what an experience! so many options to shop and eat. could have spent so much more time here. everything we ate was delish!

Located in the San Lorenzo district, just a few minutes' walk from the main train station of Santa Maria Novella), Mercato Centrale is a vibrant food hall experience housed in a historic market building (very similar to the Time Out Market franchise across Europe). From the outside, it looks like a grand, iron-and-glass structure typical of European markets; inside, it opens into a bustling, multi-level space filled with food vendors, communal tables, and constant movement. The vibe is energetic, social, and slightly chaotic in a fun way - perfect for grazing, group dining, or trying multiple cuisines in one visit (from Italian to American to Mexican!). We stopped in for a quick lunch at around 2pm on a Wednesday; there was plenty of seating at high-top tables, and QR codes on paper menus make it easy to explore all the different food vendor options. It's also a fun activity to peruse the market, taking in different sights, smells, and flavors. All of us ended up opting for Schiacciatas (large Italian sandwiches that are a staple in Florence) from Massimiliano Parri, which all ended up ranging from €10-12, depending on toppings - yes, it's more expensive than what you'd get from a traditional schiacciateria, but you're also paying for the market's location and convenience. We appreciated the fact that they shave the meat right in front of you! My schiacciata came with freshly shaved ham atop crusty white bread, slathered with burrata cheese, and sprinkled with arugula and figs (I opted for no additional olive oil, since I found the ham quite rich already). I loved the contrast of textures and flavors, though I will say that the bread ended up cutting the roof of my mouth! All in all, Mercato Centrale is a bit touristy, but still miles better (and cheaper) than most "Italian" sandwich places you'd find in the US (pro tip: save your receipt for free use of their bathrooms). The variety can't be beaten, prices are reasonable for a central market, and it's steps from some of Florence's most iconic spots. read more

Mercato Centrale - Schiacciata (€12) with ham, arugula, burrata, and figs - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

Such a nice place with local vendors and a food hall. I mainly checked out the food hall and there are so many options of things to eat. I decided on a pizza as the first thing to eat in Italy. I ordered a buffalo mozzarella Margherita pizza and it did not disappoint. It took around 5-7 minutes to be ready. There are plenty of tables and chairs available, but it I went during lunch and it was packed! I had to walk around for a few minutes to find seating. Everything about the pizza was so tasty. The sauce was super fresh and you could see them hand making the sauce and the dough. It's was all perfect together. Highly recommend any of the stalls here read more

I absolutely LOVE this market. They had everything you could want and all of the food was delicious. We tried the famous Lampredotto and loved it so much. We also stopped at the truffle counter and had some apps. There is something for everyone and its wonderful that its open late. read more

Mercato Centrale - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

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Fun marketplace where you could pick up anything from spices to fresh fish to lunch or dinner or just simply enjoy a cappuccino and pastry. There are plentiful vendors and a plethora of choices. The sounds and the smells fill the vibe. We are staying at an apt within a 1 min walk. We'll be back during our stay. read more

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Central food hall in Florence. A must visit. First floor is bulk ingredients and 2nd floor are the restaurants, food shops, and wine bar. It's open seating so park then take turns getting your food of choice from the many vendors. Pizza, pasta, sandwiches, chicken, steak they have it all. Come hungry leave happy read more

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Cool market with food courts and shopping. The food we had here was good, there is plenty of food to choose from. On the outer part of the market, there leather vendors and other vendors. Will be back here on my next trip trip to Italy. read more

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This is the coolest market in Florence! It's a big market on the bottom floor and a big food hall on top! We stopped in for coffee and a pastry in the morning and went back for dinner! Easy ordering and paying using a QR code on the tables. The pasta places all looked delicious. We shared several different items. Very affordable prices! Packed with locals. Very cool experience! Do not miss this. read more

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There are plenty of options for food. We had the chicken, pizza, hamburger, and pasta at the Mercato. You can't go wrong with any of the selections. Save room for the desserts. Lots of tables to sit and enjoy your meal. All of the foods were cooked and served quickly. I would go back again. read more

Mercato Centrale - Desserts. - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

Basically all you need to know about this place is that it's a giant food center but the good food is upstairs at this place. I found the bbq place that was amazing either brilliant service! The ambiance was pretty good too and it looks like some sort of old train station but I'm not quite certain. The only reason this is not 5 star is that the toilet cost money and they were so bad! There was water everywhere to the point that it's basically a water park. :( read more

