Tommaso Mazzanti is developing a standalone concept for Renaissance courtyard of Palazzo Strozzi, due to open at the end of September. The palazzo is pushing to become a meeting place beyond its exhibitions.
Palazzo Strozzi is preparing to relaunch the bistro in its central courtyard with a new concept developed by Tommaso Mazzanti, chief executive of the well-known Florentine food brand All’Antico Vinaio.
The venue is expected to open at the end of September 2026, following a selection process launched by Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi for the management and redesign of the courtyard’s food and beverage space.
A separate concept not a replica
Rather than transplanting the format that made All’Antico Vinaio internationally known, Mazzanti has developed a distinct concept tailored to Palazzo Strozzi and the mix of museum visitors, local residents and international audiences who pass through it.
The bistro will run throughout the day, covering breakfast, lunch and the traditional Italian aperitivo. Its menu will draw on Tuscan and Italian cuisine but present it in a more contemporary form, with an emphasis on selected ingredients and dishes designed to be eaten on site rather than taken away.
The move is part of a broader push to strengthen the Renaissance courtyard’s role as a place where people can spend time independently of visiting an exhibition. Positioned between Piazza Strozzi and Via Tornabuoni, the courtyard is freely accessible during the palazzo’s opening hours and has increasingly become part of Palazzo Strozzi’s identity as a public space in the heart of Florence.
The new bistro is therefore part of a wider effort to establish the building not only as an exhibition venue but as a meeting point open to different audiences throughout the day.
Coming off a record exhibition
The announcement follows a strong stretch for Palazzo Strozzi, which closed its Rothko in Florence exhibition on 23 August after it became the most visited show in the foundation’s 20-year history, drawing 301,730 visitors over 162 days. Around 60% of visitors came from outside the Florence metropolitan area, the highest proportion the foundation has ever recorded.
Past exhibitions include Fra Angelico and Jeff Koons.
The foundation’s next major exhibition, Broken. Il potere del frammento, opens on 25 September — around the same time the new courtyard bistro is expected to welcome its first guests.
