Torino Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[peterpumkino]

I will be in Torino enroute to skiing in Serre Chevalier on two occassions three weeks from now.

As I am passing through I thought it would be an ideal chance to eat some good food. Trouble is that, although I lived for a while with my Italian wife in Ivrea, I don't really know Torino that well. I am not looking for a fancy restaurant alla Antica Ponte in Abbietegrasso (which I dislike - I don't like Italian Michelinized food!) but something local but great for a couple of lunches.

At present I am not getting a car but I may do which leaves me with the route to Oulx to consider. Any ideas? Maybe Craig you know something. Pasta lovers only so SP need not apply!

[Craig Camp]

Peter,

I confess to few visits to Torino but I have enjoyed both Torricelli and L'Agrifoglio - both top class, modern but regional trattorie. My friends give rave reviews to Lou Sarvanot and Slow Food loves it too - but I have not eaten there, yet!

Enjoy the slopes!

[robert brown]

Peter, I don't know Turin restaurants anything like I know the ones in the Piemonte countryside. El Cambio is overpriced and touristy, given its long history and beautiful Rococco setting. One restaurant I ate in years ago, but remains an old classic for down-to-earth Piemontese cuisine is Tre Galline. It is medium-priced. My favorite places for lunch are the elegant cafes, of which there are many. There is one really famous old one that must have been on via Matteoti under the arcades. But I have been to a few cafes and they all share a remarkable array of impeccably fresh and delicious sandwiches and salads. I am sure you wll get suggestions from other memebers.

[peterpumkino]

Peter, I don't know Turin restaurants anything like I know the ones in the Piemonte countryside.

Thanks Robert. I have decided to get a car so if you know any good places in a convenient location en route from Torino to Ouls let me know. Thanks.

[peterpumkino]

Enjoy the slopes!

Thanks Craig. As I stated to Robert I am now getting a car so anything enroute to Oulx would be interesting. You know I don't want a Temple of Food just a great Trattoria.

Unfortunately I don't know this part of Piemonte very well.

And I will certainly enjoy the slopes. Actually I would prefer to ski in Italy but you know what cassinisti they can be - furthermore gll'impagnti are not nearly as good as in France and, surpise, surpise, disorganized!

Edited March 3, 2003 by peterpumkino (log)

[danlepard]

Hello Peter,

I know Turin quite well. My favorite osteria there, where I go every time I'm in Turin, is

Osteria Antiche Sera, Via Cenischia 9, Torino (011 385 4347). It is a slow food office favorite, but an evening only place and I prefer it to most of the restaurants I've eaten at, anywhere. Do go, it is very special.

Places I've heard are good, but haven't had a chance to go to are: Osteria Con Calma (in strada Cartman, 59), Sotto la Mole ( in via Montebello, 9), and C’era una Volta (011 655 498 or 011 650 4589).

[peterpumkino]

Thanks for that. I am going to spend the day in Torino on the last day and have a meal then however, as we arrive early into Torino I plan to have an excellent lunch en route to Oulx if I can find a suitable place. I hear that Croce Bianca in Cesano Torinese is quite good. Have you any idea or other suggestions on that route? Thanks for your help.

[Bill Klapp]

Peter: If you can work it in, try Le Carmagnole in Carmagnola. It hardly seems right to call a Michelin-starred ristorante a "hoot", but the place is not to be believed. Fixed menu with wines included, and not all that expensive. Incredibly original and even idiosyncratic, but never loses touch with its Piemontese roots. The owner is wonderfully warm and gracious, and his wine and food pairings are nothing short of brilliant. Strictly local and strictly fresh and seasonal ingredients, lovingly prepared and presented. None of the pseudo-French qualities that cause many Italian restaurants to earn their Michelin stars. Reservations absolutely essential. This is a place universally loved by our Piemontese friends. By the way, Carmagnola is the sweet pepper capital of Italy. Slightly southeast of Torino, and not far from the Autostrada. Torino itself is, somewhat surprisingly, not a great restaurant town. There are fairly recent rumors that fabulous ethnic restaurants are popping up around the Porta Palazzo market (one of the largest and finest in Italy, by the way), but most people want Italian, not ethnic.

