By: Belén Parra and Carme Gasull

The gastro-event: Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre. 23 to 27 October, 2014

Turin, the ultimate in good taste. From the moment you set foot in Turin, you feel at home, you become imbued with its unique quality and understand why it was the first capital of modern Italy. While the city’s 2 million inhabitants are fully aware of its many attributes and how best to enjoy them, Turin remains relatively untouched by tourism. For decades, the city has been creating its own reality, far removed from the mass tourism of other Italian destinations. The 2006 Winter Olympic Games was clearly a major turning point for Turin, which has never depended on tourism. And the tourists it does receive are mainly from Italy. This is certainly not due to a lack of attractions… Among them, gastronomy. The aptly named Città del Gusto (Good Taste Event) also seduces the taste buds.

The welcoming

Warmth. This best sums up the Turinese nature. You just have to show curiosity, interest or mere ignorance about something to promptly find the desired answer. With a notable generosity. “La buona accoglienza fa bene al turismo”, is the slogan of the day. And they lead by example. There is no place better than Turin for a stress-free stroll. There are no hordes of foreign tourists everywhere you go unless, of course, the city is hosting a major international event.

Transportation

Obviously, the best way to explore any destination is on foot, but Turin’s superb transport system lets you move around the city at your leisure. Train, bus, underground, tram, public bicycles… Everywhere is so accessible, which makes sightseeing a pleasure. Even so: a gentle stroll, especially around the city centre, is still the best way to discover its pulse, its unique layout and its infinite charms.

Accommodation

Due to the city’s emerging tourist sector, accommodation in Turin is centred on mid to high range hotels. We suggest 2 enticing options of contrasting ambience.

Best Western Hotel Piemontese

Via Claudio Luigi Berthollet, 21
Quaint, discreet and comfortable. It stands in one of the city’s best areas for social and night life. The hotel is surrounded by bars and restaurants for breakfast, fine dining or just drinks. It is also close to the city’s main railway station: Porta Nova.

NH Santo Stefano

Via Porta Palatina, 19
Located in the centre of the modern Quadrilatero Romano, it is within easy reach of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and the historic city centre. Its proximity to the Porta Susa and Porta Nuova railway stations offers easy access to Turin by train.

Squares

Being a city of contrasting weather, Turin’s squares are a hive of activity throughout the year. So don’t be surprised to see lots of tables in the streets and especially in the squares. From the imposing Piazza San Carlo, one of the biggest and most elegant squares in the city and which leads to Gran Madre de Dio, through to Piazza Castello or the small squares known as Emanuele Filiberto and Della Consolata.
Snacks, coffee and local beers abound on the tables. The drinks menus at the different establishments offer a seemingly infinite choice. Did you know Turin is also the home of vermouth? Whether winter or summer, the enticing outdoor cafés in the squares are sure to be open. The squares are also home to historic gastronomic establishments.

Establishments with history

Ancient establishments teeming with history and fine produce. Busy places. Like their cafés. Turin is the third city in Italy in terms of historic establishments.

Caffè Mulassano

Piazza Castello, 15
The famous tramezzino was created here; a lightly toasted sandwich with a variety of high-quality fillings. The most typical one is filled with d’aragosta’ (lobster) salad. It has been in the same location since 1907.

Baratti&Milano

Piazza Castello, 29
Just a few meters away from the first one, but bigger and for a much sweeter tooth. Delicious chocolates, sweet pastries and cakes are all showcased inside.

Caffè Cioccolateria Al Bicerin

Piazza della Consolata, 5
This small, incredibly popular business (with an adjoining delicatessen) has been open since 1763. Marble tables and chairs, and its star product: bicerin, a drink combining coffee, chocolate and cream. You can try one for just €5.

Caffè Pasticceria Abrate

Via Po, 10
This café boasts a long history of baking and confectionery. It was founded in 1866.

Caffè Torino

Piazza San Carlo, 214
One of the city’s most famous establishments, it was founded in 1903 and has been at its current location since 1930. It has successfully adapted to the changing times. This large café has a popular snack buffet to accompany your aperitif, as well as outside tables where you can watch the world go by in the bustling Piazza San Carlo square.

Eat and drink

Bar Enò

Galliari, 12
Located in San Salvario, an area offering some of the best night life in the city. The kitchen stays open till the small hours and the bar itself closes at 4 am. It offers home-made pasta, typical sweets, excellent bread, wines, craft beers and good service. It has something for everybody. Its decor is one the star attractions. A sublime fusion of order and chaos. Visiting it is a must!

Restaurante Consorzio

Via Monte di Pietà, 23
A modern trattoria or an evolution of the typical trattoria without being a cutting-edge establishment that meets the slow food precepts. It is also famous for its worldwide and Italian natural wines, beers and liquors.

