Lampredotto in Florence: where to eat the best sandwiches

Lampredotto is one of the four stomachs of the cow, the abomasum, and has long been the pinnacle of Florentine street food. A recovery recipe that has become a symbol of the city, a sandwich dipped in broth and filled with freshly cut meat. The sound of knives wielded by every respectable tripe seller has become part of Florence's gastronomic legend, captivating everyone: here are the must-visit places for gourmet sandwiches.

The best Lampredotto sandwiches in Florence

Aurelio I' Re del Lampredotto

The crowd in front of Aureliano's stationary van in Piazza Tanucci is a sure sign of quality. The offerings, complemented by daily specials, reflect Tuscan tradition: lampredotto, boiled meat, tongue, tripe, and porchetta; there are also some vegetarian options. Attention to detail, such as ceramic plates, elevates the street food experience, already supported by very fresh products.

Aurelio I' Re del lampredotto - piazza B. Tanucci, 1 - facebook.com/profile.php?id=100052099277473

Il Trippaio di Gavinana

Watching Leonardo Torrini at work means understanding a piece of Florence's artisanal wisdom, which has long been concentrated in the hands of tripe sellers. In the more remote Oltrarno, together with his wife Silvia Sbrana, he runs this kiosk where you can taste the most typical cuisine specialties. It starts, of course, with the lampredotto sandwich – the best around – and continues with Florentine tripe and boiled offal. Torrini can also be found at major Italian street food events.

Il Trippaio di Gavinana – via di Ripoli, 169 - facebook.com/iltrippaiodigavinana/?locale=it_IT

I' Trippaio di San Frediano

A reference point for many Florentines who want to rediscover the flavors of the past in their lampredotto sandwich. In addition to the classic sandwich, you can order lampredotto on a plate or "all’uccelletto" (with beans), and each time it is prepared differently, always following traditional Tuscan recipes.

‘I Trippaio di San Frediano – Piazza dei Nerli - facebook.com/pages/I'%20Trippaio%20di%20san%20Frediano/172980373265756/

Lupen e Margo

One of the most famous and charming interpreters of the fifth quarter tradition is Beatrice Torrini, with this kiosk located among the stalls of the San Lorenzo market, an area also popular with tourists. Here she offers boiled lampredotto, Florentine tripe, mixed boiled meat, either in a sandwich or a tray: an authentic bulwark against the spread of mass-produced food. It’s worth reading the signs she puts on the counter, to educate tourists, such as the one advising not to ask to split the sandwich in half.

Lupen e Margo - Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo, banco 75 - via dell'Ariento - facebook.com/lupenmargofirenze/ 

Lampredotto Tato Mario di Mario Tatini

Lampredotto is undoubtedly the truest symbol of authentic Florentine street food, starting from humble ingredients to achieve intense flavors. Mario Tatini's van, known as Tato, is parked in a square in the lively southern suburbs of Florence. The delicious sandwiches are offered in many different ways: with pork rinds and beans, with artichokes, with leeks, with broccoli, with mushrooms, as well as the classic style.

Lampredotto Tato Mario di Mario Tatini - Piazza Leon Battista Alberti 

I' Trippaio di Firenze

One of the busiest tripe sellers in Florence is certainly Mario Bolognesi, a long-time favorite among various types of local workers who flock to this spot on Via Gioberti at lunchtime to enjoy a traditional sandwich with genuine street food flavors. In addition to the classic sandwiches, his mix of tongue, udder, and cow's matrix, known as "erotic boiled meat," has also become famous.

Il Trippaio del Porcellino

This establishment in Piazza del Mercato Nuovo boasts more than a century of history, having started its activity in the late 19th century. Tripe and lampredotto are the core of the offerings, prepared according to Florentine tradition by Orazio Nencioni. Enjoy with a glass of house wine.

Il Trippaio del Porcellino – Piazza del Mercato Nuovo - facebook.com/Trippaio-del-Porcellino-965448440163029

Ditta Eredi Nigro

For Lorenzo Nigro, lampredotto is a family affair: it was his grandfather Luigi, together with his wife Mara, who started this tradition that continues to this day. Lampredotto is served the classic way, with homemade green sauce and bread well-soaked in broth: a guarantee.

Mercato Centrale Firenze –mercatocentrale.it

Il Cernacchio

The place is named after the cernacchie, the nickname for the two sisters who founded it just steps from Palazzo Vecchio; it has changed management and been modernized in recent years, without losing its warmth. Now dominated by some traditional first courses, notably ribollita and pappa al pomodoro, served on plates and enjoyed in the loft. Of course, tripe and lampredotto, prepared according to the classic recipe and enjoyed in a round bun called semelle or passerina in Florence, are not to be missed.

Il Cernacchio - via della Condotta, 38r - facebook.com/ilcernacchiofoodwine

Nerbone

Lampredotto and tripe are the highlights of this crowded kiosk on the ground floor of the historic Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo; you can enjoy the former in the classic sandwich or, if you’re lucky, plated, sitting at one of the few tables in front of the counter, in a market section adorned with white and blue tiles; the latter with plenty of red sauce or, in summer, served cold as a salad.

Nerbone – Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo - storicomercatocentrale.it/nerbone 

Il Trippaio di Sant’Ambrogio

A bastion of Tuscan tradition that has been winning over Florentines and tourists for years with its delicious sandwiches that never tire: the tripe seller at the Sant’Ambrogio Market is a guarantee for those seeking the typical flavors of yesteryear. A simple yet incredibly tasty sandwich, rich with savory green sauce and made with quality meat.

Mercato Sant’Ambrogio – p.zzza L. Ghiberti – www.mercatosantambrogio.itv

Pollini

Near the Sant'Ambrogio market, Sergio Pollini has been celebrating the ritual of lampredotto for almost thirty years, now joined by his son Pier Paolo. Always at the same corner, initially with a stand on an Ape and now with a larger and more equipped trailer, Sergio and Pier Paolo are part of the neighborhood's daily scene. Over the years, it has become a lunchtime certainty to see the line of regular customers and tourists, ready to taste the excellent sandwiches of what is Florence's most typical street food.

Pollini – via de’ Macci, ang. Borgo la Croce – facebook.com/tripperiapollini/?rf=1799247753661014