Hotel Torino - Turin Hotels
Where to eat in Turin between dinner and coffee drinks
RESTAURANTS
La Torino da vivere,anche dal punto di vista culinario offre una scelta molto vasta di ristoranti.
Un'intera zona della città, dedalo di piccole vie che costituirono l'antica città romana, è oggi l
Turin offers a vast and varied range of restaurants.
A whole area of the city provides a labyrinth of narrow streets which were once part of the ancient Roman town. Now they host a wealth of restaurants and taverns offering a unique, intimate atmosphere, the ideal place to dine.
But the whole of the old town centre is a lively hub for all kinds of restaurants, and there is also a host of taverns and restaurants, proposing ancient Piedmontese culinary traditions, nestling in the hills that surround the city.
It should be remembered that Turin received two significant waves of immigration during the last. One involving immigrants from the south of Italy, seeking work in industrialised cities after second world war, and the more recent arrival of immigrants from beyond the borders of the European Union. Therefore, while we advise you not to miss the opportunity to enjoy a typical Piedmontese dinner, why not try some excellent southern, Japanese, Moroccan or Indian food as well?
Even the food is cosmopolitan here in Turin!
TRADITIONAL CAFES
Turin’s magnificent traditional cafés are not to be missed, steeped in a history which was decided within their very walls, where the aristocracy and the upper middle classes would meet to discuss business and politics.
The luxurious period furnishings are an architectural testimony to prestigious Torinese baroque, neo-classical and Liberty styles. One also shouldn’t forget that, as they aren’t museums, you can also enjoy any one of several coffee and chocolate specialities: espresso, “ristretto” (more concentrated), “macchiato” (espresso with milk or cream added), cappuccino, marocchino (espresso with cream and chocolate added), coffee “frappe” or the delicious 'bicerin' (coffee with cream and chocolate).
Piazza della Consolata, 5
It opened in 1763 and was even mentioned by Dumas in his travel diaries.
Specialities include the famous "bicerín": a delicious mixture of coffee, hot plain chocolate and fresh cream. You can’t leave Turin without trying it.
Caffè Baratti & Milano
Piazza Castello, 29
Situated at the entrance of the “Galleria Subalpina”, it is a splendid early 20th century café.
Caffè Elena
Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 5
Steeped in history, the café’s two main rooms were once frequented by Cesare Pavese and Nietzsche. Graceful tables are positioned under the arches surrounding the square, and a large outdoor terrace is set up during the summer. Here, you can sample a vast range of excellent wines.
Caffè Fiorio
Via Po, 8
Opened in 1780, it was frequented by artists and members of the middle class including Rattazzi, D'Azeglio and Cavour. During the 19th century, it was also known as "caffè dei codini" (“café of the pony tails”), because its clientele included many aristocrats and high-level officials. It is well worth having a look round inside, as its interior preserves the elegance of a bygone age.
Caffè Mulassano
Piazza Castello, 15
Opened in the early 20th century, it was the habitual and exclusive meeting place for important members of the Royal House as well as artists from the nearby “Teatro Regio” (Royal Theatre). An excellent place to stop for a coffee or a hot chocolate, under the arches that line the square, in an environment which can boast the sophistication of period furniture as well as a unique atmosphere.
Caffè Neuv Caval 'D Brôns
Piazza San Carlo, 151-15
An elegant café, ideal for an aperitif or a coffee, with an excellent range of pastries, appetisers and sandwiches. An elegant stone staircase takes you up to the first floor where there is also a restaurant service and a splendid view across the square. An outdoor terrace is available in the summer.
Caffè Platti
C.so Vittorio Emanuele II, 72
Opened in 1875, it can boast original liberty furniture, and was once a favourite refuge of Pavese and Einaudi. Today it is a meeting point for much of the Torinese elite.
Caffè San Carlo
Piazza San Carlo, 156
The first Italian bar to adopt gas lighting, which served to enhance the appearance of the stuccoes and statues inside. It was defined “a palace” by observers of the time, and was once a well-known meeting point for patriots of the ‘risorgimento’ and senior statesmen.
Caffè Torino
Piazza San Carlo, 204
One of the city’s most elegant cafés, with tables outside during the summer, stands under the 17th century arches lining the square. The refined interior design dates back to the beginning of the 20th century.
APERITIF
The history of the aperitif in Turin dates back to 1786, the year in which Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented Vermouth, using white wine enhanced with an infusion of over thirty different herbs and spices.
Since then, that special drink has been exported all over Europe and was subsequently produced by Cinzano and Gancia.
Today, the aperitif in Turin has become a special ritual, the likes of which are hard to find in other cities: a glass of fine Piedmontese wine accompanied by a buffet of appetisers featuring the region’s culinary specialities and just the right background music.
