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.