Perhaps some remember and dream of the days when Italy did not yet have gigantic supermarkets…read more.. but all I can think is that it was much less convenient then. With stores like this Esselunga, despite it's size, we can get our shopping done in 20 minutes and then move on with our lives. On the other hand, we are eating relatively standardized foods, including the vegetables, in their little plastic trays, which last oddly longer than those purchased at the Coop. All in all, while I prefer the Coop, the Esselunga is a good thing, and there are reasons to shop here. They have the best specials on packaged things and cleaning supplies. They have ample underground parking and big carts, so it is perfect for stocking up when you need to. Their stock is generally pretty consistent - they don't run out of food at the end of the day, and you usually find what you came for. For fish, see Coop S. Salvi Cristiani which I reviewed - the fish section here does not smell good :(

Oh Cara Esselunga, how much I love to hate you - but also love you, and hate you at the same time…read more This grocery store - supermarket in every sens e of the word is an institution to those who actually live in Florence (south) and besides the big Coop in gavinana usually the store with the most selection Pros: -lots of choice, including American style bacon, coconut milk, cranberry juice and lots of goodies that us expats enjoy. -good deals -carta fidaty (loyalty card that is free to obtain and gets you more discounts) -easy underground parking Cons -for some brilliant reason they often pick the busiest time of the store to restock goods which is just not smart -for those who just have a basket, not a cart, Esselunga STILL hasn't upgraded and gotten the carts with wheels like Coop, and the crappy yellow ones they do have are tiny and always broken/dirty. They need to clean their baskets -no self-checkout -no cheddar cheese (that is me being greedy but coop gavinana has it). -the water section is really far from all of the other drinks and kind of hidden, why? -often dirty advice - NEVER EVER go on a Sunday unless you are masochistic and want to be around a bunch of middle-aged women who will push you using their cart or leave their cart in front of whatever you are looking at. All in all, I would recommend trying to go as local as you or get your veggies delivered from a local farm and just go to esselunga for the basics such as pasta, milk etc etc. They are way better than the thieves at Il Centro and Meta Market. enjoy!

This is a wonderful fresh food store. The freshest vegetables. Fresh Seafood. Hand butchered meats…read more They have an espresso bar, pastries area, sandwiches, olives, condiments, pizzas and lots of already prepared foods. There were isles full of pasta and wine and other Italian special food items. The store is large. Checkout is fast and efficient. Well worth the visit.

I want to live in Italy for their grocery stores! The freshness of the food - the lack of processed…read morefood like the US. Love it

Loved this supermarket! Was a great change from the typical tiny markets in the center of Florence…read more Such a wide range of fresh produce for an unbeatable price. I could have spent hours in this store, as they have everything you could possibly need that one of the smaller markets may not have. Definitely worth the trip every once in a while to do a big shop!

I was staying at an apartment next to this supermarket so I visited often. Great place to pick up…read moresome food gifts and items for breakfast. The prepared foods I bought were really fresh and delicious too. Word of advice: you need to pay for your bags at checkout. I couldn't hear the guy that rang me up and assumed that he was asking me for a member card, which I did not have (I speak decent Italian btw). Turns out that he was asking me if I needed bags. He wasn't too thrilled when I asked him for bags once my stuff was collecting at the end of the conveyor belt and was really rude. Opps!