Such a cool spot! Mixed watering hole for locals and tourists. Don't let the aggressive vendors surrounding the market scare you off. Once inside there are TONS of great food options. A lot of the vendors offer free samples which I recommend trying because everything has such great flavor. There's a full bar in the middle and other food vendors sell wine/ beer too. Strong drinks- $9 for a spritz but it's strong and good flavor. You can get food wherever and eat at any table then get a drink at the middle bar. The building is so cool. The decorations above are great and the restored historic building adds to the cool vibe. There's a cooking school inside where you can sign up to take classes. read more

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This is an amazing place to go where you can find an abundance of different food options and cuisines from all over. It is quite busy and crowded but I ended up going back multiple times. The sandwiches at La Schiacciata are some of the best you will ever have. Massimiliano is very nice and a great chef. We tried one or two other places such as the pizza and they were very good as well. read more

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This is a great spot to go for browsing/buying fresh food, to eat lunch at dozens of different restaurant stalls, or for buying a variety of food products such as truffles, balsamic vinegar, etc. We wound up eating here multiple times and every experience was positive. It can serve any purpose from a quick snack to a filling entree. Or, you can easily assemble the makings of the best picnic of your life! read more

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We had the best Florentine steak in this central market. The flavor was delicious and the meat was so tender. The steak was huge. We had to share. We were stuffed but wanted more. Do shop around for Truffle items. There is a wide range of prices. Love this central market so much to see and taste! read more

You name it... They had it and not only did they have it but they had the freshest around! It's a must visit!!

Cool spot to check out if you're visiting as a tourist! It was nice to just see the market. It was extremely crowded when we went around lunch time on a Sunday. There's multiple different food options including pasta, pizza, meat skewers, and more American food. Food here can be hit or miss, next time I'd probably just eat elsewhere else in the city for something more authentic. We ordered gnocchi, which had a great texture, and a carbonara dish which was extremely salty and hard to eat. Meat skewers were good but nothing out of the ordinary. It's first come first serve in terms of sitting at the tables. read more

Mercato Centrale - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

Array of food choices and fresh produce The food court is the main attraction to grab some quick bites All very good and a nice way to pick up a few things and grab a bite. Is it a must go? Eh But worth while if you have the time Service is ok in the food court as they have people taking drink orders Atmosphere is still a food court but in Italy!! Cute place read more

Such an amazing market. We got to try some amazing pastries, tried some great truffle products and dried chiles, and even got to eat at 3 different restaurants on the 2nd floor. Highly recommend to those looking to purchase unique gifts. read more

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OBSESSED with this place! This is a must visit place when in Florence. There are 2 floors and the main floor has local produce, meats, etc. This floor is more of a super market vs the 2nd floor is full of different restaurants. The 2nd floor is a very casual spot that has everything in 1 building. Italian food, Japanese food, green food, etc. there are several dessert spots as well. Once you place your order in with any vendor there are TVs that will have your order number and place of restaurant displayed when your items are ready to be retrieved. This is a great spot if you're looking for something on the quicker side. Keep in mind that this does get busy however I think this is still a quicker and more plentiful option compared to a sit down restaurant. read more

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So many options to choose from here and they're all incredible. I got the Lampredotto sandwich (tripe). It was one of my favorite dishes on my whole Italy trip. The meat is so tender and juicy and the sauce complements the flavor of the meat. Service was incredible. All the sandwiches were made to order. The food hall was really fun and had a lively atmosphere. There is a bar in the middle of the market. You can sit anywhere and order drinks from there read more

A variety of options to choose from! We got some rigatoni carbonara, a margherita pizza, and 2 sandwiches. All the food was very tasty. Save your receipt to scan the QR code to use the bathroom. read more

Bustling market in Florence with many food options! A variety of fresh meat and vegetables were available. read more

