- We're outside Osteria All'Antico Vinaio
in the heart of Florence.
Ask anyone here, local or tourist, they will tell you
that if you haven't been to Antico Vinaio,
you really haven't been to Florence at all.
Why?
Because this place makes the most epic sandwiches.
They're in the top 10 of the most reviewed restaurants
on TripAdvisor.
So we're gonna go inside to see how
they make their sandwiches.
Let's go.
All'Antico Vinaio is just minutes away from
Florence's Piazza della Signoria, the famous piazza
where this guy, Michelangelo's "David,"
used to stand fiercely until it was replaced by a replica.
Unlike its neighboring statue though,
Antico Vinaio hasn't been moved to a museum...
yet.
Let's hear what customers have to say about the shop.
- I'm here to study abroad, so I came from New York
to come here, and this is actually on our way to class.
- I've never been to a restaurant like that before.
They prepare the meal in front of you,
so it was pretty interesting.
The sandwich itself is very good. The mozzarella's fresh.
Everything's tasty, very tasty.
- It's very big and juicy. - Yeah, it's huge.
- It's nice, very nice.
Claudia: All'Antico Vinaio was born as a single shop,
this one.
But it has then expanded and opened three more shops
on the same street and employs more than 50 people.
On a busy day, they can serve up to 700 customers.
Sandwiches are done with a local bread called schiacciata,
which is heated up in the kitchen
and brought promptly to the counters, ready to be sliced.
Claudia: The magic of this place
is all about the fillings.
The shop has endless selection of cold cuts, cheese,
and homemade creams like the truffle cream
and the artichoke cream.
Customers can choose from the schiacciate on the menu,
or they can get creative and fill theirs
with anything they want.
You know that feeling when you're still deciding
what to order, and suddenly it's your turn?
We've got you covered.
For a great combo of flavors and Tuscan products,
order the Favolosa, the all-time favorite and best seller.
We spoke to people that have basically
just put my expectations this high,
so I'm really, really curious to see how this tastes like.
Let's dig in.
OK, actually hard to dig in.
Mhmmm.
This cheese cream is just like...
this cheese cream is from another world.
Never had anything like that.
It tastes better than the actual cheese.
It's not salty at all.
I mean, you may expect with all this stuff in,
meat, cheese, artichokes...
And there is a random horse passing by.
Of course.
Yeah, I mean, we're in the center of Florence,
so there is a bunch of touristic stuff.
That's the nice thing of this place.
It's close to schools, so a lot of students come in here,
and it's in the heart of the tourist center,
so, of course, there's lots of tourists.
But there's so many locals as well
that just don't want to miss out on the party.
The combination of flavors, it's really something unique.
You can't find it anywhere else here.
It's not like your boring ham and cheese. Forget about that.
This is what a real sandwich looks like.