For those who’ve never made the pilgrimage to the original in Florence, this opening is a gift—a chance to taste one of Italy’s most famous sandwiches without leaving New England. Expect lines, expect hype, and expect to fall in love with schiacciata. Bring friends, bring patience and bring an appetite, because when that first bite hits—warm bread, salty prosciutto, melting cheese—you’ll get why people around the world queue for hours just to taste it. At long last, Boston has a slice of Florence to call its own.
Boston’s sandwich landscape is about to get a little more Florentine, with All’Antico Vinaio—the hallowed panini shop born in Florence, Italy—opening its first New England outpost right in Back Bay. The shop is located at 565 Boylston Street near Copley and offers Bostonians the chance to sink their teeth into schiacciata bread stuffed with Italian meats, cheeses, spreads and vegetables.
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Since first opening in Florence in 1991, All’Antico Vinaio has grown into an international sensation, earning a reputation for overstuffed sandwiches, long lines, and unapologetically bold flavor. In the U.S., it’s already drawn cult followings in New York and Los Angeles, where crowds happily wait for a bite of that warm, chewy Tuscan flatbread layered with silky mortadella, truffle cream, pecorino and whatever else your heart desires.
The Boston menu features a mix of classic combinations and build-your-own options, letting you customize your dream sandwich with cured meats, creamy spreads, and fresh vegetables. But the star of the show is the bread itself: a rustic, olive-oil-kissed flatbread that manages to be both crisp and pillowy, a balancing act that’s hard to find this side of Tuscany.
For Boston, this opening marks more than another lunch spot. It’s a cultural crossover moment, with a piece of Florentine street-food history landing in a city that loves its Italian traditions almost as much as it loves its sandwiches. From the North End’s red-sauce institutions to the city’s rising wave of artisanal bakeries, Boston’s Italian food scene has always leaned classic. Now, All’Antico Vinaio offers authentic Italian street food energy, served fast and without fuss, but with the quality and passion that made it legendary abroad.