Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy and in the whole world. Millions of people come here to admire the artistic and architectural marvels of this city, made by some of the most famous and important artists in human history. But Florence has also a strong culinary scene with restaurants serving excellent Italian and especially Tuscan cuisine (with dishes like the renown bistecca alla fiorentina).
Surprisingly the most famous place to eat in Florence is not an expensive restaurant but a small place which makes sandwiches with foccacia called All’ Antico Vinaio. It is the third most reviewed restaurant in the world on Tripadvisor (as you can see below) and according to the magazine Saveur makes “the world’s best sandwiches”. It is a must for every visitor in Florence and a beloved place by the locals.
All’ Antico Vinaio is located in the Renaissance heart of the city, very close to Piazza della Signoria, at No 65, 74 and 76 of Via Dei Neri. The shop was established in 1991 by the Mazzanti family in the place of an old rosticceria, which sold roasted chicken by the whole and at the beginning it was operating as a classic Florentine delicatessen. After a few years the family bought the wine bar across the street in order to expand their business and so the place got the name “Antico Vinaio” which means “old wine bar”. It was then that they began their 5 euro, street food approach that they still run today.
You pay 5 euro and you could have either one of their suggested combinations or you could make your own. The combinations are numerous and the ingredients extra fresh. It is going to be a hard task to decide how to fill your focaccia, as you would have to choose between seven different types of cheese, various creams (the truffles cream is excellent), eleven types of meat (like the unique porchetta toscana) and many more stuffings. Almost all day long there is a queue outside waiting to be served but the service is always super fast and usually, it does not take more than ten minutes to be served.
You have to believe us that by paying 5 euro, you would eat one of the tastier meals of your life.
Visit the official website for more information and watch a wonderful video from Food Insider presenting this legendary street eat :
*[All photos are from iStock]