The bottom floor is great for authentic Italian real food. Make sure to go before 2pm when the close.
Upstairs is a tourist trap, but still a great place to drink at the wine bar or have a quick bite, but I wouldn't go here just for that. The 1st floor is much better especially the biscotti spot!
July 2022 update.
Ground floor fresh produce and second floor is food court …… fast food with a large varieties of foods and drinks. A few Tuscan specialties as well.
No cover charge. No taxes and no service fees.
Ground floor is closed in afternoons but food court opens until midnight daily.
We had a Margherita pizza …. Pretty quick service and staff seem happy working there.
Dough is very light weight and thin. A bit like pita bread. Light snack.
They also have this €10 offering. Happy hour equivalent promotion. ( appetizer drink and snack ) You can mix and choose from different vendors as the whole place runs the same promotion .
However there is no AC in the place. We were there at 10 pm and it was stuffy and hot. I cannot imagine how it would be in the heat of the day.
This place is simply awesome. It’s a good thing I don’t live close to here because I’d get very big lol. There’s food literally everywhere and there’s something for anyone. The first floor has vendors that specialize in local produce and they’ve been there historically for generations.
Go upstairs for more local food stalls and get a mix and match up different foods and drinks!
For grillers like me: recommendation would be to pick up a nice slab of steak from a butcher, get some local produce (vegetables, truffles, beer, etc) and grill at home!
Incredible foodie experience at Mercato Centrale! Here you can taste all the flavors of Italy and beyond. I even saw a food stall with ‘Japanese Ravioli’ who knew that was a thing? If you sit at one of the big tables upstairs someone will stop by and ask if you want a drink from the bar. I really enjoyed my time here sampling some of the different flavors. I will definitely return for more before heading out of Florence.
Great place to grab a quick bite to eat. They have so many options and you can't go wrong with any of them. We ate a couple of pastries from the bakery, had a beer at the bar along with some pizza. All of it was excellent. The atmosphere is wonderful and the theme of the market is great! I loved all of the drawings for each of the vendors.