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.

Osteria Pastella was such a beautiful dining experience. The restaurant felt upscale, polished, and…read moreexceptionally clean, while still having a warm and inviting atmosphere. It felt like the perfect spot for a date night or special occasion. The highlight was definitely the flaming truffle cheese wheel pasta--it's easy to see why it's so popular! Watching the pasta being prepared in the cheese wheel made the experience even more fun, and the flavor was incredible. My husband was obsessed. To top it all off, they surprised us with complimentary champagne at them beginning and limoncello shots at the end, which was such a nice touch. Definitely make a reservation ahead of time! The line was literally down the block when we went, so this is clearly a popular spot. Between the food, atmosphere, and thoughtful little touches, it was absolutely worth the visit.

Best meal in Florence. Pastella is a hit with all. Both locals and tourists seem to have found this…read moreplace. We were here 8 years ago and loved it and still do. And it seems everyone does looking at the skills in everyone's faces. We ordered the pasta cooked in the parmesan cheese wheel. We had the show and it was great. The fresh truffles were just perfect. The second entree was an order of Pappardelle with a Chianti marinated Tuscan Wild Boar. It was out of this world delicious. No room for dessert but the complimentary limoncello was perfect. Great service. Highly recommend making a reservation...the restaurant was packed at 1:30PM!!!

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.

This experience is about the food -- authentic, fresh pasta and sauces following Italian recipes…read more Service is expedient, but you have to understand this is a takeout place -- pasta window service :) and the line can be very long. The ambiance is typical of a local food market. They're located on the first floor, not the touristic second floor built for tourists. We got scolded for taking our takeout to the second floor and were forced to buy drinks to sit at a table. Got it. I was impressed best fresh pasta for couple euros.

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!

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!

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.

If you're reading this and debating making a week in advance reservation (no walk ins btw) don't,…read moreit's truly not worth it. Cousin ordered the Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli and I ordered the Fried Chicken and Zucchini (thought this would have been an entirely different and more filling dish as it was the MAIN course). The second it arrived I was visibly disappointed, a chicken karaage dupe paired with battered zucchini fries (22€). Not a single lemon or sauce pairing with the fried dish (at this moment convinced that it's a country wide business model to sell water and wine). Chicken itself was juicy and decently seasoned, good but definitely not worth the price nor the wait, zucchini fries fall short to a traditional Japanese tempura. Had a bite of the ravioli and thought the sauce was good but not outstanding, mainly a cheese and spinach dish, I think it's bold to charge 17€ for 5 ravioli. Besides the food, the service and ambiance were standard, big fans of Madonna and 2000s American pop music in the background.

Happy to say this place is still just as amazing as I remember it almost 10 years ago!…read more A couple of girlfriends and I discovered Pensavo Peggio during our first trip to Italy in 2017, and it quickly became one of the reasons Florence became one of my favorite cities. Back then, I ordered the Osso Buco, Lasagna, and Tiramisu--and I still remembered how incredible everything was. So, of course, when I returned nearly 10 years later, I had to order the same meals... and yes, I said meals! Fabrizio, the same server who took care of me in 2017, asked, "Are you sure you want two dinners?" I told him, "Yes! I want to try them both." Fast-forward to 2026: I walked back in two days ago, reminded Fabrizio of our conversation, and told him I was ordering both again. He immediately started laughing. Some things never change! My boyfriend ordered the pappardelle and instantly fell in love with it. We also shared a delicious cheese and meat platter and, of course, finished with Tiramisu. Nearly 10 years later, Pensavo Peggio still holds a special place in my heart. Highly recommend this cute little spot! It just goes to show that sometimes the best memories--and the best meals--are found when you venture off the beaten path. Some places are simply worth coming back to.

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.

Best Pasta, I've ever had. Stunning Place…read more Great Service. All in All best Italian Food ever.

oh my god...hands down the BEST pasta I've had so far during this trip…read more Truffle gnocchi (1000000/10): I'm going to be dreaming of this years from now. Creamy, perfectly salted, and the PERFECT truffle flavor. My mom doesn't like truffle and even she liked this dish. It comes out on a sizzling hot plate and the cheese on top is nice and crispy!! Fresh spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and basil (1000/10): sounds so simple but the spaghetti noodles were the best I've ever had. They were thicker and chewier and perfectly cooked! Everything was so so fresh Complementary bread was meh. Kinda dry and came with this olive (?) dip Hugo spritz (9/10): they don't give it to you in a cute wine glass and don't have mint so it's not aesthetic but was still very tasty! Basically like a fruity sweet white wine I'd definitely go back. Show up right when it opens and you'll be seated immediately!!

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.

Our waiter was very friendly but didn't know a whole about the menu. I love mushrooms so I ordered…read moreTagliolini ai funghi porcini al profumo di tartufo. Tagliolini with porcini mushrooms flavored with truffles. It was simply delicious. But let's talk about what Hubs ordered. He had Tortello di patate al ragù di salsiccia con pesto di rucola e stracciatella di burrata . Potato tortelli with sausage ragù rocket sauce and burrata cream. (Copy and pasted from menu) omg it was sweet and savory. Check out the pic, it had a cold line of burrata cream along the one side and pesto along the other side. The pasta was perfect! The stuffing was creamy and delicious. I absolutely loved the sweet flavor of the dish. My dish was delicious but Hubs nailed it this time. I would have went with 5 stars but the Antipasto Della casa was not very impressive. The main courses were 5 stars. The ambiance was perfect. We chose to dine inside because the mosquitos love me. Very large place with many options to dine.

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