Enoteca Bordò

Via Carlo Ignazio Giulio 4/G
Managed by two Tuscan sisters, this is a simple and welcoming establishment where the traveller can feel at home eating a good pasta meal with a glass of excellent wine or craft beer, such as the Turinese Brew Up. Next to the Porta Palazzo market.

Pastis

Piazza Emanuele Filiberto, 9b
The South in the North. With a decidedly retro ambience, this establishment is managed by a Sicilian who has the soul and humour to give his business a character all of its own.
The owner, Andrea Tortorella, makes his presence felt on the walls and even the floor of the café, but especially in the tasty home-made recipes and almost uninterrupted timetable of the kitchen service. Personalised attention to detail in a decor that even includes one of the last pieces of the demolished Berlin Wall. On a cold day, its covered terrace is a great option. Excellent value for money.

Dausin

Via Goito, 9
Or ‘neighbour’ in the local Piedmont dialect. This small restaurant follows the precepts of the Slow Food philosophy, or eco-gastronomic project (as they like to call it) since it reduces CO2 emissions. Simple home cooking using fresh, local produce. Within easy walking distance of Porta Nuova station.

Emporio Gastronomico

Via Avogadro, 2
This restaurant and pizzeria is a veritable Mecca for those who like freshly-made pizza baked in a wood-fired oven (you can even watch the entire process from start to finish). The listing of pizzas is fairly classic and prices, opposite to other meals on the menu, are quite economic.

Taberna Libraria

Via Conte Giambattista Bogino, 5
An ideal place to try a typical Piedmont menu with different options to suit all tastes, including such dishes as vitello tonnato (cold, roast veal with mayonnaise and capers). And be sure to try (or purchase) some of the wines exhibited throughout the whole restaurant.

Focacceria Lagrange

It is named after the most famous 18th century Turinese mathematician, who invented rational mechanics. They say that focaccia is a mathematical science based on a finite number of flour particles subjected to a dynamic encounter with water and oil. Nothing else. You can judge for yourselves at three establishments (Via Lagrange 11/f, via Sant’Agostino 6 and Piazza Castello, 153).

Perino Vesco

Via Cavour, 10
A myriad of bread in all its shapes and forms, such as grissini (breadsticks) which were invented in Turin to help young Vittorio Amedeo II, who was a weak child and loved to eat this crunchy, easy-to-digest bread. Or so they say. The establishment is often packed and has long queues of people waiting to buy fresh bread, biscuits or sweet pastries, or to enjoy a panino, focaccia or just a coffee.

Where to go shopping

Porta Palazzo Market

A fabulous blend of colours, flavours and cultures, it is the biggest market in Turin and the largest food market in all of Europe. Shops, bars, trattorias and businesses under one roof and offering all kinds of products, from clothes to antiques. Time simply flies by when you’re browsing the stalls.

Guido Castagna

Via Maria Vittoria, 27/C
The cake shop-boutique par excellence. A true emblem of quality chocolate. The owner obviously loves chocolate, pampering it as if he had grown it himself. In his workshop, a few kilometres away from the city, Guido Castagna teaches his profession. His know-how has attracted many followers and given rise to some exceptional giandujotti (a typical Turin sweet made from chocolate and hazelnuts) . You have to try them!

Alberto Marchetti

Torino is not only the city of chocolate, but also of ice-cream. And the best is made by Alberto Marchetti. He has two ice-cream parlours in the city. The largest is at Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 24bis, while the other is at Via Po 35 bis. And he’s opening a third on Via Rossini. There is such a choice of flavours, they’ll let you try a few first. Just as well, or you’d be there all day trying to choose! Try some popcorn ice-cream or a delicious pallino (espresso and a scoop of ice-cream with whipped cream on top). It’s all home-made. Delicious. Amazing ice-creams from just €2. It is also babyfriendly (changing table in the bathroom and a table with games).

Eataly Alti Cibi

Via Nizza, 230/14
A great deli on a large scale. Due to its size and its wide range of quality products. It has something to suit all tastes. If you’re looking for something in particular to try or and even as a gift, you’re sure to find it here: pasta, rice, chocolate and other sweets, coffee, sauces and condiments, cookery books, kitchenware… Quality, sustainability and ecology. The first shop was opened in Turin, followed by Rome, Florence and Milan. Today, there are 26 Eataly establishments worldwide.

