Il Mercato Centrale is a 3500-metre-square Italian food hub spread over three levels in the 1937 McPherson building near the corner of Collins and King Streets in the CBD. It’s home to 23 different food stalls selling fresh produce, handmade pasta, cheeses, wine and spirits.

There’s room for up to 3200 visitors at a time, with free wi-fi and plenty of seating. And if you want to eat right there, the sky’s the limit. Think pizza, cannoli, gelato, coffee, chocolate, risotto, piadinas and more. Orders are placed via QR codes, with centralised tech allowing customers to order a mix of goods to the table.

It’s the first location outside Italy for the popular food co-op, which has markets in Florence, Rome, Turin and Milan. The ambitious venture has been brought to Melbourne by hospo veteran Eddie Muto of Barman and Larder group (from St Kilda’s Flour Child and Southbank’s Left Bank), alongside general manager Gary Patikkis.