We first wrote about Il Mercato Centrale (“the central market”) in 2022. Yesterday at 4pm, almost two years behind schedule, the food hub finally welcomed the public. It’s the first global outpost of the brand, which has locations in Florence, Rome, Turin and Milan.
The three-storey Italian food hall is housed in a 1934-built art deco building at the west end of Collins Street. After a renovation worth $18–$20 million, it’s now home to 23 different food stalls selling fruit and veg, seafood, fresh pasta, cheeses, wine and spirits. And if you want to eat right there, pizza, cannoli, gelato, coffee, chocolate, risotto, piadinas and more.
Founder and global CEO Umberto Montano, who is heavily involved in the Melbourne version, opened the original Il Mercato Centrale in Florence 10 years ago. “The idea first began to take shape in my mind in the early 2010s, as I watched with dismay the slow disappearance of traditional food shops from city centres, along with the valuable know-how and traditions they represented,” he tells Broadsheet.
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“It is the people who handle the food that make it more or less delicious, more or less traditional, more or less creative. In its essence, my project, Il Mercato Centrale, brings the focus back to what truly matters in such a multifaceted activity: the human element, the ‘artisan’, and their ability to interpret their craft with one clear outcome – good food.”
Montano, Il Mercato Centrale Melbourne owner Eddie Muto (Flour Child) and general manager Gary Patikkis brought in artisans to take over 21 of the 23 stalls (the two bars are run by the Il Mercato Centrale team). Each has a different specialty, meaning there’s minimal competition between vendors.
Old favourites include Queen Vic Market fishmonger George Milonas and That’s Amore Cheese’s Giorgio Linguanti, who are are operating Il Pesce and La Mozzarella respectively. Newer names have also taken over stalls, such as former To Be Frank head pastry chef Alessandro Luppolo, who is behind chocolate shop Il Cioccolato and former Society chef Nikos Chatzopoulos, who sells cold-cuts and aged meats at La Carne e i Salumi.
There are vendors and food-court-style seating across all three floors. The upper level is home to a restaurant, two bars and, perhaps the most unexpected stall holder at the Italian-centric complex, burger spot Lo Smash Burger. But Nathan Zammit, who runs the stall, tells Broadsheet that all other Il Mercato Centrales have a burger spot, so they’re keeping up the tradition here.
The interiors were designed by Italian architecture studio Torsello Architettura, but Montano says the main source of inspiration was the building’s past life as a warehouse for McPherson’s Hardware, seen in the extensive use of steel and raw concrete columns.
“The Italian piazza culture fosters a natural sense of community, where food becomes a focal point for connection and interaction, and this is exactly what we aim to replicate with Il Mercato Centrale Melbourne,” Montano says. “I believe this sense of togetherness, what we in Italy call ‘convivialita’, will be the key element.
“It won’t just be a place to eat, but a vibrant space where people gather, engage and share experiences, much like the beloved tradition of the piazza in Italy.”
Additional reporting by Sarah Palmieri
Il Mercato Centrale
546 Collins Street, Melbourne
1300 546 566
Hours:
Sun to Thur 7am–10pm
Fri & Sat 7am–midnight
mercatocentrale.com.au