[robert brown]

In a PM to me, Bill Klapp expanded on his knowledge of La Carmagnole. He asked me if I could post it. Here it is, along with his thoughts on another Piemonte restaurant, La Contea in the Barbaresco town of Nieve and Centro in Prioca, a bit west of Alba.

Robert: My first post on eGullet was Carmagnole! See "Torino-any recs?" on the Italy board. The place is one of a kind. It has a series of small dining rooms, some of which border on the tacky (i.e., the stereo sitting out on a bookcase in your dining room), but the goal, fully achieved in my view, is to make you feel as though you are in the proprietor's home and he's serving you whatever he's having that night. Which, by the way, is more or less what happens! Set menu, including wines, and not a clunker among the courses or wines on my last trip. He first brings you into an anteroom for an aperitif (he had that night the Nino Franco Prosecco Rustico, which could claim to be the best cheap wine on earth) and a few light "finger" antipasti. Then you are taken to your dining room and treated to liberal measures of his wit, food philosophy and wine and food pairings. A number of local winemakers make special bottlings just for him. I can't recall what those were that night, but just to make up a reasonable example, it was like a Moscato d' Asti privately bottled for him by someone the stature of Bruno Giacosa! By all means try it! The only mystery to me is why it received (and has kept) a Michelin star. The food is, to my mind, better than one-star, but the dining rooms and service are all homey and comfort and no pretense and the experience is all about the love of food and wine. On to Centro-again, one of my local favorites. Pretty restaurant, great food, great service, attractive wine list. Probably should have received more attention than it has. However, I would be remiss if I did not throw in Antine in Barbaresco, which, against long odds, was granted a star after only two years in business. The chef and his girlfriend, Andrea and Elisabetta, are good friends. If I were forced to sign up for a meal plan at only one local restaurant, this would be it. Andrea is one of a handful of brilliant young chefs on the rise in the Piemonte who show originality without artifice or pretense, but at the same time, great respect for the best Piemontese culinary traditions. (Others include the chef at Flipot in Torre Pellice, who just earned his second star, and the chef at All' Enoteca in Canale, who also earned a star after only two years. Boy, do I ever look forward to retirement!) Re: La Contea, a triumph of self-promotion by the owner, and capable of brilliance, but inconsistent and equally capable of mediocrity.

[Craig Camp]

La Contea, a triumph of self-promotion by the owner

True, true, true!

[peterpumkino]

Peter:  If you can work it in, try Le Carmagnole in Carmagnola.

Sounds exactly like the place I'm looking for! BUT, as I'm heading North West towards Oulx, and time is really short (I'm going skiing) it's a bit out of the way. If I can I definately will go there but, if not, I will definetely go back shortly.

I love your description 'None of the pseudo-French qualities that cause many Italian restaurants to earn their Michelin stars.' for that alone I'm going!!

[bleudauvergne]

I am thinking about meeting up with my husband in Torino for a weekend in a few weeks. He'll be there giving a paper and I'll have tme on my hands to explore for a couple of days before we spend the weekend there. What should I see and get? Where should I stay and eat? I'll be traveling from France - So any advice on how to best appreciate what Turin has to offer is greatly appreciated, including what food items, coffees, meats, cheeses, local specialities etc. to look out for and buy to take home with me!!!

[Boris_A]

For food shopping, I'd recommend:

- chocolate, especially Gianduja (invented in Torino) called Gianduiotti

- artisanal grissini

- Robiola di Roccaverano cheese (but only pure goat variants)

If you look out for Massobrios' Guida Golosa (16.90 €, in every bookshop) you will find not only a useful restaurant guide for Piedmont, but a large number of shopping adresses for all kind of culinary treasures and specialities.

Edited March 5, 2005 by Boris_A (log)

[Carlsbad]

I would second robert brown's recommendation of Tre Galline. We had a little trouble finding it, and had to ring the bell to get in, but the food was outstanding and our tasting menu seemed like a steal to me. Very interesting wine list, too. I also agree that the cafes in Torino are exceptional, especially for an aperitivo in the early evening, when they have great spreads of complimentary appetizers.

