Discover the Best 6 Aperitivo places in Turin
In this post you’ll learn the Top 6 places to have aperitivo in Turin as well as my favorite spot for the best “Apericena” . The Top 6 aperitivo places are in different locations across the city giving you plenty of options to stop for a bite during your visit!
QUICK MENU
- What is Aperitivo?
- What is Apericena?
- Why is Aperitivo so popular in Turin?
- Top 6 Aperitivo places in Turin:
- Discover more tips
1. What is Aperitivo?
Aperitivo is an Italian tradition and a true expression of Italian “Dolce Vita”.
It consists of having a light snack together with a drink BEFORE a meal, as a way to stimulate the appetite.
In reality aperitivo is much more than that, it is a SOCIAL ritual. It is a way to relax and catch-up casually with friends before heading to dinner.
Aperitivo can be either before lunch or before dinner, but the most popular one is the one before dinner during the time of the so called “happy hour”.
The most famous drinks for aperitivo are Aperol Spritz and Vermouth, but you can also simply take a glass of wine or a beer.
If you want to learn the best places for a tasty Aperitivo in Turin you are in the right place 😊. Below you will discover my favorite top 6 spots!
2. What is Apericena?
Apericena is something different. It is not an old tradition deeply routed into Italian culture but it is rather something which was much more recently (over the past 15 years).
It consists on a larger aperitivo, which basically REPLACES dinner. Apericena is typically buffet style, offering a range of warm and cold dishes.
The places that apply this concept are usually bars rather than restaurants. This is popular among younger people, typically students as it is cheap and less formal way to have dinner.
I personally did a many Apericena when I was at University but now that I am older I prefer to have an Aperitivo and then head off for a proper sit down dinner.
If you are interested in discovering the best Apericena in Turin I suggest either to go to Palto or to go to KM5 .
I will talk more about Palto’ in the section of this post.
Regarding KM5 , let me say that this is a bar located in the vibrant quadrilatero neighbourhood. The buffet includes a variety of dishes with generous portions and pretty decent cocktails. To top it is located in a really cool area which is full of bars & restaurants and that gets very lively at night.
3. Why is Aperitivo so popular in Turin?
The reasons why the “aperitivo” is so popular in Turin is that the famous Vermouth liquor was invented here!
As a matter of fact, back in 1786 Antonio Carpano invented the Carpano Vermouth in Turin.
For the ones who are not familiar with Vermouth, this is a strong aromatized kind of wine which can be drunk either solo or used as a key ingredient in cocktails.
Some of the most famous cocktails that have Vermouth are: Negroni, Americano and Manhattan.
You can find both Red and White Vermouth. The most famous one is the red one and the most iconic Vermouth brands are: Carpano, Cinzano, Martini, Punt e Mes and Cocchi.
My favorite Vermouth is Cocchi’s “Dopo Teatro”.
4. Top 6 Aperitivo spots in Turin
Now that you have a clear background on what Aperitivo is and most importantly what it really means for an Italian and for a Turin local let’s have a quick look at the best aperitivo places in Turin.
In the section below I will show you my favorite top 6 spots to have a fantastic Aperitivo in Turin.
4.1 The BEST Apericena in Turin: PALTO’
- Address: Via della Rocca 17 Torino
- To learn more: Palto Restaurant
This is by far my number one recommendation for both Aperitivo and Apericena in Turin.
Palto’ is the best place to have an authentic Italian-based tapas dinner, which is the best way to try all the famous local dishes from Turin in one-go.
Turin has a large variety of local dishes so when you go for dinner you simply won’t be able to try them all. The risk is that you may pass on trying some of the most amazing local delicacies.
Palto’ offers a large variety of smaller portion dishes that will allow you to discover many different delicacies in one dinner. The ingredients are of high quality, fresh and from local territory.
Last time I went there we had a total of four tapas dishes with a beer and two glasses of wine and we spent 45 euros in total for two people. Each of the four dishes cost about 6-7 euros.
In terms of food we picked: Vitello Tonnato, Carne Cruda (locally breeded beef tartare), Flan (which is an oven baked vegetarian souffle covered with warm cheese) and acciughe (anchovies covered in local salsa verde sauce).
