i. Biography
From a family gastronomia on Via de' Neri in 1989 to the chef role at All'Antico Vinaio in Florence, Italy, Daniele Mazzanti’s path has stayed close to one street and one craft. The route runs through a delicatessen, a name bought from another family, a public debate over street eating, and a schiacciata that carried Florentine food culture far beyond Tuscany.
Early Years
The Mazzanti family had already managed a gastronomia on Via de' Neri, near the Vinaio, since 1989, placing Daniele Mazzanti’s work inside the daily food rhythm of central Florence. That same year, Mazzanti and Fedra Gani Galli gave life to the first All'Antico Vinaio on Via de' Neri, tying the business to a street that would become central to its identity. The craft took shape around Tuscan schiacciata, an oil-rich flatbread filled with serious ingredients: cured meats, aged cheeses, and spreads sourced from Tuscan producers. Its specialty became Tuscan schiacciata sandwiches and Florentine street food, with typical Florentine sandwiches and panini at the center of what people came to eat.
Making a Name
In 1997, Mazzanti took over the premises on Via de' Neri and bought the name from the Posani family, a turn that moved the story from family food shop to a named Florentine address. He was also an owner-operator of L'Antico Vinaio in Florence until 2018, carrying the premises and name through a period when the street itself became part of the conversation. By 2017, la schiacciata was described as having been awarded as the best in the world, a specific honor attached not to a tasting menu or plated dish but to the flatbread at the core of the house. Another signature, the panino alla finocchiona, was presented as part of the Florentine food culture the shop brought toward New York.
The Present
At All'Antico Vinaio in Florence, Mazzanti works as chef, with the same essential format still leading the address: schiacciata, cured meats, cheeses, spreads, and the grammar of Florentine street food. Recognition has continued to attach to the restaurant itself: in 2025, it was named a Pearl Recommended Restaurant. That year, Opinionated About Dining also ranked it #52 on Europe Cheap Eats, placing the Florence address within a European list devoted to more accessible dining. The through-line is unusually direct: Via de' Neri in 1989, the premises and name in 1997, a public stance on the street in 2018, and a chef’s work still organized around the Tuscan flatbread that made the place travel.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Daniele
What roles has Daniele Mazzanti held?
Daniele Mazzanti has been founder or co-creator of the first All'Antico Vinaio in 1989, owner-operator of L'Antico Vinaio until 2018, and chef of All'Antico Vinaio in Florence.
What is Daniele Mazzanti doing now?
He works as chef at All'Antico Vinaio in Florence, Italy, where the craft centers on Tuscan schiacciata sandwiches and Florentine street food.
Where else has Daniele Mazzanti worked?
His work has been tied to the family gastronomia on Via de' Neri, L'Antico Vinaio in Florence, and the first All'Antico Vinaio created there in 1989.
