Mercato Centrale Florence's first-floor food hall houses 18 artisan-producer counters under one roof, from lampredotto and bistecca to fresh pasta and pizza, open daily until midnight since the 2014 refit.
Must order: Lampredotto from Lorenzo Nigro's counter, fresh pasta from il Tartufo, an espresso from Ditta Artigianale.
Tip: Open daily until midnight; ground-floor market closes 14:00. The food hall is the late-night option.
Address: Piazza del Mercato Centrale, 50123 Firenze, Florence
Da Nerbone in Florence's Mercato Centrale ground floor has poured the lampredotto panino since 1872, the bread dipped in the cooking broth and stuffed with tripe, salsa verde and chilli oil for €5.50.
Try: Lampredotto panino
Order: Panino al lampredotto bagnato (dipped) with salsa verde and salsa piccante.
Tip: Cash only; closed Sunday. Queue from 11:30 for lunch; standing-only counter inside the market.
All'Antico Vinaio's second Florence shop, also on Via dei Neri, runs the same schiacciata-counter programme as the original since the 2010 expansion, with a 30cm flatbread stuffed-to-order from €8.
Try: Schiacciata sandwich
Order: La Favolosa, Toscano DOP schiacciata, mortadella-and-stracciatella set.
Tip: Queue runs the block from 12:00; the Via dei Neri 65r original is across the street.
All'Antico Vinaio in Florence's Via dei Neri has run the schiacciata-counter format since 1991, with the Mazzanti family stuffing the 30cm flatbread to order, the queue wrapping the block from 12:00 daily.
Try: Schiacciata sandwich
Order: La Favolosa schiacciata (porchetta, pecorino, artichoke cream) for €8.
Tip: Four shops on Via dei Neri now (1r, 38r, 65r, 76r). The Via dei Neri 65r counter is the original.
I Due Fratellini in Florence's Via dei Cimatori has run the mini-panino counter since 1875, a hole-in-the-wall format with 28 panini varieties for €4 each and the original wine-glass-on-the-shelf service.
Try: Mini panini
Order: Wild boar salami panino, the soppressata-and-pecorino, a glass of house Chianti.
Tip: Cash only; standing room on the kerb. Closed Sunday. The shelves outside hold your wine glass.
Da Nerbone in Florence's Mercato Centrale ground floor has poured the lampredotto panino since 1872, the bread dipped in the cooking broth and stuffed with tripe, salsa verde and chilli oil for €5.50.
Try: Lampredotto panino
Order: Panino al lampredotto bagnato (dipped) with salsa verde and salsa piccante.
Tip: Cash only; closed Sunday. Queue from 11:30 for lunch; standing-only counter inside the market.
Trippaio del Porcellino in Florence is the lampredotto cart at the Mercato Nuovo loggia, next to the Porcellino bronze boar, with the lampredotto and trippa panini served from a steel cart since the 1980s.
Try: Lampredotto cart
Order: Panino al lampredotto with salsa verde, trippa-and-fagioli plate for €7.
Tip: Cash only; the cart moves around the loggia. Standing only; lunch is the busiest hour.
Trattoria da Rocco in Florence's Mercato Sant'Ambrogio loggia runs the market-canteen format under the iron roof, with a chalkboard daily carte at €12 for two courses and a quartino of house red.
Try: Market-canteen pasta
Order: The daily pasta, ribollita in winter, a quartino of house red.
Tip: Lunch only, Mon-Sat 12:00 to 15:00. Cash only. Come at 12:30 to beat the stall-keepers.
