Let’s try out this allegedly classic Lampredotto Da Nerbone and order a tripes sandwich for breakfast in Florence! Read here where you can find the best lampredotto sandwich in town!
Yes, we are still in Florence!
And there are of course a couple of delicacies and local food specialties here in Florence that I definitely don’t want to miss out on!
I have done my homework.
Local Food
Number one is – no doubt about it – the famous bistecca alla Fiorentina of course.
And on my to try list as well: a lampredotto sandwich, pappa al pomodoro (a cold thick soup of bread and tomatoes), finocchiona (soft sausage with fennel seeds), ragu di cinghiale (wild boar pasta sauce), schiacciata con l’uva (a sweet kind of focaccia bread dessert with grapes) and ravioli alla castagna (ravioli with chestnut stuffing).
To name just a few of them.
Florence
But first things first.
If you love tripe then you will love this next local treat: the lampredotto sandwich!
Lampre what?
Yep, a tripe sandwich stuffed with boiled cow’s stomach.
And yes, you just read that.
It is the 4th stomach of a cow to be very specific.
That idea immediately piqued my interest.
Or what did you think.
So off we go on our very first morning in Florence, looking for some breakfast bites. I read about the best place for lampredotto Florence has to offer and our landlord also confirmed that it is indeed the place to go to.
Da Nerbone is the best.
Let’s do this.
Central Market
So where is it?
You can find Da Nerbone at the Central Market (Piazza del Mercato Centrale) in the San Lorenzo neighborhood.
And you just can’t miss it, both the market and Da Nerbone. Go inside the market, walk around and stop at the counter that is surrounded by the biggest crowd.
We were there around 10am and it took us easily 30 minutes to order our food.
Queuing and be patient are the only things you can do here. On the opposite side of the counter are a couple of wooden benches, chairs and tables where you can enjoy your food later on.
Lampredotto
I know why I came here for.
This lampredotto sandwich (€3,5) is pretty popular.
However if you are not into tripes, then there are also sandwiches with roast beef (€4), boiled beef (bollito, €3,5), turkey (tacchino, €4), porchetta (€4) and pork roast (arista, €4).
Not satisfied yet?
A variety of fresh Italian pastas, risotti and soups is also available.
We finally lay our hands on our breakfast sandwiches and euhm, half a litre of red wine (€6).
Ka-ching.
Welcome to Italy! We sit down and look at our meal.
The hubs has ordered the pannino con bollito: a generous portion of boiled beef topped with green parsley sauce and a spicy red chili sauce.
And it looks absolutely gorgeous!
Tripe Sandwich
And there is the beast in my welcoming hands: the lampredotto sammie, and it also comes with green and red sauce.
The tripes are boiled in water together with vegetables such as celery, onions, garlic, fresh herbs and (sometimes) tomatoes and carrots until it is tender.
It is again a good example of a poor Italian peasant meal.
So here is how the guy behind the counter assembles the sandwich next.
Michetta
The michetta bun is sliced in half, both halves are put on a grill for a couple of minutes to crisp up, a portion of the hot tripes is sliced in the meantime.
The inside of both crunchy buns is generously drizzled with a splash of the tripe broth, then the tripes are added together with the green and red sauce.
Close the bun.
Ready.
Breakfast
We munch and enjoy our breakfast in silence.
These buns stuffed with meat good indeed. Lunchtime is closing in fast in the meantime and the crowd (which consists of a healthy mix of locals and tourists) only gets bigger and bigger.
Be prepared but don’t let it scare you off.
It is definitely worth the wait.
Highly recommendable!
And here’s where to find it.
Address
Da Nerbone
Mercato Centrale
50123 Florence
Italy