Mercato Centrale Torino

Mercato Centrale Torino is a covered food hall at Piazza della Repubblica 25, beside the Porta Palazzo open-air market in Turin, in Italy's Piedmont region. The hall covers 4,500 square metres across three floors and brings together 28 artisan counters, each selling its own specialities, so the cuisine is an Italian artisan food-hall mix rather than a single style. Regional dishes from the 28 counters are the main attraction, and coffee roasted on site and Neapolitan sfogliatella, the layered shell-shaped pastry, are among the named products. Because each counter sets its own prices, costs vary, though the overall price level falls in the moderate ($$) range and the format lets visitors build a meal from small purchases. The setting is a large, bright, casual hall with shared seating, a lively and often loud atmosphere and no dress code, which suits groups with different tastes and travellers who prefer not to commit to one restaurant. Its position beside Porta Palazzo, Europe's largest open-air market, makes it an easy stop after browsing the stalls. Beverage options are available from the counters, including coffee roasted on site, and visitors can combine food from several stands at one table. Opening hours are long: Monday 8:00AM to 7:00PM, Tuesday to Thursday 8:00AM to 10:30PM, Friday 8:00AM to 11:30PM, Saturday 8:00AM to midnight and Sunday 8:00AM to 10:30PM. No reservations are needed for the counters, so there is no booking difficulty, though seats can be harder to find at weekend lunchtimes and Friday and Saturday evenings. For information, the phone is +39 011 0898040 and the website is mercatocentrale.it/torino. Visitors can arrive at any hour, graze across counters and sample several regional specialities in one visit.