my husband I thought we would give her the benefit of the doubt. I could not have been more incorrect. This lady was SO nasty BEFORE we even entered. Describing her as nasty would be being kind. We could see her giving us terrible looks from inside as we approached and once inside I thought maybe things might be different but nope. We literally exited as soon as we took 2 steps inside. There was an issue with her door opening when we attempted to open it so the owner comes over and opens the door, we can see there is not ONE patron inside. I ask her in Korean because of this (just to make sure to not be rude in case we were imposing during a break or lunch hour) and are immediately met with the response of "CAN YOU NOT READ???" back in Korean. L o l. Then proceeds to look my husband and I up and down and close the door on us and walk away. We were in such shock we answered right away we'd be leaving. This encounter is so ridiculous it's laughable now but still mind boggles me and is more disappointing that this is the type of representation of Korean cuisine or hospitality in Florence. If you do try and take a chance and you have the unfortunate luck of running into this miserable owner, don't fret too much. Just next door on the corner is a DELICIOUS panino spot where both guys working the stand are truly kind and more importantly serve great food. Don't ruin your day with this establishment or worse the older lady with the awfully heavy makeup on and AVOID AT ALL COSTS. You've been warned. Complete embarrassment of a Korean establishment. ***Also would like to note in the week we have been in this city as well as Rome, this is the only negative encounter we've had. : )

The food was elite, had a much-needed break from the focaccia and pasta. Prices weren't high and…read morethe owner was polite and excited about the Olympics going on . The vibe is chill, you seat yourself wherever available. Bulgogi is a must.

Simon was the kindest person in the world. We stopped in as we waited for our AirBnb to be…read moreprepared. Simon kindly placed chairs for us to sit outside while we took a look at the wine menu. As were were drinking our wine, he brought out a FREE platter of bread, cheese and slices of salami just for us. We were so surprised by his hospitality that we couldn't thank him enough for enriching our first experience in Florence. I will never forget him!

We got into Florence and settled into the hotel later in the evening back in November 2024. Went to…read morean Irish bar to start the evening and decided to come over to Mercado Centrale for some dinner. This is one of the places that I had found recommendation for a Florentine Steak and it did not disappoint. I have seen reviews that are hit or miss for this spot, so we came here not expecting much. Also a friend has prepped me on Florentine steak typically being under done for the flavor, so I was forewarned about the rareness of the steak. It helps to speak a little broken Italian as the staff was super friendly and helpful. I love that this steak came on a sizzling plate so it was helpful that I could slightly cooked the rare steak a bit more to med rare. The steak itself is super tender and flavorful. I always get nervous eating raw items when traveling but this steak sat very well with me the next day and no tummy trouble at all. Hubby loved every bite and it's definitely a show for the crowd to see when they delivered the steak to our table. The vibe of the location is more of a food hall, but the service is more fast casual, they bring you the food when it's done vs having you go get it. Wine is very reasonable too from the bar so the meal in total was less than $130 for the 2 of us - for a 1.5 KG Florentine steak, a couple of sides and a bottle of Chianti.

Ordered 2 filet mignon. One was raw. Asked to cook more, came back with obnoxious charcoal smell…read more My wife asked for a to go box. They made fun of her. I had to ask and they demanded a euro for a to go plastic box. Total a$$holes. Big disrespect.

The truffle pasta is out of the world! Pasta was fresh and cooked with just the right amount of…read moretruffle. It is on the pricer side for a good market at 22 euros but it is worth every dollar!

I've been dreaming of the truffle pasta ever since I took my first bite. This spot is located in…read morethe Mercato Centrale, and I'm so glad we stopped by for lunch, given all the other amazing options in the market. The truffle pasta was creamy, with generous shavings of truffle. When I tell you I almost cried...it was the perfect dish and introduction to Florence! Everyone there was so friendly and we even ended up buying a couple of their sauces to take home!