PROS: - large space - great food options and variety - something for everyone - vegan, gluten and veggie options - large bar area - fair prices - hood quality food CONS: - gets packed and can get hard to move around They have great food shops and some great vegan and vegetarian options. This place is huge but also very popular and gets super-packed! Despite that, I highly recommend to try it out in the mornings or evenings when the crowds have subsided. Food prices are very reasonable and I love that you can basically customize your entree by going to different food vendors. read more

See all

This is one of the biggest markets in the Florence area, food markets that is. Being from San Jose we have something similar called San Pedro Square and there are so many awesome places to eat, that you really won't know where to start. There is pizza, burgers, beer, wine, etc. Everything I tried here was top of the line and there is plenty of seats. It gets a bit warm, but they do have giant fans blowing to try and help you to the best of their ability. If you want a quick bite to eat, at a decent price in Florence, then head over here. read more

See all

Visited On: May 20, 2019 Ordered: -Pesto Genovese (€10.00) -Ragu di Carne (€9.00) Thoughts: We arrived just past 8:00 PM and were searching for a vendor that was selling pasta. The food court was extremely busy and packed, with no seats available. We decided to place a take-away order for the pesto genovese and ragu di carne. Both pastas were good, but nothing stood out for me. Also, I can't entirely say the food is worth it for the price you're paying, considering the taste is average and the portion size is relatively small. read more

Mercato Centrale - Left: Pesto Genovese (€10.00) Right: Ragu di Carne (€9.00) - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

If you are looking for leather goods for a great price, I highly recommend this market. You can usually get a discount from the original price they state, said keep trying. read more

There is a large food market on the first floor and a big food court or food hall upstairs. The food market on the first floor has a bit of everything - produce, fresh pasta, packaged pasta, olive oil, butchers, coffee, fresh seafood, etc along with a handful of small places to sit and eat sandwiches or pasta. Lots of Italians doing fresh food shopping along with a good mix of tourists. If you're at an Airbnb type place, you could stock up on food if you wanted. Upstairs is the food hall. I almost completely missed it until I saw a few people going up some stairs on one side of the market. I had already eaten on the food market level, so didn't eat upstairs - but there were a ton of choices and seemed to be a lot of seating. In front of the market there is a street long of vendors selling mainly leather goods and some clothes (at least in the side I entered). The other market in town is SANT' Ambrogio. It is much much smaller. I enjoyed seeing it too but if I went to just one of the two- I'd suggest Mercato Centrale since it is more centrally located to some of the larger attractions (hence the name ) and has much more to see read more

OMG OMG OMG why did I wait until my last night in Florence to come here!?!?!?! And it was literally down the street from my Airbnb!!!! Guess I'll just have to visit Florence again ;) Ok, but seriously people you HAVE TO GO HERE. This is the coolest spot in Florence where all the young locals hang out. When I put it into my google maps and the app said I had arrived I was so confused because the street level market was closed. I randomly decided to walk up a flight of stairs and BOOM! I was immediately immersed in the coolest food market/court ever! So many Florentine meals to choose from and so classy! Food options included fish, steaks made to order, dumplings, roasted chicken, salads, WINE, suppli!, pizza, pasta...the list goes on and on! I started off-naturally- with a glass of wine and just walked around thinking of my options. I ended up trying the dumplings because they were making them fresh and because I needed just one night without pasta or pizza as delicious as it all is in Italy I needed a break. The dumplings were very tasty! My hubs got this roasted chicken beside the dumpling place and thank goodness he loves me because I had a lot of his haha. The roasted chicken with potatoes and veggies was SO GOOD! Like melt in your mouth meat good. Highly recommend and will return! read more

See all

It's fine. You would be better off eating somewhere less stressful and less hot and teeming with people. Food is fine. Long line for drinks at peak times. Meh read more

It's like a food Mecca. It's similar to like Grand Central market in LA, but cleaner and better. You get to choose whichever food you want, pick a seat and eat. There are waiters that will also provide service and you can order drinks from them as well. Some drinks are overpriced but whatever. Ambiance is great and there's many food to choose from. Prob one of the highlights of my Italy trip. read more