Watch-out: the menu varies a lot depending on the season, so you may not be able to try exactly the same dishes that we ate.
4.2. Bar Caffetteria Crimea
- Address: Corso Fiume 2F
- To learn more: Bar Crimea
Bar Crimea is located in one of my favorite places in the city which is the Crimea neighbourhood. This is an area for real locals and not known at all by tourists.
4.2.1 CRIMEA AREA
It is an area that is still relatively central as it is just on the opposite side of the bridge relative to Parco del Valentino. Yet, it is off the beaten path as there is nothing touristic to see at all.
It is considered like a posh area, real estate is expensive due to the closeness to the city center but it is also very green as it sits at the beginning of the beautiful hills surrounding the city of Turin.
Houses are really beautiful here and the view on the Monte dei Capuccini is simply stunning.
4.2.2 BAR CRIMEA
If you are in the area, it is definitely worth a stop. For example, if you feel that you need a refreshment after a nice walk in the Parco del Valentino then Bar Crimea is simply the perfect stop.
With the price of a drink you will get a really generous aperitivo for free.
They also have a good selection of Vermouth which I recommend to try if you are interested in discovering something different vs the typical cocktails.
My favorite Vermouth is called “Dopo Teatro” from the Cocchi brand.
4.3 Sfashion café
- Address: Via Cesare Battisti 13 Torino
- To learn more: Sfashion Cafe
Sfashion café is the perfect spot to sit down & recharge your batteries while visiting Turin city center as it is located right in the middle of the city center.
They have a magnificent outdoor terrace which overlooks the stunning Piazza Carlo Alberto.
As you can see from the picture, they will offer you a dish with small pizza slices & cold cuts for free together with your drink!
4.4 Drogheria
- Address: Piazza Vittorio Veneto 18/D Turin
- To learn more: Drogheria
Drogheria is an iconic bar located in the beautiful Piazza Vittorio Veneto. This is one of the most popular bars where locals go for drinks late at night.
I recommend to go to Drogheria late in the afternoon to enjoy the aperitivo in one of the most beautiful Piazzas in Turin and admire the view on the Gran Madre church just opposite the Po river.
Their outdoors terrace is massive so you won’t struggle to find a table here.
What I love about this place is that their menu includes a variety of small dishes to order so you can have a more abundant aperitivo if you feel like it.
4.5 Bar Antico
- Address: Via Giambattista Bodoni, 5/A,
- To learn more: Bar Antico
Bar Antico is a bar where only the locals go. As such it is cheaper than the other bars around but it is also way less fancy.
As you can see from the picture their Aperitivo is really abundant, I didn’t keep the receipt but I remember it was super cheap something like 5-7 euro per drink and the food was free of charge.
To top it all, it is located in Piazza Bodoni which is really a hidden jewel. This Piazza is usually forgotten by most tourists because it is less wells known and slightly off the beaten path. It is really stunning and definitely worth a stop !
One watch-out: is that Bar Antico has just been purchased by a new owner, the bar is now called Bar Cicinin. Let me point out in whole transparency that I haven’t been there since Cicinin opened.
4.6 Pepe Bar
- Address: Via della Rocca 19 Torino
- To learn more: Bar Ristorante Pepe
Pepe Bar is overlooking another really beautiful and hidden Piazza called Piazza Maria Teresa, which is just a few steps away from Piazza Vittorio.
Please do NOT go here for dinner. It is not worth it.
But for Aperitivo it is still worth a stop. The prices are moderate, the view from their outdoor terrace is striking and you get still a good food for free your drink.
5. Discover more tips
I hope you found this content useful. If so, I would appreciate if you could write a nice comment on the bottom of this page it will help more travellers to find this blog!
To discover more tips about visiting Turin here is a short list of useful links:
- Here js the 15 best Typical Food to die for: https://weekendinturin.com/turinfood/
- Discover Local tips on What do Do, See and Eat when visiting Turin : https://weekendinturin.com/one-day/
- If you’re staying for Two-Days, don’t miss the Best places nearby Turin: https://weekendinturin.com/two-days/
- Learn how to discover the wonderful UNESCO heritage Langhe vineyards and some of the best wines in Italy on Vespa 🛵 https://weekendinturin.com/barolowine…
