Florence Central Market Food Tour: Lampredotto & Truffle Pasta

Our adventure began at 2:30 AM from our home in Debrecen, a journey that ultimately brought us to the vibrant Florence Central Market by 10:00 AM! The entire trip spanned roughly 7.5 hours, a multi-leg route that took us from Debrecen to Budapest Airport, then on to Bologna Airport, and finally into the heart of Florence.

We managed to grab about 1.5 hours of sleep on the plane and another 1.5 hours on the bus, catching precious Zs whenever we could!

Since there are no direct flights from Budapest to Florence, we booked tickets to Bologna Airport. From Bologna, you have two main options to reach Florence: by train or by bus. We opted for the bus, as it offered a direct route without any transfers, making for a smoother arrival.

How to Get from Bologna Airport to Florenceblog.naver.com

Our first mission at the Florence Central Market? To devour some authentic Lampredotto stew!

Here’s why it was at the top of our list:

1) Hungary, my beloved home, simply doesn't have tripe dishes like this!

2) Da Nerbone, our target spot, opens bright and early at 8:30 AM.

As soon as you enter the main gate of the Central Market, head straight and then turn left. You'll quickly spot:

This is the legendary home of Lampredotto. There are a couple of popular spots inside the market, but we always go for the one with the longest line – a sure sign of its deliciousness!

When we arrived at 10:00 AM, the queue was about twice the length you see in this picture, and it took us a good 30-40 minutes to reach the front.

The Menu

The Lampredotto stew, a delightful mix of tripe and slow-cooked beef, costs 9.5 Euros. Once you reach the cashier, simply tell them your order. While one person is ordering, it's a smart move for another to scout out a table nearby. This place gets incredibly busy, so finding a seat can be tough, and sharing tables is common!

We opted for one portion of the Lampredotto stew. After paying and getting your receipt, head to the serving station where they'll dish it out. This is crucial: make sure to repeatedly ask for extra ⭐spicy sauce⭐! It's an absolute must-have and elevates the flavor significantly.

We chose the stew over the more popular Lampredotto sandwich because we wanted to fully appreciate the pure taste of the tripe and beef. Plus, we knew we had another stop for truffle pasta in the market, so we focused on one dish here.

Even though we'd had a good breakfast and weren't ravenous, the Lampredotto and beef stew was absolutely perfect. The tripe had not a hint of gamey flavor and was incredibly tender, far softer than what you might find elsewhere. Even for those who usually avoid chewy textures, this tripe is a dream. The beef, often prone to being dry if not cooked right, was melt-in-your-mouth soft and perfectly tender. And that spicy sauce? It truly brought everything together. It was so good, I wished I had a bowl of rice to mix it with instead of bread! The bread, however, was a tad on the hard side.

After our satisfying Lampredotto experience, we headed upstairs.

The Florence Central Market is laid out with various shops on the first floor, while the second floor is a bustling food court, home to an array of culinary delights.

Our next stop was:

This establishment has four locations across Italy, with the Florence Central Market branch being the original, opened in 2014.

We chose Il Tartufo because we couldn't secure a reservation at one of Florence's more famous truffle pasta restaurants, and this spot is well-known for offering great value. They also sell a variety of bruschetta.

Right behind the cashier, you'll see their recommended dish, Tagliolino with black truffle, priced at 23 Euros. They don't sell drinks directly, so you can buy wine, other beverages, or water from another vendor in the market and bring it over.

Your receipt will have an order number, so hold onto it until your number is called. We decided to soak in the atmosphere and sat at the bar to enjoy our meal.

My initial impression upon receiving the pasta, and my final thoughts after eating it, remained the same. It lacked a strong aroma, likely due to a sparse amount of cheese, and wasn't very salty – in fact, it tasted quite bland. Authentic truffle pasta should be rich with cheese and boast an intense truffle fragrance, which made me suspect they might have used out-of-season truffles. The fresh pasta had an interesting texture, different from what we typically eat, which was enjoyable. However, the unique texture alone wasn't enough to make this a standout choice. For the price, the quality of the dish was simply not high enough.

If you head deep into the market, opposite Il Tartufo, you'll find the restrooms. Keep your receipt handy, as it grants you free access – a useful tip before you leave the market!

Despite being a high-traffic area, the facilities were surprisingly clean.

If I were to visit again, I'd definitely choose to fill up on both the Lampredotto stew and the Lampredotto sandwich. Even indulging in both would only cost 19 Euros, making it a far better value than the truffle pasta.

Overall Verdict

Lampredotto ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A flavor I'd happily return for.

Truffle Pasta ⭐⭐

The fresh pasta texture was unique, but the taste and aroma were nothing special.