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Mercato Centrale is a must when visiting Florence. Yes, it's touristy but it's worth the visit. Outdoors, you have dozens of stalls selling souvenirs, and questionably real leather goods. I did buy a few things with the expectation that they may be fake but I was okay with that. Just make sure you haggle! Inside the market is where you'll find all the food. On the first level, you have some small (but delicious) food stalls, produce, meat, and gifts (think olive oil, balsamic, etc.) for sale. On the second level is a modernized food court with a few sit down stalls. Yes, the food is slightly more expensive than what you would find outside the market, but it truly is a feast for the eyes. If you're going with a group of people, everyone is bound to find something they like to eat here. We visited the market multiple times during our stay - once at around 1 PM, and another time when it was almost closing at 3. Both times were pretty crowded but close to closing was the most crowded. Best way to avoid all the people is to probably visit when it opens. While the food stalls in the market close at 3, the leather goods outside are around until maybe 7 or 8. So the best game plan is to go in first and grab a bite, and then you'll have energy for all that shopping! read more

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We didn't make it here early enough to have a look at the market on the first floor, something I'll regret until I can come back to Florence one day (which might never happen since it may not have been my favorite city, after Rome, on this trip.) We did, however, make it to the second floor to have dinner. I love me a food hall. I try to find one in every city I visit and this one did not disappoint. I hadn't realized it was a bit of a chain (we went to the one in Rome as well) but that didn't matter because the food was good, the drinks were strong and there was plenty of seating. There were a lot of different kinds of seating, some high tops, some low. Some communal tables, some separated. The building itself was beautiful, the ceiling was nice to look at. There are plenty of stalls to choose food from. There are many local specialties sold here, like lampredotto, black truffle in everything and Florentine steak. There are also a lot of general Italian and some other foods, like sushi or kebobs. The tableside service, which we didn't really use, seemed to be fast and efficient. The same servers were clearing tables and they were pretty on top of it. read more

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It's the central market in Florence, and expect a lot of crowds from locals and tourists. I think you'll like it if you aim to get variety chicories of food and drinks here, although you'll have to deal with many people and usually share table with strangers. read more

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My family spent three nights in Florence recently. Two of those days we took 10+ hour tours of the surrounding area. A few things are certain, after that long in 95 plus degree heat, you're not going to want a fancy sit down dinner and you're going to be hungry. That's where having an epic local food court comes in. As Americans, "food court" has a negative connotation. Forgot whatever you've thought about food courts, Mercato Centrale is one banging food stall after the other. If I was in town longer, I would have tried them all. I did get to have a truly authentic tripe sandwich (lampredotto) that was a flavor bomb with great texture! Another night my wife and I shared an epic rotisserie chicken, rice, and roasted potatoes. Yet another time, we shared epic roast pork (juicy and tender) with a side of baked beans which were the best we've had! So basically, a snack and two dinners in three days. Can't beat that! Only downside, place is not air conditioned. Still worth it! Almost forgot to mention, kids enjoyed a pizza from a highly regarded pizzeria that was in the food court as well! Can't beat that! read more

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Should have eaten here every single day and every single meal. The food is comforting and delicious. read more

Mercato Centrale - The best pasta in my entire trip and coincidentally the cheapest is from here. And the best discovery of fried zucchini flower. - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

Lots of great food and drink options here. We tried pastas from a few different vendors and they were all so delicious. We discovered that this central market company is located in a few major cities around the country, and while the english menus and pictures might be an indicator of it being a tourist grab, we were very satisfied with our time here. read more

We visited Rome, Italy and took a day trip to Florence. Mercado Centrale was the place to find lunch! The bottom level is mostly mea market stalls. Upstairs has dining options. We found a spot(I can't tell the name from the receipt). I had Brasato Di Mailino - pork with potatoes & salad. The pork was amazing and the potatoes good. But the salad was SALTED! Yuck! He had Tagliata Di pollo- chicken plus rice and salad. It was good too. Afterwards walking around we saw this amazing piece of meat being cut for sandwiches. read more

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So many options to choose from. Mostly market style vendors downstairs and then upstairs more like a food hall that stays open later. They also have lots of seating including a bar. read more

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Fun place with a variety of food, wine, and dessert selection. It's crazy busy here any given time. Once you find a seat you can scan the QR code and order drinks without moving or servers walking around will take your beverage order. Once you have decided on food, there are bunch of ticket boards where you can track your food order while enjoying your beverages. Variety of things to pick from, every cuisine is on display. I walked around five times deciding what to order and decided on tapas style. I went for a tuna burger , freshly made gnocchi, veggie dumplings, tiramisu's, cheesecakes and procures few bottles of Chianti(don't judge). Great place to go and taste everything your heart desires. Highly recommend it. read more

