Mercato Centrale

Reviews

• Brian L.

  star star star star star 14 June 2026

  Not exactly sure why I hadn't visited this place the other dozen times I'd come to Florence, but it's one of the best spots to have lunch in town.
  Every thing you could imagine is here on the first floor, we opted for risotto funghi with white truffle.
  It's the spot next to the Eataly outpost. Finished that with a glass of Tignanello across the hall.
  Tons of great coffee and desert options.
  The ground floor has everything you need as far as grocery, wine, chocolates - you name it

• Michael S.

  star star star star star_border 11 June 2026

  This bustling indoor market in an iconic 1874 building of the same name in Florence (designed by Italian architect Giuseppe Mengoni) is notable for an airy open vibe with wrought-iron ceiling and soaring glass windows; however, Mercato Centrale is more about the food and the shopping than the architecture.
  
  Plan to stroll, browse, and eat. Mercato Centrale Firenze (aka Central Market of Florence) is a destination for Florentine locals and lots of tourists either rushing in for just a quick bite or to wile away a couple hours exploring the food and culture of Tuscany. Luckily, it's open 8:00 a.m to midnight 364 days a year so coming more than once is a good option, too.
  
  The ground floor is packed with food stalls and vendors including butchers, fruits & vegetables, fishmongers, wines, meats, cheeses, olive oils, breads, truffles, and much more. We grazed from space to space trying foods and getting others to go. Italian food was on my mind and my mind was on Italian food the whole time.
  
  Up on the second level is a massive food court with seats for 500 people served by 12 restaurants selling popular Italian cuisine like fresh pasta, truffles, charcuterie, mozzarella, fish, fried foods, pizza, baked breads, vegetarian options, wines, chocolate, and gelato.
  
  If you like European markets with variety, energy, and food ... lot's of food ... then consider adding Mercato Centrale to your itinerary for a quick lunch, diverse dinner, or to eat your entire afternoon away.

• David L.

  star star star star star 10 June 2026

  I was here years back, and it was a bunch of colorful food vendors of all sorts in a cavernous space with a few "eat it here" options along the sides.
  
  Since then, they seem to have added a second floor with the mother of all Italian food courts upstairs. Great selection - scope out your options before you commit. Gnocchi is a thing here. One vendor did only truffle pasta - black and white.
  
  I was there in the evening, on Christmas Eve, and enjoyed the scene as much as the food.
  The lights were great. Big modern cooking school with varied class offerings looked appealing.
  
  I saw the old stands, closed for the day still there on the first floor.

• Esther W.

  star star star star star 4 June 2026

  I'm a firm believer that when traveling in Europe and Asia, one should always seek out the local markets to sniff the soul of the city.
  So of course this famous market was on my list for my first morning in Florence.
  Wow!
  When visiting Florence, even if it's only for one day, David and this market is a must. Sadly, even I could not try everything, but between my family of four adults and two kids, we managed to get a delicious taste of the best of Florentine cuisine.
  It was all good...antipasto, pasta, pizza, gelato, cannolis, etc. Everything. Just walk around and pick out anything that looks appealing.
  After happily stuffing ourselves, we went downstairs to shop and stock up on everything truffle to bring home. We also got good deals on leather backpacks and soccer sweatshirts for the kids.

• Kara K.

  star star star star star_border 18 May 2026

  I would give it 5-stars, except for the fact that it was SOO crowded both times we visited!  The downstairs is an indoor market with everything from produce to meats and cheeses to fresh pasta and biscotti (yum!).
  
  Be sure to checkout the upstairs though for a food-court type experience.  You can get everything from pasta, wood fired pizza, Asian dumplings, burgers, roasted chicken, and several wine bars too!  It's open late and no reservations needed (although finding a table can be challenging).
  
  Free WiFi too!