One stop shop for all things Italian. Endless market of local product on first floor. Immense choice of freshly prepared foods and wine tasting upstairs on 2nd floor. All vendors extremely friendly and helpful. This sets the worldwide standard for markets and international food courts. I used to only come here to shop, but it's become more of an all encompassing experiential foodie destination. Beer, wine, and champagne tasting rooms, and several artisan fast casual style restaurants in a food court setting will keep you busy for hours. It's becoming easier to head up to the second floor of Mercato Central instead of fighting for a table at the local trattorias. Open till midnight, too. read more

See all

This food-centric shopping center is a great place to have lunch if you want low prices and an environment of Italian people. There are multiple small, specialized places to grab food, like a classic food court. It's nice to see your food being made in front of you, right after you order. I had recommendations from a local to go for the pizza as something casual or to check out the truffle place if I wanted something classier and pricier. I ended up with a lot of pizza and no regrets. As a tourist, I recommend this place if you're afraid of getting lost. There are signs pointing you there and everyone knows where it is so you can always ask. The food quality is better than playing the odds at touristy sidewalk cafés. read more

Food hall that we wandered into after being a bit tired of pizza and pasta every night. Got some fresh juice, fries, fried chicken and dumplings. Nothing blew our minds but it's a nice alternative and lots of options especially if you are in a group. They have large TV's that show sports (French Open was on) and lots of seating. It was *warm*--not sure why it's so poorly ventilated so we didn't hang out after eating. They have a large bar area as well as an area that does cooking classes. Clean bathrooms. read more

See all

Good variety of freshly prepared pizzas pastas sweets . Lots of vendors offering variety of options. read more

Cheapest way to eat good food late at night ! I found out quickly that restaurants here close around 10 or 11 PM even though the Italians eat later! So I would go here when I woke up from being jetlagged and was starving! Several of the places are great and you just order your food don't have to tip the server because there is none but they do however clean off the tables. No service charge! And the fillet was €23 about half the prices I would expect for one that size. As far as how to order medium rare, to Florence cooks that is "medium". I returned to this place 2 more times. I was NEVER disappointed in the value! read more

Mercato Centrale - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

Once we discovered this market, we couldn't eat anywhere else. The selection alone is magnificent. Downstairs they have a traditional food market open during the day with meats, seafood, spices, pasta, cheese, everything. Upstairs, they have a selection of pasta, pizza, burgers, Asian food, roast chicken, everything. I wish every town in Italy had a market like this. One afternoon we stopped by for a snack and had some meats and cheeses. We had to come back that same evening for a dinner of pizza. The next night I had an Asian themed crepe and my husband had the pizza again. It was that good. I miss you Firenze. read more

See all

Something for literally everyone! A must try with so many different foods. There are multiple levels so don't settle for something on the first floor read more

See all

This food court has everything! I got a Margherita pizza, and it was delicious! It's indoors, and there's plenty of seating. There's something for everyone here, so you won't be disappointed. read more

Mercato Centrale - Margherita pizza - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

I kid you not we came here every single day during our stay in Florence. It offers a variety of vendors and food options and it offers a casual buzzing atmosphere. Fresh pasta, pizza, desserts, wine, you name it. I also enjoyed the best cannoli I had in my life here. Great place to go with kids. We prob tried almost all the stalls by the end of the trip. There's also a cooking school here. It's centrally located and down the street from our hotel so it was really convenient. Highly recommend. read more

See all

Excellent food, great place to eat, we came here twice while in Florence to eat. The fresh pasta was great!

