Ino — Restaurant in Florence

The Sandwich that Changed Florence is Now Playing Catch-Up

In the heart of Florence, just a stone’s throw from the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio, there lies a tiny panini shop with a big legacy. ‘Ino—short for “panino”—was once the trailblazer that elevated the humble sandwich to an artisanal craft, long before schiacciata shops began dominating Instagram feeds.

Founded by Alessandro Frassica in 2006, ‘Ino helped usher in a new era of Florentine street food: sleek, ingredient-driven, and proudly gourmet. This was not your average grab-and-go. It was a culinary statement.

Nearly two decades later, ‘Ino finds itself in an odd position: still solid, still respected, but no longer leading the pack. In a city bursting with inventive contenders ‘Ino feels… safe. The quality remains respectable, the selection confident, but the spark of surprise has dimmed.

The panini are still good. Sometimes very good. But they no longer define the scene.

To visit ‘Ino today is to visit a cornerstone of modern Florentine lunch culture. But it’s also a reminder to constantly evolve, or risk being overtaken by the very movement you...

To label the food that ‘Ino’s serves as “sandwiches” would be to pay them a heinous insult. These paninos are almost as close to art as the caffé itself is close to the Uffizi. The bread is top quality, the ham freshly shaved, the cheese oozes goodness and the vegetables are crisp and tasty. Three of us shared a gorgonzola and salad panino; and a parma ham, mozzarella and tomato panino. They cost 9 Euro each and were so huge that we saved half and ate them later in the day. The staff were very charming, filling up our drinking bottles with tap water when we left and kindly packaging up our left-overs. Some reviewers have said it takes a long time for the food to be made; but really it’s just a few minutes and given that everything is freshly sliced, chopped, cut and assembled I think this is very reasonable. If you want fast food there are plenty of other joints you can go to. Art, on the other...

I was queuing by the entrance for 10 mins before the door was open. Staff went in and out without even saying hi or smile even I smiled at them.

I was not the only one waiting but all of them including me left when the door was not open by 12.01pm.

I understand you want to set a time for opening but please adhere to the timing strictly. Your staff was rather playing phone than attending to your waiting customers.

I have been supporting this shop for the past 10 years but not anymore since the treatment was awful. I rather go elsewhere...