Where to eat lampredotto, the typical Florentine fast-food

Where to eat lampredotto, the typical Florentine fast-food

PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

I guess the last thing a vegan would eat in Florence is a trippa sandwich … The sandwich of the working class is the lampredotto — the Florentine fast-food par excellence. The panino di trippa o lampredotto consists of flour sèmelle local bread roll, stuffed with boiled and sliced beef entrails, rolled and seasoned with spicy sauce. This speciality is served in the trippai (little stands in the street which only serve guts). It is quite cheap and generous in size, prepared to kill hunger on the spot but providing a bunch of calories and cholesterol, as the sandwich is dripping grease.…

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Central Market of Florence: tradition and modernity in one

Central Market of Florence: tradition and modernity in one

PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

Following the European trend of remodelling old food markets with new food stalls, the first floor of the central market of San Lorenzo (called Mercato Centrale Firenze, MCF) opened in 2014 to commemorate the 140th anniversary of its iron and glass building, which also houses the traditional market of the city on the ground floor. MCF offers confectionery, fresh fish, fried foods and dressings, fruits and vegetables, meat and salamis, mozzarella di bufala, chocolate, cheeses, ice cream, fresh pasta, wines, lampredotto and sandwiches. With seating for 500 people, MCF revitalized an area, which had been previously half-deserted, by residents departing the city centre. All the dishes prepared in the MCF are made with raw ingredients sold in the same central market. Touristphobics shall abstain.
Open every day from ten in the morning to midnight

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Fish delights by Ultima Spiaggia at San Lorenzo market

Fish delights by Ultima Spiaggia at San Lorenzo market

PHOTOS & SPANISH VERSION BELOW

Located in Spazio 3 on the ground floor at San Lorenzo market is Ultima Spiaggia. The fact that the stall looks like the most seedy and modest place in Florence (cardboard plates, paper tablecloths, plastic cups and a tiny bar with shabby stools) drove me to fall in love with it. However, its main attraction is the fried fish prepared with great care: tiny squid, cod and prawns with fries. The abundant dishes by this traditional fishmonger cost between 8-10 euros and are always accompanied by a local white wine for just one euro tasting as a reserve. The men at the counter are indeed peculiar, resembling tanned sailors with tattoos from Querelle de Brest.
Open from 7:30 a. m. to 2:30 p. m. (there are queues from 1:30 p. m.); Sundays closed…

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