[lilli]

I would second robert brown's recommendation of Tre Galline.  We had a little trouble finding it, and had to ring the bell to get in, but the food was outstanding and our tasting menu seemed like a steal to me.  Very interesting wine list, too.  I also agree that the cafes in Torino are exceptional, especially for an aperitivo in the early evening, when they have great spreads of complimentary appetizers.

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ehm....this is my first post in english.....and my english is ....you can see (sorry!)

I leave in Piemonte....not far from Torino...so, if I can be helpful....

first you can look here http://www.turismotorino.org/index.php?id=512&navCmd=reset

..yes there are a lot of Cafè...expecially in piazza Vittorio and via Po....I went there saturday evening (its start from 7:30 pm) having our aperitivo....

we had a good glass of wine, and free service with small dishes, for any kind of fresh food...pasta....cheese...salads....

so you can eat how much you whant for only the price of wine (4,00 €) and maybe you don't need to eat more in a restaurant...

this Cafè is Lab piazza Vittorio Veneto 13 (011.8170669) but you can try all of them...

fffffiuuuu!!! I'm exausted....

[bleudauvergne]

Thank you ever so much for the recommendations, and thank you Lilli, for your cafe recommendation. That sounds like just the place to go. I'll be sure to try it.

[menton1]

The Olympics have started a reawakening in Torino. Shades of Barcelona 1992. This city with a reputation for being dreary and industrial is shedding its image. And it's really after the Olympics are gone that the city will really come into its own.

The city is revealing secrets that the natives of Torino already knew. Great history, architecture, beauty, and fabulous FOOD!!! This is the former home of the powerful House of Savoy, whose intimate connections with the rulers of Egypt in the 19th Century and their gifts have resulted in the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts outside of Egypt. The beautiful Duomo houses the controversial Shroud of Turin, which most scientists have carbon-dated only to the 1200s, meaning it is a forgery, although the religious believers refuse to accept that.

Food-wise, Torino is a delight to the senses. Bagna Cauda is Torino's answer to fondue, with a red sauce for dipping instead of melted cheese; Agnolotti is the native ravioli, and the lucky ones can have it served with truffle shavings from the tartufi sniffed out by the dogs in the Alba forests; Tagliata, a sliced version of bistecca, is a common second dish. Torino also boasts an artisan chocolate, gianduiotto, and its own coffee drink concoction, bicerin.

In the downtown area, Torino has its own version of "happy hour," called Apertivo where all the bars offer free snacks with your drinks. And we are not talking wings and popcorn, either!

Good luck to Torino, we certainly won't be visiting for the Olympics, but look forward to going after the crowds have cleared out and the dust has settled. Viva Torino!!

[SWISS_CHEF]

The Olympics have started a reawakening in Torino.  Shades of Barcelona 1992.  This city with a reputation for being dreary and industrial is shedding its image. And it's really after the Olympics are gone that the city will really come into its own. 

The city is revealing secrets that the natives of Torino already knew.  Great history, architecture, beauty, and fabulous FOOD!!!  This is the former home of the powerful House of Savoy, whose intimate connections with the rulers of Egypt in the 19th Century and their gifts have resulted in the largest collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts outside of Egypt.  The beautiful Duomo houses the controversial Shroud of Turin, which most scientists have carbon-dated only to the 1200s, meaning it is a forgery, although the religious believers refuse to accept that. 

Food-wise, Torino is a delight to the senses.  Bagna Cauda is Torino's answer to fondue, with a red sauce for dipping instead of melted cheese; Agnolotti is the native ravioli, and the lucky ones can have it served with truffle shavings from the tartufi sniffed out by the dogs in the Alba forests; Tagliata, a sliced version of bistecca, is a common second dish.  Torino also boasts an artisan chocolate, gianduiotto, and its own coffee drink concoction, bicerin.

In the downtown area, Torino has its own version of "happy hour," called Apertivo where all the bars offer free snacks with your drinks.  And we are not talking wings and popcorn, either! 

