Located in the San Lorenzo district, just a few minutes' walk from the main train station of Santa…read moreMaria 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.

I absolutely LOVE this market. They had everything you could want and all of the food was…read moredelicious. 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.

November 7, 2024 7:30PM…read more The Osteria was really close to the duomo and the ambiance looked so cozy from the outside. We decided to stop in for some seafood items and white wine. This is the place where I ordered my first vermentino of my life and have forever changed since. I thought I was just a sauvignon blanc girlie but I think I love vermentino more. I didn't get a chance to take a photo of the mussels we ordered but both the mussels and the spaghetti alle vongole (Spaghetti with Clams) were so tasty. Met some new friends from England while were were here that's from similar area as my partner's ancestors... The service was amazing, the restrooms were clean. Definitely a nice pitstop before moving on to sightseeing near the Duomo for the evening. Really love their seafood dishes that we tried. I thought they were very reasonably priced but maybe it's because I'm from a landlocked state. :)

Very cozy little spot right near the Duomo. I ordered the ravioli and a glass of vermentino, a…read morewhite grape local to Tuscany. They were both wonderful and just what I needed as a first meal in Florence. The service was welcoming and I didn't real rushed through my dinner at all. Would recommend!

Delicious food, amazing restaurant Take reservations ( very…read morerecommended to reserve) The staff are very friendly and nice. And the price very very reasonable.

Looking for a place to eat, found this gem and realized I wanted to try it. Everyone had told us…read moredinner reservations were a MUST here, but didn't think about it. Not many places actually have yelp reviews, but this one had so many with great feedback. The food looked amazing. When we arrived we thought they were closed, but that is because they moved to a bigger restaurant a few doors down. When we arrived at the front, the gentleman asked if we had reservations, which we didn't. He directed us to the line with no reservations. The line was a bit long, but doubled in size almost immediately. It also started pouring rain during this time and we were ALL getting drenched even with an umbrella. The non reservation line was not really moving unless people left the line. We waited a good hour. As we inched closer and closer, the lines were now both outrageous and getting seated seemed like a distant memory. The staff came out and gave out Sangria and Bread bites to help those in line feel welcome. We did finally get seated and we were so glad we waited, it was worth it! We ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, the lobster spaghettini and the chicken breast with roasted potatoes. We also ordered sangria. Everything was so good and our total was 83 €. Prices were unbelievable! We were amazed at the quality, the service and how large the restaurant they relocated to was. It was like a well oiled machine. The food coming out quickly and efficiently. I will 100% be back if I return to Florence!

Great great great! Came to the original location in Florence and was not disappointed. The lines…read moreappeared long but nice quickly. They're were three sandwich counters all within a stones throw away from each other and each had a line outsides sandwich was outta this world! Highly recomended.

This place is 100% worth the hype and wait in the line. There were be many tourist and I think…read moreeveryone should try it at least once (so good, I had it twice). Portions sizes are huge, def could be two meals or split among two people (tip: ask them to cut it in half to share). I got the italiana and the prosciutto was perfect. Even though it's like Italian fast food, all the ingredients taste so fresh. The bread is amazing too!

Trattoria San Lorenzo specializes in traditional Tuscan dishes. I'm not sure how we came upon this…read moreplace but I am super glad we did. This was my most favorite meal during our vacation. Diving right into the food, my meal started with their Carabaccia, a traditional Florentine onion soup that dates back to when Leonardo da Vinci was slurping soup. It was a wonderful start to the evening. Feeling adventurous, or maybe just hungry, our group decided to share their Bistecca Alla Fiorentina "Tradiziozale", a hefty Florentine T-bone Beef-Steak. Wow, that was incredible. They brought out a 1.4kg very thick steak for our approval before cooking. We approved, and agreed in having it served rare. I ate so much steak. Our server was great, helping us navigate the menu that resulted in this meal.

Near the Duomo and my Airbnb in prime tourist area I honestly wasn't expecting much but we had just…read morelanded and my whole family passed out so I went roaming and stopped here to bring food back. ALL of us loved their food! So much so that my Dad insisted we go there again the next day. Later in the trip we were looking for pizza since gustapizza didn't work out and their pizza was also amazing! Fair prices, excellent food, in a tourist area, in Italy???? Never heard of her until now! Besides the different pizzas, I had the Cinghale which was incredible! The Lasagna also fabulous and the spaghetti for my picky daughter. With outside seating for people watching or inside and a menu you can't go wrong with, I highly recommend this Trattoria. Only attaching the pizza photo because the other food was takeout back to the Airbnb and I never took a photo sadly.

Definitely a tourist trap and I fell for it. First red flag was when we were asked how we want our…read moresteak done - which I never heard at any of the Florentine establishments I have previously dined at. It is traditionally served very rare, never cooked past medium-rare. I guess they cater to guests who like their steak well done so they can enjoy it how they are used to and go home and tell others about their authentic experience in Florence. The steak was under-seasoned and I found myself salting it, which I never do. The pappardelle with boar sauce was just OK, also had better versions of it. The cheesecake was good. The service was good, prompt and attentive. Overall experience, I'm scratching this one off my repeat list.