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So many beautiful choices of food and flavors it's hard to decide what to try first!! Everything is so fresh and delicious, I could have stayed there and eaten all day!! We settled for a lovely charcuterie board and wine! It was wonderful! read more

My husband and I had a lovely lunch at the Mercato central! We ate pizza at Romualdo Rizzuti, which was delicious! Really, really yummy pizza! We also had pasta at Famiglia Michelis, which was delicious! The mozzarella ball was AMAZING! It's busy, but worth a trip! read more

Mercato Centrale - Margherita pizza from Romualdo Rizzuti - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

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Great find in Florence Beautiful market on the bottom floor selling fresh meat, fish, cheese, salame, prosciutto etc. The top floor had approximately 30 different prepared food vendors including at least one full service bar. We sampled the Florentine steak which was outstanding and purchased suppli and arancini. Both were very good. Service was very quick. Communal seating Was plentiful. I will go back every time I visit Florence. read more

This market certainly comes at you with the options. It's quite large, and offers shopping outside and dining inside. There are several restrooms throughout the indoor space and plenty of places to sit down and enjoy the food and/or drinks you may have purchased from one of the many food stalls. You can buy anything from a leather jacket to a Lampredotto to sweets to American BBQ to cheeses and meats and fish. This was one of the spots we returned to frequently, intent on our quest to try all the things and buy all the souvenirs. It does get hot inside, though. There are two corners - that we saw, at least - that have overly large A/C machines, but the air didn't really fill the space and people tended to congregate in front of the huge fans to cool themselves off before having to head back into the sun and the heat. The vendors we did interact with were friendly and funny and willing to share as much information as you could handle about what they were selling that day. read more

If you find yourself in Florence, this famous spot needs no introduction. Every possible classic Italian food is cooked to order and served among the very busy buzzing eclectic communal atmosphere. 1st order your cocktail of choice, this secures your seat at the table, then paroose the many food stalls and choose delicious options like fresh pasta made to order, salumi, fresh mozzarella and other cheeses, seafood, Pizza, steaks, roasted chicken, Gelato, and not to be missed the dolce of gorgeous pastries. Then, return to your seat at the communal table to enjoy your meal. It's a fun (and prices are oh so very reasonable) experience! read more

This marketplace is big with lots of different stands and stores including coffee, pasta, pizza, gelato, and other dessert. The list goes on! When we went around 1PM for lunch, there were a lot of people and very crowded. The first floor was already packed but we were able to find seats upstairs to enjoy our pasta. Our pasta noodles and sauce were fresh and made super quickly. A little loud but friendly people and easy to order After lunch, it was nice to walk around and see so many different things. Foods, souvenirs, everything! read more

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So seems to be a combination of market/food court/tourist trap of sorts but that does not diminish its cool factor. The Mercato Centrale is a large structure with 2 main floors. The bottom level is filled with stalls of vendors selling foodstuffs of all kinds and some prepared foods as well. From butchers to pasta, it can all be found here. There are a few stores that sell a little of everything to very specific stores as well. The top level is a large food court with just about everything you would want to eat including an American BBQ place (No I passed lol). There is also a specialty store (think WIllaiams and Sonoma but paired down) and a few wine shops. Outside is packed with vendors of all kinds as well. Its a fun stop for sure and you are looking for specialty Italian food to bring home its perfect. read more

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A must visit for your trip to Florence. There is so much to explore in the Central Market you could spend hours here and I ended up coming back twice. The first floor has different restaurants, cafes and vendors for fresh ingredients. I picked Porks which is in the back corner and was full of locals having lunch - the rice ball and mushroom pasta came recommended and it was the best pasta I had my whole trip. The second floor is more counter service with trendy food stall vendors of all types. I tried some pizza and a fruit salad both of which were really good and fairly priced, even for a tourist destination. I did not see any locals in the upstairs portion but I recommend to check out the whole place for the full experience and take a couple trips here if you have the time. read more

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So many options to choose from from snacks, main entree to desserts and drinks. Service was great and it was a energized vibe.