The aperitif is also a choice between an elegant start to the evening in one of Turin’s ‘aristocratic’ and traditional cafés or the prelude to a long and wild night out!
In fact, there are numerous trendy bars where you can meet the Torinese clubbers against the backdrop of high quality lounge and electronic music.
Here are some of Turin’s most fashionable bars and clubs:
Amantes - Art Cafè,Via Principe Amedeo 38a
Art Space Cafè,
part of the “Arci” circuit, is a bar and gallery which hosts frequent photographic exhibitions. Music is provided by numerous Torinese DJs, and the bar is open from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m., except on Sundays.
The Beach
KM5
Lobelix
La Drogheria
A brand new all-day bar at n° 18 P.zza Vittorio, it has become a meeting point for the Torinese trendsetters and, among other things, offers three days of aperitifs with music provided by the Xplosiva club. The interior reminds you of an apartment (lounge, kitchen, etc) and its originality is enhanced by the entrance which resembles that of an old grocery store.
Societe Lutece
It is located at n° 21 Piazza Carlina, one of the city’s most beautiful squares. The interior is warmly decorated and has clearly adopted a French style. The bar can offer entertainment by Gamba, while on Sundays, brunch is available.
CHOCOLATE
In baroque period, Turin was an avant-garde city, partly thanks to the House of Savoy, which willingly accepted the fashions of the time, and culinary trends were no exception.
In the previous century (1557), Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy brought chocolate to Turin from the Court of Madrid, which had arrived there from Mexico thanks to the exploits of Columbus.
The city’s confectioners, already famous for pastry making, thus began to create new delicacies with this strange new material from the New World. And so it was that in 1678, Madama Reale (Marie Christine of France) awarded Antonio Ari the first license for the “public sale of chocolate beverages”.
In the following decades, many other establishments appeared serving cups of chocolate, coffee and "bavareisa" (a breakfast favourite) based on coffee, chocolate and milk mixed together and served in a big cup. With the passing of time, the "bavareisa" underwent significant changes and in the second half of the 18th century, Torinese aristocrats created the "bicerin", pouring melted chocolate, milk and coffee into a small glass, with the doses varying according to their personal taste.
It was right here in Turin that the master confectioners, at the beginning of the 19th century, started to work with chocolate in a different way, and for the first time bars of chocolate and small, individual chocolates began to appear. After a few more decades, the activities of master chocolate makers became a genuine art, so much so that many shops began to produce dozens of varieties of chocolates. In 1867, a chocolate was created which was dedicated to “Gianduja”, the city’s very own carnival character. Thus the "giandujotto" was born, with its soft, smooth cocoa combined with hazelnut cream, a genuine delicacy which was destined to become the symbol of Savoyard confectionary.
(Written by Giovanna Ruo Berchera)
TYPICAL RECIPES
Bagna CaudaFor the preparation needed (Serves 4) 40g butter, 250g of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, 200g, 200g of salted anchovies. It should, first of all, peel the garlic and slice it very thin. If you want to make the flavor less aggressive seasoning, garlic, once sliced, it is soaked in milk for a couple of hours before use, then it drips and dries. Melted butter in a saucepan on a stove over a very sweet, joins the garlic and fry you, without, however, do coloring. When it starts to fall apart, add the anchovy fillets and pour a little oil 'at a time. Proceed slowly, stirring with a wooden spoon: the "Bagna Cauda" should, cooked (never fried) until the anchovies have dissolved completely, and it brings to the table in an earthenware pot, with a particular stove to keep warm the sauce .
Castagnaccio
Ingredients: (for 8-10 people)
400 g. "Brown" boiled and passed through a sieve or 300 grams of chestnut flour, 60 grams of pine nuts, raisins 100 grams, 100 grams of candied orange peel, a handful of walnuts, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 glass of milk, 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of salt, a sprig of rosemary.
Preparation:
Pending the preparation necessary to wash the raisins soaked in warm water and letting it soften for about 20 minutes. In a bowl, mix the mashed brown (or, if you have opted for the chestnut flour, flour), sugar, a pinch of salt, oil, milk and water, until a dough is smooth and fluid is added, then half the pine nuts and raisins well drained. It pays, then, the compound thus obtained in a baking dish greased and floured glass above, and is spread with a wooden spatula to form a homogeneous layer and the powder is with the remaining pine nuts, raisins and a little 'coarsely chopped rosemary. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C, is part of the pan and cook the cake for about 40 minutes. To avoid formation of a crust too hard, you can cover the chestnut cake with aluminum foil during the first 30 minutes of baking. Leave to cool in the oven and serve the cake warm or cold. The cake can also be enjoyed on the day following the preparation.