Everyone can find something here, but if you have decision anxiety, beware! We arrived at night when only the upstairs cafeteria is open and eventually (and with such indecisiveness) we ordered a 12 euro roasted chicken/pork skewer plate that satisfied both of us. The salty, tender pork was the star! It DOES feel a little touristy, hence the 4 stars, but i'm told locals also hang out here on occasion. They've got pizza, pasta, fish, lampredotto, giant arancini, cheeses, tartufo and more. We will definitely check back in before we leave the city! read more

I stopped into Eatily in the food court, enjoyed browsing their specialty items, and bought a couple things, including a blueberry cream and some little jars of banana pepper powder. Also had a good chat with the woman running the store. Afterward, I sat at a wine counter and had a lovely sipping experience with a nice bartender. I ordered a glass of Brunello and also had a sample of their white sangria, just for fun. read more

This place is a great place to go when you can't decide on the food you want. They have a variety of cuisines to choose from. We are pizza, fruit popsicles, cannoli and a panna cotta. Delicious. It's such a fun atmosphere! If you are looking for a cheese and meat plate they have that there. Maybe some Chinese beef noodle soup - that's there too! Really check this place out, even if it's just to walk around. read more

See all

Amazing food! Fun place to walk around. Lots of choices. They prepare food right in front of you. Great gelato.

Great central market with so many wonderful choices. We tried a little of variety. Delicious eggplant Parmesan,'Cesar's salad read more

See all

Very busy. Lots of crowds. Worth the visit though. Tons of places to stop and eat and try different food. Cultural mishmash as you hear languages from all over the world. I had some amazing Chianti and Capri pizza. Very good. read more

Mercato Centrale - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

We walked over about 2300 on a Sunday. We weren't sure we even had the right place since at night with darkened streets and an unnamed warehouse, seemed like something from a post apocalyptic movie. Then, we went inside, took escalator to 2nd floor and the lights, sounds and smells filled the air. What a great place. We walked around looking at all the different food vendors and everyone chose exactly what they wanted. I had Truffle Risotto from the truffle risotto guy, spaghetti carbonara from the spaghetti carbonara guy, some wine and cheese, ramen, dumplings and biscotti. All delicious! Totally worth the creepy surroundings in the middle of the night. read more

Mercato Centrale - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

Just like those new market place areas springing up in so cal! There are two floors: the first floor is more of a fresh produce market for people to purchase ingredients for meals. They have it all from fresh veggies and fish to 'ready to-go' meals of cooked meat and pasta. There are also little shops selling different items including candy and olive oil. Upstairs is composed of restaurants, most with counter service. There were a couple restaurants that had table service on the third floor but it was just pizza and we wanted sandwiches for lunch. We ended up going to a booth in the center of the complex where a chef was making the sandwiches fresh and made to order. I ordered the salmon and my husband ordered the eggplant but there were lots of other options! It was much better than other sandwhich restaurants that just had the sandwiches sitting for awhile. Would definitely recommend this place if you visit this city of Italy! read more

Mercato Centrale - One of the many restaurants. - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

Must stop by here if you're ever in Firenze! It's an awesome indoor marketplace with tons of food options and seating. It was raining when I was there so this was a great place to escape from the rain. However we got there around 11:30 am so it was pretty empty but by the time we left there around 1 pm it was PACKED. We only tried one thing while we were there and it was the truffle risotto. Truffle risotto (2/5): honestly pretty disappointing. The risotto itself felt like it needed to cook a little more as it had too much chew to it. The truffle flavor was delicious but I had trouble eating it all because of the texture itself. However it was served hot and with a generous flavoring of truffle. Even though what I ate wasn't the best, I'd highly recommend checking out the entire market as they had so many options. I can't fairly base an entire review of the market on one dish so I would love to come back here again and taste what else this market has to offer! read more

Mercato Centrale - Truffle risotto - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

To compare this to an American food court would be an insult. The first floor consists of an amazing assortment of butcher, produce, seafood, bread and cheese stalls. Restaurants are upstairs with a wonderful bar and seating in the middle. The offerings are varied, delightful, and reasonably priced. Explore and choose what you want. It is all excellent! read more

Mercato Centrale was one of my favorite places to go on a Sunday afternoon. The atmosphere is, of course, touristy but mostly Italian tourists and lively. I usually had a glass of wine and pizza and for dessert a Cannolo. read more