Good luck to Torino, we certainly won't be visiting for the Olympics, but look forward to going after the crowds have cleared out and the dust has settled.  Viva Torino!!

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Hi Menton,

My friends in the Monferato and Langhe regions tell me it is hard to find good food in Turin and if you do it costs way too much...also, most of the foods you mentioned are from Monferato and Langhe regions..... ok, you can go see the Olympics but for everything else come see us.

Ed in San Martino Alfieri

[BrianYarvin]

My experience is that Torino isn't the place to eat traditional Piemontese food, but is one of the best places in Italy to try food that isn't Italian. It has Korean, Thai, African, and all sorts of Eastern European. Indeed, there's a whole subculture of ethnic food fans there.

As Swiss Chef has said, if you want to eat traditional Piemontese food, you're better off in the smaller cities of Alba, Asti and Cuneo, but Torino isn't a bust by any means.

BTW...I must offer one correction; when bars offer happy hour, they often put out popcorn as one of the snacks. And while I haven't seen wings, they would fit in perfectly.

[ludja]

Anyone planning on attending the Olympics in Turin? If so, it would be great to hear more of the food scene there. I wonder if there will be any push to offer more Piemontese food for outside tourists either during the Olympics or even afterwards.

Thanks for the info from all of you, already.

Turin is still in my imagination after reading a bunch of fiction and non-fiction by famous, hometown author, Primo Levi.

[Curlz]

Having read about it elsewhere, I'm just hoping that someone in northern NJ will start making Bicerin!

[BrianYarvin]

Curlz:

Have you checked with Berta's in Wanaque?

The chef there is so passionate about Piemontese food that he could be persuaded to do almost anything.

http://www.bertaschateau.com/

...and it's also the best Piemontese Restauant in the state.

[menton1]

My experience is that Torino isn't the place to eat traditional Piemontese food

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Here's a short list of places in the city that offer Piemontese food. Reports are excellent, if anyone has been please let us know what you thought of the restaurant:

Del Cambio

Piazza Carignana

Agnolotti, tartufi, Piemontese cheeses, lots of Barolo for reductions,

Casa Vicina

Via Massena , 66

Neuv Caval d'Brons

Piazza San Carlo

http://www.cavaldbrons.it/ristorante.html

Particular attention paid to authenticity of cuisine

Tre Gallini

via Bellezia 31

...and a couple of scores more of AUTHENTIC Piemontese restaurants in Torino!! There may be some outstanding restos in the countryside as well, but, as the most cosmopolitan place in the Piemonte, and the vibrant nature of the city, Torino has plenty of great restaurants where one can eat the indigenous cuisine.

[Carlsbad]

I have to agree totally with menton1 on this one. During a very brief visit to Torino several years ago, my wife and I were totally taken by the place. The cafes were great, from the very elegant Caffe Torino on the grand Piazza San Carlo to the intimate Al Bicerin, on the beautiful Piazza della Consolata. At Caffe Torino, we had Americanos under the arcade on the square, and even though it wasn't really the right time for an aperitivo, they brought us six or eight very nice canapes with the drinks. There were hundreds of people out walking, and we had a front-row seat. An outside seat may not be that great during the winter, but the inside is equally appealing. And the bicerin would be even better in cold weather.

To call the aperitivo a happy hour really doesn't do it justice, if our experience with it is any indication. We enjoyed a glass of wine and some very good, interesting appetizers (with no popcorn or chicken wings in sight) at a relatively inexpensive wine bar.

We had dinner at Tre Galline, which is a comfortable and stylish restaurant, despite looking unimpressive on the outside. We had a reservation at 8:30 pm, and when we arrived, we had to ring the bell to get in. It was almost empty, but totally filled by 9:00 pm, and we enjoyed an excellent tasting menu of Piemontese dishes which I thought was bargain for the quality of the food. The wine list was also excellent.

[jakob nielsen]

Hello,

anyone have a good suggestion for a place to dine for 20 people celebrating the end of the long work haul called the Olympics in Turin?

We are looking for better than average food, above average prices are also okay, but the expense account wont allow it to be Michelin prized.

/jakob