A sandwich shop dubbed the ‘best in the world’ has opened in UK – but the prices have left some Brits cold.
All’Antico Vinaio, which first opened in Florence in 1991, opened its doors in Soho this week with Londoners queuing up to get their hands on a bite.
The original shop is located under the walls of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio and is famous for its signature schiacciata, a traditional Florentine flatbread that’s thinner that foccacia. Since, branches have opened in the US and Dubai.
The London menu features the brand’s classic sandwich combinations, such as La Favolosa (Sbriciolona salami, pecorino cream, artichoke cream and spicy aubergines); La Schiacciata del Boss (prosciutto crudo, pecorino, truffle cream and rocket); La Toscana (Sbriciolona salami and sun-dried tomatoes).
Prices start at £9.90 for simple options like the Emiliana, which only has mortadella and stracciatella cheese, to £14.90 for big, highly filling options like the Tommy, which is fully stuffed with prosciutto crudo di Parma, stracciatella cheese, truffle cream and spicy aubergines.
There are also exclusive new combinations created just for this location, such as the London – which contains thinly slice porchetta, caramelised onion, potato cream and mature cheddar.
Many of the sandwich fillings, particularly the cured meats and cheeses, have been imported from Italy to the UK to ensure authentic Italian flavours.
The opening of All’Antico Vinaio’s London outpost attracted hundreds of people who queued for hours for a first bite of the ‘world’s most popular sandwich’ – encouraged by the brand’s promise of a free sandwich for the first 500 guests in line.
Londoners flocked to the brand new London branch of All’Antico Vinaio, a Florentine sandwich shop that claims to be ‘the most famous in the world’
The London menu features the brand’s classic sandwich combinations, such as La Favolosa (pictured); La Schiacciata del Boss; and La Toscana
Tommaso, who has been hailed as one of Italy’s top young restaurateurs, said of the opening: ‘I’m truly honoured to open our first location in the UK, especially in such an important city like London.
‘This marks a crucial milestone in All’Antico Vinaio’s growth, and we hope to replicate the success we’ve had in the U.S.
‘This is the seventh country where we’re opening AV, driven by our passion for sharing a piece of Italian culinary tradition with the world.’
Eating With Tod, whose real name is Toby Inskip, shared clips of the queues out the door for All’Antico Vinaio, with dozens of people forming an orderly line that snaked down Old Compton Street and Wardour Street.
‘The streets of London today are like the streets of Florence, I’ve never seen so many people queueing for a sandwich,’ he said in his video.
People began queueing at 9am in anticipation for the opening of All’Antico Vinaio’s London outpost on Saturday September 20
The line out the doors of All’Antico Vinaio went all the way down Old Compton Street and Wardour Street
Tommaso Mazzanti, whose family founded the legendary All’Antico Vinaio in 1991 in Florence, stands outside the newly opened London branch
Pretty Little London also shared a video of the sandwich shop and described the sandwiches as ‘absolutely to die for’.
‘This is easily one of the most exciting new openings in London right now, so grab your schiacciata as soon as possible,’ they added.
In the comments, fans could barely contain their enthusiasm about All’Antico Vinaio’s arrival in the UK.
‘Literally the best sandwich ever,’ one person declared, while another added: ‘AMAZING!!! Love this! I’ve been to the original, so I hope it matches its quality and service.’
A third wrote: ‘Ahhh finally in London!! Crazy. I love their sandwiches!’
However, others balked at the idea of queueing up for a sandwich, whether or not it was considered to be the best in the world.
One person said: ‘I don’t care how good it is. I will never line up – I’m [in a queue] that long for an hour for a sandwich I will finish in 10 minutes.
‘I will wait until the hype is gone and then I will try it. Time is too precious to waste on what the sheep say Is popular.’
Another opined: ‘I don’t care how good it possibly is, I’m not queueing like that.’
Fans who live outside of London may not have to wait long before an All’Antico Vinaio branch opens up near them, as the brand is planning additional UK locations for the upcoming year as part of its international expansion.
In 2014, All’Antico Vinaio’s Florence site was the most-reviewed restaurant in the world on TripAdvisor. It also has a whopping 44,573 reviews on Google, with an average 4.5 star rating.
