The market quarter north of the Duomo around Mercato Centrale, with Trattoria Mario, Da Nerbone lampredotto counter and Il Trippaio serving the working lunch.
Trattoria Mario in Florence's San Lorenzo quarter has been the working lunch room next to Mercato Centrale since 1953. Kitchen leans florentine trattoria.
Signature: Bistecca alla fiorentina, Ribollita, Pappardelle al cinghiale
Order: Ribollita, bistecca alla fiorentina by the etto, pappardelle al cinghiale in season.
Tip: Queue from 12:00 for the 12:30 opening. Closed Sunday and the whole of August. Cash only.
La Menagere in Florence's San Lorenzo is the all-day concept in a 19th-century housewares shop, with breakfast, brunch, lunch, aperitivo and dinner under one.
Signature: Brunch, Tagliatelle al tartufo, Aperitivo plate
Order: The weekend brunch, tagliatelle al tartufo and the aperitivo plate at 18:30.
Tip: Open daily 07:00 to midnight. The flower-shop entrance is a draw; book the back dining room for dinner.
Trattoria Za Za in Florence's Mercato Centrale square has run the family trattoria since 1977, with a covered Piazza del Mercato terrace and the full.
Signature: Bistecca alla fiorentina, Ribollita, Tagliatelle al cinghiale
Order: The full Tuscan tasting tray, then bistecca alla fiorentina and a tagliatelle al cinghiale.
Tip: Open daily 11:00-23:00. Book the terrace three days ahead for summer; lunch is the easier service.
Trattoria Za Za in Florence's San Lorenzo runs the long Tuscan carte from a square-side terrace on Piazza del Mercato Centrale, with the full Florentine.
Signature: Bistecca alla fiorentina, Ribollita, Pappa al pomodoro
Order: The Tuscan tasting tray, bistecca alla fiorentina and a tagliatelle al cinghiale.
Tip: Open daily 11:00-23:00. The terrace fills fastest in summer; book three days ahead.
La Menagere in Florence's San Lorenzo is the all-day concept inside a 19th-century housewares shop, with breakfast, brunch, lunch, aperitivo and live jazz.
Signature drink: All-day espresso and aperitivo
Order: The morning brioche and cappuccino, then aperitivo from 18:30.
Tip: Open daily 07:00 to midnight. Live jazz Wed-Sun from 21:30 Cash or contactless, both fine.
La Menagere in Florence's San Lorenzo runs a specialty-coffee bar alongside the all-day concept, with V60, AeroPress and espresso pulled on a Mirage Veloce.
Order: V60 filter of the day, cappuccino with house blend, daily breakfast plate.
Tip: Open 07:00 to midnight. Coffee programme runs all day; aperitivo from 18:30 also.
Sources from: Italy blends, Ethiopia
How they serve: Espresso, V60, AeroPress
Casa del Vino in Florence's San Lorenzo has been the 1898 wine shop and standing bar behind Mercato Centrale, with a daily crostini and panino programme.
Signature pour: Chianti Classico by the glass
Wine focus: Tuscan and Italian classics
Food: Crostini and panini
Order: Crostino di lardo di Colonnata, panino with finocchiona, a glass of Chianti Classico.
Tip: Closed Sunday.
La Menagere in Florence's San Lorenzo runs the cocktail bar of its all-day concept, with live jazz nightly from 21:30, a Negroni list and a full carte.
Signature drink: Negroni and jazz
Food: Aperitivo plates, full carte
Order: Negroni, aperitivo plate at 18:30, then the jazz set with a glass of wine after 21:30.
Tip: Open daily 07:00 to midnight. Live jazz Wed-Sun from 21:30; book the bar a week ahead.
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.
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.
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.
Try: Food-hall multiple counters
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.
Mostodolce in Florence's San Lorenzo is the brewpub-and-pizzeria for the Tuscan craft-beer scene, brewing eight house Tuscan-style lagers and ales since 2010.
Order: The house IPA on tap, the Tuscan-style lager, a pizza margherita.
