Best bio shop in Florence, it was the first one ever opened in the city dated back from the 70's…read more It has a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, amazing fresh bread and cakes as well as cosmetics.

Thursday afternoon in Florence, we popped in for a light lunch, thanks to YELP. We had tried to go…read moreto Sugar Blues, but it was closed for the afternoon 'Siesta'... so on to the Yelp AP! It was easy to search for nearby restaurants and be guided to our destination! We had to wait quite a bit before we had the server bring water to the table.... I never understand why bussing a table, when there is no one waiting for a table would take priority over the customers seated and waiting... and waiting.... However, the food was AMAZING. I had the pear, walnut and gorgonzola salad. (see photo) It was really fresh and exactly what I wanted! Our server was pleasant, and the prices were good. So travelers, bookmark this spot!

I went here for the first time about a month ago…read more LOCATION: It's located across the Arno, away from the busier areas of the city, but still not too far of a walk from it all either. 3/5 ATMOSPHERE: It's not too big inside, but it's not super small either. The decor is pretty simple, but not too boring. I mean, it's not amazing, but it has sort of a chill vibe, with white brick walls, dim lighting, and wine bottle-lined shelves on some of the walls. 3/5 SELECTION: On their website, their menu is described with, "Our menu is characterized by using genuine raw materials, preferably organic and seasonal products, it changes every month. You can taste both traditional Tuscan dishes that our personal reinterpretations." What I like most about their menu is that they use organic and seasonal products, and they have a good handful of clearly-labeled vegan options, but I will say that I wish there was a bit more variety in the vegan options, as most of them are soups and vegetables. 3/5 WHAT I GOT: I got the "Cous Cous o Riso al naturale con verdure a scelta dalla vetrina," which basically translates to "cous cous or rice with seasonal vegetables." I got it with rice. It was pretty good overall, and the one negative I have is that it was too oily -- like you can tell from my picture. But other than that, the actually quality of it all was good, and all the different vegetables tasted fresh, and they were thoroughly cooked. The rice wasn't under or overcooked either. Plus, it was a pretty good price (€8), as was most of the rest of the menu (reasonably-priced), especially for a restaurant that looks nicer than what you typically come across there, and that has higher standards (organic produce, etc.). 3/5 SERVICE: The service was pretty good. Our waitress seemed nice and friendly, and our food didn't take too long or anything to come out. The only complaint I have is that their website says they open for dinner at 6pm, but we went there at 6pm, and they said they start serving dinner at 7pm, which was annoying. But, we somehow managed to find some places nearby to look around at and whatnot while waiting. 3/5

Downstairs is the marketplace. Upstairs is the food hall…read more I bought a TON of dried pasta seasoning, risotto, truffle sauce, limoncello, parmesan cheese, and probably a bunch of other things to take home for myself and as gifts. Here's some really good advice I wish someone would have given me: 1. The limoncello is cheaper here than places I found north of here. 2. Skip the pasta seasoning OR look very closely that there are NO BUGS in there. I bought a few and had to throw them away. I found one bug in one of the packages. Removed the bug and put the rest in a ziplock because I brought this home all the way from Italy so I'm gonna freaking eat it. But then weeks later, there were a ton of bugs trapped in the bag. SO FREAKING GROSS! So I wish I could go back in time and NOT buy it. 3. Mushroom risotto was so good. I wish I bought more of that and less of the black risotto which is the squid ink. It lacked flavor. 4. Parm cheese - I found one stall that offered to cut my purchase into 4 blocks, then vacuum sealed it for me. I traveled Europe for 1.5 weeks unrefrigerated. When I finally got home, I put it in the fridge. 9 months later - it's still good! 5. If you want to try a bunch of Italian food, go to the food court. The lampredotto was snack size and delicious if you like intestines. The expensive truffle pasta was okay in my opinion (aka overrated). And I tried the pizza which was delicious!

This market and food court is a feast for the eyes as well as your mouths. All the stands' servers…read moreare so friendly and kind. Worth including this in your visit to Firenze!