Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio

Un marché sympa
Pour manger à petit prix
Les spécialités de la ville ou les fruits de saison

Having spent several weeks in Florence over the years, I find myself returning over and over again to the wonderful Mercato Sant’Ambrogio. Situated just northeast of Santa Croce and around the corner from the Loggia del Pesce and numerous antique stores, this indoor and outdoor market sells everything from underwear, socks, shoes and clothing to salami, cheeses, bread, pasta, fruit, vegetables and wine.
Locals abound and few tourists venture this far east of centro storico (historical center) even though Mercato Sant’Ambrogio has been around since 1873. The covered stalls outside offer shade from the summer heat, housing the fruit and vegetable vendors as well as those selling clothing, shoes, household items, and more.
Much smaller, intimate, and less touristy than the Mercato Centrale located on the northern periphery of the historical center, Sant’Ambrogio feels much more comfortable and authentic. You can even sit down at the small Trattoria da Rocco (Mangino Gianpaolo) for a very inexpensive lunch (open Mon-​Sat from 7 AM — 2 PM) at one of the few small tables where you will likely be dining with neighborhood residents rather than droves of tourists.
Oh, and by the way, gelateria Gallo Ghiottone offers tasty, Inexpensive gelato (€ 1.50) just around the corner! So if you are looking for an authentic experience, inexpensive clothing, and fresh, local products away from the relentless tourist traps of Florence, Mercato Sant’Ambrogio and surrounds is the place for you …
CombatCritic Gives Mercato Sant’Ambrogio 9 Out Of 10 Bombs

I love it, it’s my favourite, still original, an amazing experience… but do not tell anyone!

Being that I have something of a supermarket phobia, Mercato di Sant’Ambrogio is a bit of a god-​send. Prior to finally making it in time to shop here, I had been going to the local supermarket down the block from my apartment, which reminded me of a NYC chain supermarket like Gristedes or D’agostino: crowded, uninspiring produce, a lack of healthy items, hard-​to-​find necessities, lousy cheap coffee… is it any wonder I get the willies just walking inside?
But this market is different. Well, it’s surely crowded, not much you can do about that, I guess. It’s large and easy to navigate. There’s plenty of specialty items (truffles!). Produce galore. Meat/​seafood/​cheese/​bread vendors. I don’t even know that I took it all in properly because we only had about 45 minutes before they closed.
I should also mention what appears to be extremely fair pricing all around.
I realize this review isn’t one of my most exciting. This is merely a note to myself should I return to Florence!

As long-​term tourists/​short-​term locals, we choose to go to Sant’Ambrogio Market for the majority of our grocery needs. As others have said in their reviews, there is an outdoor market and indoor market. The outdoor stalls mostly have fresh fruit and vegetables, but also there are a number of stalls that offer cheese, bread, flowers, dips, salumi, honey, and even one that focuses on Asian produce and pantry items. The indoor market has permanent storefronts that have offer an extensive amount of meat, pasta, bread, cheese, wine, and more. There are also seats if you want to eat some of the ready-​made food offer at some of these businesses.
The one downside of the market is that a number of the goods are not local, and I have a hard time finding out right away if I’m buying an Italian product or not. Of course, I could always ask the vendors, but my limited Italian makes it a lot easier for me to make a guess or search the product for some sort of indication of where it was grown or made.
Since we have gone to the market several tomes by now, we have gotten to know some of the vendors well. They are very happy to give us more information about their products, give tips on how to prepare items, and have introduced us to the vendors who *they* like and trust.
The Central Market is definitely an interesting experience in Florence but for a true local food experience check out the Sant’Ambrogio Market.

If you need to shop groceries, rather than only doing sightseeing as a tourist, this is really the market to go to, rather than to the Mercato Centrale which is more designed for tourists and fitted for their needs rather than for daily and efficient shopping. First, prices are more decent in Sant’Amborgio and second you have real products and not only Italian typical products like truffle sauce to bring home. Also, the neighborhood is a very nice one to discover.
Outside, you will find the vegetables and fruit stands (and also some clothes) and inside the meat, cheese and even some fish. Obviously, you need to try out to find the perfect spot for you as the quality among stands varies but I can assure you that you will find quality products there.
My only regret about this market is the opening hours which in my views are terrible and antithetical with the very concept of a market: it is only open in the morning and not on the Sunday! But as products are good, I will adapt :)

By far the best market in town. Much better food shopping than the central market, and way less crowded.

My favorite market!
Outside: tons of fresh produce, honey, cured meats, flowers, pastries, bread, fresh pasta, clothing, and housewares.
Inside: cheese shops, butchers, dry goods, wine, and more cured meat.
Everyone is so friendly… I’ve been coming here for 4 years and have made some great connections. Omar is my favorite, and he slices strips of prosciutto to order. He’ll usually spread some creamy fresh Gorgonzola on focaccia as a complimentary snack, as well! The biggest cheese shop inside (owned by the charming Urbano) has a lot of pre-​vacuumed packed items that are perfect to travel home with and will also vacuum pack anything else you want for a small additional fee.
Variety, friendliness, quality, and prices cannot be beat!