Mercato Centrale
A 19th-century cast-iron market hall in Florence: shop for ingredients on the ground floor and eat on the upper-level food court, where the lampredotto sandwich and pasta are must-tries.
Built in 1874. The ground floor has traditional stalls selling Tuscan ham, cheese, truffles, olive oil and fresh meat, good for buying souvenirs. The upper floor is a food court with about 500 seats, serving pasta, pizza, steak, ice cream and wine, and it stays open late into the night. Da Nerbone on the ground floor is the local signature spot for lampredotto (tripe sandwich). The San Lorenzo streets nearby are full of leather stalls, so check quality carefully and feel free to bargain.
Opening hours
Ground floor about 08:00–15:00; upper floor 09:00–24:00
Nearby sights
- Medici Chapels & Basilica of San Lorenzo
- Giotto's Campanile
- Santa Maria Novella
- Florence Cathedral (Duomo)
- Galleria dell'Accademia
- Piazza della Signoria
- Palazzo Vecchio
- Bargello National Museum