Giardiniera torinese
Ingredients: Potatoes, Carrots, Lettuce, radishes, artichokes in olive oil, lemon, salt.
Preparation:
Boil potatoes in salted water for about half an hour, peel and chop. Cook carrots in another pan, then cut into disks. Wash the lettuce hearts and slice into wedges, then wash the radishes and slice them into rounds. Place the hearts of lettuce in a serving dish and around the pieces of potatoes, carrots and artichokes into quarters. Prepare an emulsion with olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, mix well and pour over the vegetables.
Bignole con crema di prosciutto
Ingredients:For the cream of ham: equal quantities of butter and ham, a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco, salt and pepper. For cream puffs: 125 grams flour, 250 ml. of water, 60 grams of butter, 3 nova salt.
Preparation:
Prepare the cream whisking together the ingredients. Cover and place in refrigerator. It can be prepared in advance and even frozen for later use. Prepare the cream puffs: boil water with salt, then add the flour all at once, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes detached from the walls of the pan gently sizzling. Let it cool then join the eggs one at a time, not joining the next until the previous one has not been well blended, stirring vigorously until mixture is smooth and shiny. Using a pastry bag to form into balls the size of a cherry and place on greased oven tray. Bake at 200 ° C for 20-25 minutes or until they are puffed and golden. Shortly before serving, cut the top of the cream puffs, fill with softened cream and cover with the cover. They are excellent with appetizers or as an appetizer. To save time and effort, you can use packaged puff or spread the cream of ham on bread box handles, decorated with half a walnut kernel.
Bresaola con Robiola di Roccaverano
Ingredients:
(serves 6) 12 slices of bresaola, 1 Robiola Roccaverano ½ clove of garlic, 16 stems of chives, 25 grams of celery with some leaves, 1 sprig of marjoram, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper to taste
Preparation:
Place in bowl Robiola, adding a few drops of juice, crushed garlic, chopped 4 stalks of chives. Add celery, parsley, marjoram and a little olive oil, sprinkling with salt and pepper, stir. Within each of the slices of bresaola a tablespoon of the mixture, close them "a bag" with a chive. Emulsify oil and lemon juice with salt and pepper and pour bags of dried beef, arranged on a platter and serve.
Peperoni alla torinese
Ingredients:
4 red and yellow peppers, 2 cloves of garlic, olive oil, anchovies 4
Preparation:
Put the peppers in the oven at medium temperature and cook until it peleranno easily. Remove from oven, peel and dry with a cloth. Sfilettateli, put them on a platter and prepare the sauce as follows: crushed garlic, chopped and boned anchovies, add a cup olio.Mescolate ingredients and pour a little salt on the peppers earlier.
Tartellette alla torinese
Ingredients:
puff pastry (frozen) 150g fresh ricotta Piedmont, 150g cooked ham, 2 tablespoons capers, a little 'dry beans, 5 eggs, 1 small glass of brandy, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 pinch of horseradish (powder)
Preparation:
Allow to thaw the puff pastry, then, with a rolling pin, roll out half the height of about 12 cm and cut into round shapes that will be made ??in special molds. Cover the dough with dried beans and cook for about 15 minutes. To firm up the eggs. Chop the ham and capers, then prepare a paste by combining the ricotta cheese, crumbled hard-boiled eggs, three yolks, olive oil, brandy and horseradish. Fill the tartlets with this mixture, cover the top with the remaining two egg yolks mashed, let stand half an hour and serve.
Ratatuja di verdure
Ingredients:
(serves 6) 3 ounces of sausage, 3 potatoes, 1 celery, 2 onions, 1 pound of green beans, 1 carrot tender, 2 zucchini, 1 pepper, 2 large ripe tomatoes, 1 eggplant, 2 anchovies, 2 cloves of garlic, a few leaves parsley, 1 sprig of sage, 5 - 6 capers, 2 tablespoons of vinegar
Preparation:
Wash and prepare all the vegetables, cut into small pieces keeping them separate. Able to put in a pan fry sliced ??onions in oil for a minute. Then add all the vegetables, but at separate times, because their cooking times are not the same. In the first pot will be carrots and green beans, five minutes after the potatoes, then zucchini, celery, and finally the aubergines. Add the peeled and seeded tomatoes and continue cooking over low heat. If vegetables are too dry pour a cup of vegetable broth. In a plate with a fork, crush the anchovies. Prepare a mixture with garlic, parsley, sage and capers. When it is cooked add chopped ratatuja and anchovies, vinegar and evaporate to strong fire. The ratatuja accompanies meat dishes very well, is excellent with boiled meats. You can also bring to the table cold as an appetizer: it will be very good even with the addition of a few pieces of tuna drained and crumbled on top.