Fun experience if you are traveling through Florence but in order to find a truly authentic merchandise you must sift through a lot of vendor just selling same, generic goods. The first floor when you enter is mostly meat, produce, spices, etc. while there is food court upstairs. I was hunting for the best possible oregano and olive oil as my Italian colleague from work advised me to bring some back from Italy if I can because American kinds just don't compare. Most of herbs being sold here come in plastic bags and are often sold with other merchandise like truffle spread, dried pastas, etc. and while I have no doubt they taste fine, I really wanted to get something more authentic and not packaged and from a true specialist. I found a man in the corner of the market who had rows of large glass jars of spices as well as dried fruits and nuts, selling them by weight. He only sold spices and dried goods. Yes, I have found my spice guy. He said his oregano is from Sicily, the best. I got 50 grams worth of fragrant Oregano at a good price. I also got a small can of olive oil from Chianti region from another vendor. Here I found this olive oil by Pruneti that I saw no other vendors were selling. I sampled both organic olive oil and "DOP" from Chianti and ended up buying the latter. It had a very strong, deep olive oil taste which makes it perfect for drizzling over bread and salad. Overall very happy with my purchase but a lot of packaged goods sold here are rather generic and not really artisanal or by in-house specialists. It is rather touristy. read more

Mercato Centrale - Delicious, high quality olive oil from Chianti region I purchased at one of the vendors. - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

Great place to unwind especially if you've been walking around the lovely streets of Florence. The upper level is more of the food court and if you're craving for pizza, definitely get the Margherita here! You will not be disappointed. If you're feeling for something more meaty, I highly recommend the sandwich place on the main level, Da Nerbone. The long line speaks for itself. Lots of stalls to browse and do some Shopping. For those that like to buy gag gift souvenirs, this was the cheapest place to buy the penis pasta at €2 a bag! read more

Mercato Centrale - Lots of great choices to pick from - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

A vibrant marketplace with plenty of fresh food to enjoy from pastas to pizzas to meat! I came later in the day at an hour where most of the stands on the bottom floor were closed so I immediately made my way up to the second floor where the food court was. It's not a big food court but it was bustling and you could see that food was made fresh from stand to stand. I got a pizza that tasted very fresh and although I'm not used to pizzas without meat, this one was delicious! The crust was extra crisp and the tomato sauce was very flavorful! I only spent one day in Florence so that's all I tried at the market but it was enough to convince me that there was more delicious food to be found there. I think this market is entirely worth trying! My only critique is that the food stands seemed very competitive-- almost like the same exact restaurant had 2-3 booths in that same marketplace. I wish there was more of a variety but it works and its awesome! read more

Mercato Centrale - Food Court Near Me - Florence, FI

See all

Great market if you want to eat a lot of different Italian food in one place. Since my husband and I were only in Florence for a day, the food court area upstairs was perfect for us. The open food court - like area was extensive without being overwhelming. We were able to try everything we wanted without experiencing any fomo. We took Yelp's recommendations and shared a margherita pizza. We thought it was amazing, and we come from one of the best pizza producing areas in the world. The cannoli I got from the cannoli stand was the best I've ever had. You can get a small or a large. The cream was thinner and less cheesy (more creamy) than what I'm used to. The truffle pasta and risotto were fresh, perfectly al dente, and had the most generous amount of truffles I've ever seen. We had a large crostini with burrata, tomatoes, basil, oil, and balsamic vinegar. It was good, but I probably should have saved room for more pasta. We had such an amazing time that we actually came back later in the day before taking our train back to Rome, but couldn't bring ourselves to order more food, as I had eaten two servings of gelato in the interim. read more

See all

What a fun, unique dining experience! Centrally located, the food market is on the second floor. The first floor usually sells local produce and closes a bit earlier in the day. While most Florentine dining options close around 10, this little gem stays open until midnight. It even has an available cooking class! The food options: solid. It is set up cafeteria style, where you order from your desired station, pay on the spot, and pick it up once it's ready. For large families with picky taste buds, central market serves as the perfect dining option. It literally has every imaginable option: pizza, pasta, salads, cheese board stations, seafood, pastries, gelatic, and non-italian cuisine (sushi, ramen, dumplings, burgers, fried meats/veggies). We tried a grilled calamari salad from the seafood station, a burger, and fried rabbit, which were all delicious. Only thing we learned: you get charged 0.20 euros per package of ketchup/mayo, something to take into consideration (especially for those of us who have to have condiments for our fried goodies). The market is also well-kept and clean (they have wait staff cleaning up the dirty trays from tables). Definitely worth at try if you're looking for a different experience! read more