I definitely recommend you make reservations! It was quite a long wait. The staff was friendly. We…read moreordered a steak and i love how it came out on a hot plate. We were able to cook a couple of slice more for the kids. The French fries was really good. Pasta was cooked al dente. Expensive meal but it was good.

My husband was craving Neapolitan style pizza, so we walked around to find a pizzeria. We found…read moreMister Pizza, which happened to be very close to our hotel. Not going to lie, I was a little bit worried about Mister Pizza being a tourist trap since it was right by the Duomo in Santa Maria Novella Piazza. I even noticed on the menu that they catered to specific dietary preferences such as gluten-free crust and dairy-free cheese. But hey, this was one of the few places I have seen that made a lot of accommodations. We arrived around 8:30pm on a Monday night. The place was busy, but it appeared that people hanging around the entry way were really there for to-go orders. We were able to sit outside with views of the Duomo. Service was fine. Servers were quick and attentive, but the food took a while to come out. That said, the deliciousness of my pizza made up for it. I ordered the quattro formagi and requested it to come with marinara instead of white sauce. I was asked if I wanted burrata, but I didn't realize that it was an upsell. I thought it was going to be in place of the mozzarella, so I technically had 5 kinds of cheeses. My husband and I loved our respective pizzas. I especially enjoyed the bursts of gorgonzola and parmesan that added bursts of unique flavor. The fresh creaminess of the burrata made for a nice pairing with the edge of the crust. Speaking of the crust, it was doughy and fluffy with air pockets. One of the best crusts on a pizza.

Located near major landmarks and open late, so it's very convenient. Waited a little while since…read morethey had one cashier and two cooks, but it was also very late a night/early morning. Unfortunately, my partner ordered a pepperoni pizza which wasn't on the menu after I urged him to pick something from the actual menu. It was still good and fresh. The wine was good, too! An understandably slightly pricier option for the area.

What an AWESOME experience, thank you Kelsey for making both our dinners here in Trattoria…read moredall'Oste memorable. The staff is so accommodating and this place gets my highest recommendations!!

I have been dreaming of having bistecca alla fiorentina ever since I can remember. Back in the…read morestates, I always get strange reactions from the waiters when I order my steak "as rare as possible." That is what I was expecting in Italy. Am I the only one that thought steak florentine was supposed to be served this way? Maybe that's was my mistake but I thought that's how it was prepared in Florence. Anyways, I was immediately suspicious when our waitress asked how we would like our steak cooked and her suggestions were medium or medium well. Uhhhh what? That goes against everything I believe in! The steak came out on a hot stone slab on top of a wooden box. The slab obviously continued to cook the steak so I immediately took off a few pieces to prevent this. The steak was thick and tender with chunks of large salt grains. It looked nice all sliced up but that's where the compliments end. It lacked flavor and ended up cooking to be more medium rare when I grabbed my pieces and then even medium by the time my dad grabbed his second slice. Our waitress seemed annoyed when we asked for the truffle sauce to accompany our steak (my dad forgot to ask for it when we placed our original order) and walked away with a huff to go grab it. The fries came out cold and limp with flavorless truffle shavings on top. I'm not sure why this place has such great reviews. Maybe it got too big for its britches and the quality has declined? The one saving grace was the crema bruciata! And the very understanding hostess who gladly pushed our reservation from 7:30 to 8:00pm due to travel difficulties. Whatever the reason, this place definitely missed the mark. You can't walk three steps without seeing a steakhouse here in Florence. My recommendation? Try one of those.

*Reviewing for us picky Americans abroad*…read more Food and service was fantastic! Ordered the seasonal vegetable soup, the wild boar pappardelle, the ribeye, and Nona's tiramisu. 10/10 for everything!!

First Impressions - we did outdoor seating and it was a late dinner so not much available. Nothing…read moreabout it stood out to me. The host was very nice and welcoming. It was outdoor seating so it seemed romantic. The Noms - Bruschetta: tomatoes were very fresh. I could taste the herbs. I ordered a second healthy because it was so good. Steak: hubby ordered the steak, it was hard as a rock Ravioli: overly sauced, yet still dry... how did that happen? I don't know. In Conclusion - would not recommend unless you just want the bruschetta.

We arrived a little early for our reservation so they let us sit in the bar area and grab drinks…read moreand small apps. The olives they brought out were the best olives I've ever had (had a little spice/kick to them) and I'd come here again just to have those olives lol! When it was time for our reservation, we were moved to the dining area. It is very cute and there are minimal tables here, so I'd recommend making a reservation. However, it didn't get too packed while we were there. Pastas here were delicious, but I think the Risotto was the star of the show. We had a great time and would come back!

This place was an adorable, they so had so many cute items. I could easily see bringing someone…read morevisiting to the store to get an Instagram photo and my daughter would've loved it! The food was pretty good, we came around brunch and missed out on a few things I would've liked to try but overall it was pretty good. The service left much to be desired but I think she was just very busy and we were not moving very quickly that morning. I would definitely come again, maybe early enough for a chocolate croissant next time.