Antico Vinaio to Run Bar and Restaurant at Florence's Palazzo Strozzi

Florence's iconic food brand L'Antico Vinaio will take over the bar and restaurant at Palazzo Strozzi, marking its entry into museum dining. The announcement, anticipated by La Nazione, is expected in the coming weeks. The new venture will feature a more refined bistrot-style concept, without the takeaway service that made the brand famous. L'Antico Vinaio, founded in the late 1980s by the Mazzanti family in Via dei Neri, became the most reviewed restaurant on TripAdvisor in 2014. Under Tommaso Mazzanti (born 1990), who joined in 2006 and has directed since 2016, the brand expanded globally, now with 56 outlets worldwide, including in the US in collaboration with Joe Bastianich. Revenue grew from €26 million in 2022 to €62 million in 2024, reaching €80 million in 2025. The brand's success has also sparked controversy, with long queues in Via dei Neri symbolizing overtourism in Florence's historic center. The Fondazione Strozzi, which recently recorded record attendance for its Mark Rothko exhibition, sought a proposal to revitalize the restaurant space in the 15th-century courtyard, open to both museum visitors and the city. The chain's proposal convinced them, but a higher standard is required, with table service and a varied menu, avoiding the kilometer-long lines and sidewalk camping.