what an experience! so many options to shop and eat. could have spent so much more time here…read more everything we ate was delish!

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.

My friends and I had a great time. The food was delicious and service was fast. It was fascinating…read moreto witness the pasta being cooked in the cheese wheel! Probably one of the best lasagnas I tasted as well. Their truffle carbonara was tasty - and they don't skimp out on the truffle! Free limoncello shots at the end! Do keep in mind a reservation is not mandatory, but I would highly suggest you do in advance. There were lines outside even before it opened! 10/10 would definitely recommend to anyone looking for good pasta.

A really great dining experience. Booked weeks in advance and for our time a lot 7-9pm, people were…read morelined up 10 minutes early to be let in. They brought us all in as a group (checking reso names) and sat us at individually tables. Then the "show" began with welcome prosecco, wine orders, etc. We got the squid and pork screwers as a starter and thought the flavors were just okay. The complimentary cheese bread ball and regular bread was super tasty. For mains, we got the truffle pasta (with the famous cheese wheel) which was fun to watch. The pasta itself was very solid, but not best ever. Also got the beef/boar pasta and it was better than the truffle pasta in my opinion and cheaper. The deconstructed tiramisu was yummy. Overall a good dinner with good service and pretty good food! An easy spot to recommend to others!

Definitely one of the most popular stalls in the market. Very straightforward where you choose…read more What kind of pasta you like between regular pasta, tortellini, ravioli, or gnocchi. Then you choose what kind of sauce you like and presto-chango it's ready in about 5 to 10 minutes. The biggest issue is waiting in line to order which can take anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes depending how long the line is. I found the pasta is very good, but the sauces were exceptional. We tried the ravioli with buffalo mozzarella and pesto Genovese, which is our favorite. The gnocchi was good maybe only four stars, but the Bolognese sauce was excellent as well.

I came here initially because I saw so many tik tok posts saying they had the best pasta. I ordered…read morethe pesto ravioli al tartufo. I thought the pasta was so salty and the ravioli was undercooked. It just wasn't good at all. I think I ate 1/3 of the pasta and had to throw it away. I don't understand the hype about this place.

Wonderful little shop near Porta Romana specializing in fresh pasta made by hand. Many shapes and…read moretypes to choose from and amazing fillings for the ravioli, tortellini, etc. They even offer a few delicious homemade sauces to go with the pasta if you prefer not to make your own. They also carry top quality dried (as in store-bought) pasta, canned tomatoes, etc. All the best!

Real good bisteca my favorite place to have nice steak in Florence . I have a recommending this…read moreplace.

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!

friendlist service we have had in italy so far. both pastas…read morehad great noodle texture papperdelle with duck ragu was good, usually dont love duck but this sauce was nice pacherri with zucchini flowers and saffron was unique. light flavor.

Hole in the wall place with a ton of charm! You 100% need a res to be seated, they had to turn down…read morewalk-ins. The zucchini salad was underwhelming but my pasta with saffron and zucchini flowers was actually to die for. I kept saying "wow". Lamb chops were pretty good, a bit too fatty for my liking but the few and far between non-fatty parts were fantastic.

If I could give 10 stars for Pensavo Peggio I would! I have been to Florence 3 times in the past…read moreyear and I make certain to come here every single time!!! The food, especially the Lasagne, is truly the BEST you will ever sink your teeth into. Unique, creamy, and absolutely amazing sauce and presentation! The pesto salad is beyond fabulous!!! The owners, Fabrizio and Gabriella are so welcoming, warm, and fun. We have become friends! The limoncello is pouring throughout the night for all the guests! The ambience is quaint and homey and the overall experience is always consistently perfect! Bravo!!!

Saw the reviews on Yelp and wanted to try it since we were staying around the corner…read more Had the Cacio Pepe and Grandma's Lasagna. Lasagna was 10/10 which is why my wife kept eating mine and the Pepe was still very good. Eat here for phenomenal food and value.

Osteria Santo Spirito is an intimate little Italian restaurant tucked away in a corner of Centro…read moreStorico in Florence and I cannot recommend it enough! We spent three days in Florence and ate here twice, and cut our tour of the Acedemia out of our schedule to make sure we could make it for lunch before heading on to Rome, that's how awesome the food was! The people running the restaurant are so amazing, they truly treat you like family while you are there. They were always attentive, but never lingering. Unlike restaurants in the US where you are expected to eat and leave as soon as possible, in Italy food is mean to be enjoyed over conversation and camaraderie, which means unless you wave someone over or your glasses are empty you are left to enjoy yourselves. Osteria Santo Spirito is no exception to this rule. You'll be warmly greeted and well cared for but never hovered over. You will absolutely want to make a reservation, a wait for a table inside can take a bit to get if you just plan to stroll in off the street, but the seating outside is just as beautiful and a bit more plentiful. If you visit Florence and are looking for a place that doesn't take advantage of the tourists, and serves up amazing food, this is your spot for

The restaurant was cozy and well decorated. Some of the staff were extremely nice and attentive and…read morea few were not. The food was excellent. We ordered the mussels and the famous truffle gnocchi, which literally was one of the best pasta dishes I have had here. Get it, you won't regret it.

This was a great find. It was only a 5 minute walk from my hotel in Florence. I'm so glad the…read moreconcierge told us about this place. We came here for lunch and pricing was great. I ordered the penne and it was only $8. My hubby ordered the pizza and it was only $9. Service was great. You can actually see them making the pizza in the front. Everywhere in Europe they seem to charge for regular bottled water so be prepared to pay $2-4 for it. Food was absolutely delish her and I loved it. I read some of the reviews after I ate here and I'm glad I had a great experience. My server wasn't super friendly because of the language barrier but the cashier and pizza guy were. I ended up eating here twice...lol.

The food passed my expectations it had great taste and the sizes were not small but it's missing…read moresmall details in the service like not removing some of the used plates and cans and some of the mules were not opened the service was strong putting attention the the clients but how I said is that they didn't remove the plates also I liked the that the tables were not small thing did have enough space I do see the potential of the restaurant but it's not there

We haven't tried the main dishes, but we went for the fun wine window multiple times and also got…read morethe cheesecake for dessert one night! It was so good! The atmosphere inside is also very pretty

This was a place that had one of the many wine windows in Florence. Probably one of my favorites…read moremust see place if your into wine windows and intimate spots