Tip: Open daily 18:00-02:00; closed for August holidays. Pizza programme runs until 23:30.
Mercato Centrale in Florence's San Lorenzo is the city's main covered market in a 1874 cast-iron Giuseppe Mengoni building, with butcher and produce stalls.
Order: Lampredotto panino from Da Nerbone, fresh pici from il Tartufo, salumi from Cocco.
Tip: Ground floor closes 14:00 Mon-Sat (closed Sunday). The first-floor food hall is open daily until midnight.
Da Nerbone in Florence's Mercato Centrale ground floor pours the lampredotto panino for €5.50 since 1872, bread dipped in the cooking broth.
Try: Lampredotto panino
Order: Panino al lampredotto bagnato with salsa verde and salsa piccante.
Tip: Cash only; closed Sunday. Queue from 11:30. The plate of bollito-and-broth runs €8.
Trattoria Mario in Florence's San Lorenzo has run the working-class lunch counter since 1953 next to Mercato Centrale, with a daily pasta carte at €8 a primo.
Try: Lunch trattoria pasta and meat
Order: Ribollita, pappardelle al cinghiale, a glass of house Chianti for €3.
Tip: Queue from 12:00; lunch-only Mon-Sat. Cash only. Closed all of August.
Casa del Vino in Florence's San Lorenzo has been the 1898 wine bar behind Mercato Centrale, with panini at €5 a piece, a 200-strong by-the-glass list at €3.
Try: Wine-bar panini
Order: Panino with finocchiona, lardo crostino, a glass of Chianti Classico.
Tip: Closed Sunday; standing only. €3 glasses; €5 panini. The shelf outside the door holds your glass.
Mercato Centrale Firenze's first-floor food hall houses 18 artisan counters under one roof, from pasta to pizza, lampredotto and bistecca, with most plates.
Try: Food-hall pasta, lampredotto, pizza
Order: Lampredotto from Lorenzo Nigro's counter, the daily fresh pasta from il Tartufo, an espresso.
Tip: Open daily until midnight. Counter format; €15 lunch with a glass of wine.
La Menagere in Florence's San Lorenzo runs an all-day breakfast-to-brunch programme inside a 19th-century housewares shop, with eggs, pastries and a weekend.
Order: Weekend egg and pastry brunch plate, cappuccino in the flower-shop room.
Tip: Open daily 07:00 to midnight. Book the back dining room two days ahead for weekend brunch.
Mercato Centrale food hall's first floor stays open until midnight daily, with 18 artisan counters running lampredotto, fresh pasta, pizza and an espresso.
Try: Lampredotto, fresh pasta, pizza
Order: Lampredotto from Lorenzo Nigro, the daily fresh pasta from il Tartufo, an espresso.
Tip: Counter format; €15 lunch with a glass of wine. Open daily 09:00 to midnight.
La Menagere in Florence's San Lorenzo runs the kitchen to midnight every day, with a full carte alongside the live-jazz set at 21:30 Wed-Sun.
Try: Aperitivo plates, jazz set
Order: Aperitivo plate at 22:00, the late-night risotto, a Negroni and the jazz set.
Tip: Live jazz Wed-Sun from 21:30; book the bar a week ahead. Open daily until midnight.
Trattoria Za Za in Florence's San Lorenzo square runs the dining room until 23:00, with the full Florentine carte and a covered Piazza del Mercato terrace.
Try: Florentine carte
Order: Tuscan tasting tray, bistecca alla fiorentina, a tagliatelle al cinghiale.
Tip: Open daily 11:00-23:00; the terrace fills fastest in summer.
The Club is the basement listening room beneath La Ménagère on Via de' Ginori, with a bartender-led cocktail programme, an English library, a billiard table and a small stage that runs live music several nights a week alongside a compiled vinyl rotation.
Tip: The upstairs cafe and flower shop run all day; The Club is the after-dinner room from 22:00. Reservations are essential for live music slots since the basement seats only about forty.