See all

Love this place!!! I keep coming back for more. Great food options and prices, variety of fresh produce and meats. Crowded at peak times but great ambiance and service is quick at most stalls. You MUST come here if you visit Florence. read more

If you're somehow up early in the morning, the real Market is downstairs and operates for locals and restaurants... and it's very interesting to check out. The market on the upstairs that most everyone else uses is a giant Marketplace of every type of food you can imagine. think a food hall or a gathering of food trucks where you have everybody side-by-side and stalls offering whatever they're putting out that day. It's very hectic... especially during peak hours... it's open all day. I saw many locals here too because the food is that diverse and that good. Pro tip: there are two main entrances one has a wine bar just as you enter... there is also a large bar in the middle opposite. I recommend you find the wine first, grab a glass and they'll let you walk around and check out the food at your leisure. read more

See all

A total and compete foodies paradise. Upon entry, I found myself in Foodie Heaven. The market has all of the bet Italy has to offer in foods and then some. It's a marvelous place to shop your foods, and if you want to learn how to cook like a real Italian, it contains one of the best if not the very best in culinary teaching schools. The place is huge and there are plenty of tables, so grab something from one of the stores or store vendors, sit down, relax and enjoy yourself. The atmosphere of the place is great, and rather hip adorned with a colorful kicky in style statue of Michelangelo's David which I noted everyone admiring; housewives, girls, straight men and even not so secretly by some of the gay patrons. Maybe that's the reason it has "Get Lucky" painted right next to his most visually vividly sex tool. LOL! Now don't get worried. I've included explicit pictures of David in my review. Unless you're a frumpy prude, you'll enjoy seeing what I'm talking about. Compared to other such markets in Europe, this market, though having more of an emphasis on meats than seafood, can stand up against any of the best of them. read more

See all

Go to the second floor. There's a large variety of restaurants you can choose from up there. I really liked the truffle place. Get the pasta with black truffles. You'll have to walk a lot to burn off those calories, but the truffle aroma is well worth it! The pizza place is also very good. There's also a cooking school up there that you can watch! read more

See all

I COULDN'T STOP SMILING HERE. The world-class local mercato is a must-visit on your trip to Firenze! There are tons of local vendors selling everything from fresh fish to truffle oil and you'll find it tough not to buy a new suitcase so you can ship everything home. Seriously, I wanted to cry tears of joy at the sight of so much fresh meat, fruit, cheese, vegetables and truffles. Pro Tips: - Bring cash - Pick up inexpensive gourmet souvenirs here for friends and family read more

See all

Everybody knows I'm a food market JUNKIE. If there is a food market somewhere in a town, I will travel to check it out. Mercato Centrale is worth the trip to Florence. While I don't think it's the best market in the world, it's pretty damn good! Outside the main market building you'll find rows and rows and rows of touristy stalls hawking cheap t-shirts, scarves, shoes, toys and more. Beware that a lot of the junk is made in China but if you want a lovely real leather jacket made in Italy, you can find them here. BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR LABELS because there's also a lot of fake leather jackets and fake knock-off designer bags as well. The good stuff is inside the actual building. Weave your way through the throngs of tourist hoards and head inside. Here's where you'll find the magic and the FOOD! With a handful of truly touristy junk-food shops (olive oils bottled for travel, pasta shaped like penises, etc.), you'll mostly find real food stands where locals and chefs pick up fresh goods for the evening's meals. You'll find all sorts of exotic local fish, live snails, horse meat, and whole dead chickens (looking right back at ya). There are several fresh veggie stalls (it's rude to touch the produce yourself in Italy, so look but don't touch), fruit stalls, and bakeries. Fresh pasta is in abundance as are stalls with sundried tomatoes and oils. There are several coffee bars and sit-down places to sample pastas, veggies, local salami and more. Be sure to take advantage. You can have a full meal just by snacking around the market. A must-see for foodies everywhere. read more

See all