Is a £15 ham and cheese sarnie from the ‘the best sandwich shop in the world’ actually worth it? We put Soho’s trendy new Italian joint to the test

A ham and cheese sarnie is the classic office lunch for many Londoners – but would you splash out £15 for one? 

It appears that for many Brits, the answer is indeed ‘yes’ if the queues, featuring hundreds of people who lined up for the first bite of Soho’s hot new Italian sandwich joint (dubbed ‘the best in the world’) are anything to go by.

The Daily Mail decided to sample the trendy new All’Antico Vinaio, which first opened in Florence in 1991, and made its way to the English capital this week. 

Just a few days in, it’s already making the rounds on TikTok and Instagram reels, with countless videos of mouthwatering cross-sections tempting shoppers to splurge at least £10 on creations made with its signature schiacciata – a traditional Florentine flatbread that’s thinner that foccacia.

The London menu features the brand’s classic sandwich combinations, such as La Favolosa (Sbriciolona salami, pecorino cream, artichoke cream and spicy aubergines) and La Schiacciata del Boss (prosciutto crudo, pecorino, truffle cream and rocket).

I decided to sample the brand’s popular L’Italiana – made with Prosciutto di Parma, mozzarella, tomato and basil pesto – along with bites of its Emiliana (mortadella and stracciatella cheese), Toscana (tuscan salami, semi-aged pecorino, sun-dried tomatoes, and onion cream), Ponte Vecchio (stracciatella, pistachio cream, sun-dried tomatoes and basil) and the Caprese (buffalo mozzarella, basil pesto, tomato and basil).

I arrived just after opening, around 10am, and already a queue was building with excited customers ready to tuck into decadent deli meats before breakfast has even begun to settle.

The shiny new buzz of the place was certainly felt. One excited customer was on a video call, brandishing the furnishings, and zooming in on everything from the cured meats hanging in the back to the rocket and basil leaves displayed behind a glass counter.

The Daily Mail decided to sample the trendy new All’Antico Vinaio, which first opened in Florence in 1991, and made its way to the English capital this week

The London menu features the brand’s classic sandwich combinations, such as La Favolosa (Sbriciolona salami, pecorino cream, artichoke cream and spicy aubergines) and La Schiacciata del Boss (prosciutto crudo, pecorino, truffle cream and rocket)

It’s a bit of wait but the service is stellar – despite there being some four people (only two of them on sandwich-making duty) to tackle a quickly growing mid-morning crowd, I was in an out within 20 minutes with five sandwiches under my belt and a belly full of warm free bread samples, adorned with an exquisite olive oil on top.

I felt that there was a big focus on the process – each slice of mozzarella was painstakingly sliced to be just the right thickness, and there was a special machine that created the perfect ribbons of meat – which added to the wait time, but it’s well worth the result.

Needless to say, the offerings were of course, superb. The L’Italiana was so freshly packed with fresh, good quality meat which delivered a decadent salty punch. Cured products, when cheap, can often feel a bit too fragrant and dry – and it was evident these were the real deal from first bite.

They were balanced wonderfully with the mild cheese – which was a good texture and didn’t melt and fall apart at first bite like supermarket variants tend to – and tomatoes that added a fresh flavour. 

All’Antico Vinaio’s pesto and basil were also not overwhelming but rather offered a delicate aroma to the sandwich. 

It was all contained in the now famous schiacciata bread – which, after surviving a 30 minute commute to our office, still maintained a perfect integrity and was not soggy.

There was nothing but glowing reviews for the other sarnies, too. The Emiliana was simple but tasty, the Toscana punchy and delicious, the Ponte Vecchio fresh and filling, and the Caprese, a classic staple executed perfectly.

To me however, quality was never going to be up for debate – it’s clear that the sandwiches are stunning (and a very generous size).

Elmira arrived just after opening, around 10am, and already a queue was building with excited customers ready to tuck into decadent deli meats before breakfast has even begun to settle

It’s a bit of wait but the service is stellar – despite there being some four people (only two of them on sandwich-making duty) to tackle a quickly growing mid-morning crowd, Elmira was in an out within 20 minutes with five sandwiches under her belt 

The L’Italiana was so freshly packed with fresh, good quality meat which delivered a decadent salty punch. Cured products, when cheap, can often feel a bit too fragrant and dry – and it was evident these were the real deal from first bite

It is on the one hand, very typical for central London (a much smaller, less tasty toastie from Ole&Steen is around £8-9), and the portion is certainly shareable, as Elmira could only handle a half of the sandwich myself; but the simplicity of the sandwiches makes you feel like you’re overpaying their fairly inexpensive ingredients.

But when it comes to price, I’m not sure £15 is sustainable. While I think it’s a fair ‘worth’ for all the labour, care and ingredients that go into it, I would consider a purchase from All’Antico Vinaio a special treat rather than typical lunchtime fare.

It is on the one hand, very typical for central London (a much smaller, less tasty toastie from Ole&Steen is around £8-9), and the portion is certainly shareable, as I could only handle a half of the sandwich myself; but the simplicity of the sandwiches makes you feel like you’re overpaying their fairly inexpensive ingredients. 

While the gloss and shine of the new opening is exciting, there are nearby Italian eateries which offer similar offerings for cheaper – from £7 to £9 – too. 

Many of the sandwich fillings at All’Antico Vinaio, particularly the cured meats and cheeses, have been imported from Italy to the UK to ensure authentic Italian flavours – which may explain the prices, but makes it no easier to justify the purchase as a regular habit.

The opening of the 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.

The original shop is located under the walls of Florence’s Palazzo Vecchio – but branches have since opened in the US and Dubai. 

As well as its signature menu, there are also exclusive new combinations created just for the UK, such as the London – which contains thinly slice porchetta, caramelised onion, potato cream and mature cheddar. 

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.

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

‘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.’

Foodie fans showed their excitement on TikTok after influencers shared their first impressions of the sandwiches.

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.

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.