Also be sure to visit…

Two great museums

Or two in particular, at least. The Egyptian Museum (Via Accademia delle Scienze, 6) is considered the second most important museum in the world after the Cairo Museum due to its collection of antiques. An ambitious refurbishment is currently underway and is not due to end until 2015.
If you’re a film buff, we recommend the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, located in Mole Antonelliana, a major landmark on the city skyline (Via Montebello, 20). Rising 167 metres above the city, it has a glass lift that takes you up to the top of the huge dome, where you can enjoy panoramic views. Simply breathtaking.

San Giovanni

CathedralA must in the city, this beautiful building from the 14th century dedicated to St. John the Baptist, patron saint of Turin, holds the burial cloth in which Jesus was wrapped after being lowered from the cross: the Holy Shroud, also known as the Shroud of Turin or Turin Shroud. The relic is shown only on special occasions.

Po River

Take a stroll along its banks. If you still have time for more sightseeing, you can stand on one of the many bridges and watch the Po flow by. If you prefer, you can also go for a boat ride on the river. It is the most Parisian touch of this Transalpine city.

Now, as before, we will always have Turin.

We’ll be there. If you want to come too, check out our flights here.

By Josep Sucarrats from Gastronomistas

The fact that in Lyon you can eat like nowhere else in the world has been known since time immemorial. But it was Curnonsky, a renowned food critic from the early 20th century, who first said it in black and white. In 1925, following the construction of the N-25 road linking Paris to the Mediterranean coast, he set about creating a travel guide for lovers of fine cuisine. In Lyon, Curnonsky discovered foies, cheeses, wines and sweets. He was seduced by the ‘bouchon’ (local version of the famous French bistros) and succumbed to the flavours cooked up by the mères. The mères were women chefs with unrivalled culinary skills. People in Lyon regard them as the heart and soul of local cuisine.

The city’s culinary legend was born and there was no going back. The fusion of great produce and even greater chefs gave substance to Lyon’s status as an international capital of good food. This fact was ultimately driven home by a top chef famous the world over: Paul Bocuse.

Today, the mark left by of Paul Bocuse, his imposing countenance, tall white chef’s hat and authoritative look can still be found all around Lyon. In his four restaurants, in the photos of market stalls in Les Halles where he gets supplies – did we say Les Halles? Let’s get it right: a couple of months ago, it was renamed Les Halles Paul Bocuse— or in the dreams of anyone from Lyon who has yet to visit his legendary L’Auberge de Pont de Collognes.

Very soon, from 6 to 9 December, the capital of the Rhone-Alpes region will be celebrating its famous festival of lights, when all the city’s monuments are lit up to create spectacular artistic performances. A great excuse to visit Lyon and indulge yourself in this culinary paradise.

1-An authentic ‘bouchon’: Café des Fédérations

We haven’t eaten at every ‘bouchon’ in Lyon, far from it, but we have eaten here and it has to be one of the best and most authentic in the city. We recommend going there when you’re very hungry: traditional Lyon cuisine is very rich and hearty. As an aperitif, pork crackling. For first course, poached egg au vin with crackling or endive frise with crackling (so much crackling!). Lentils: “it’s not caviar, but still”, they warned us (they came in a mustard sauce and were simply delicious). That’s settled then: lentils are good and caviar is overrated. Chicken with vinegar or pike soufflé. Cheeses. Sweets. Such a banquet encompasses the very best of authentic Lyon cuisine, superbly prepared and with two further enticements. The first is Yves, the owner, the restauranteur who awaits you in his house, who serves you, who wines and dines you and is so friendly you’d ask him to share your table. And the second: the prices (€15 for the set lunch menu and €25 for the set evening menu).

Café des Fédérations. 8, 9, 10 rue Major Martin. Tel. 00 33 4 78 28 26 00.

2-A gastronomic monument: poulet en démi-deuil

The prices may not be its greatest attraction (after all, this restaurant does have two Michelin stars), but, if you can afford it, you really should treat yourself. They don’t serve just any old dish! Poulet en démi-deuiles is a veritable orgy for the taste buds. Imagine free-range poultry raised on the finest farms near Bresse, well fed, meaty and tender, imbued with the taste and aroma of real truffles. The recipe consists of stuffing the space between the skin and the meat with sliced truffles. You have to be a glutton….for pleasure! Poulet en démi-deuiles (which means something like ‘chicken in half mourning’) is what made the first female chef to be awarded three Michelin stars famous. That was back in the 1930s and the chef in question was Eugénie Brazier. Eugénie, a motherless, illiterate country girl, had a very strong character indeed. The walls of Lyon still shudder whenever a chicken comes out of the oven overcooked. Paul Bocuse learnt his trade at her legendary restaurant, La Mère Brazier. Today, it is owned by master chef Mathieu Viannay who, along with his innovative creations, has kept many dishes of his illustrious predecessor on the menu. He’d never dream of forsaking the poulet en démi-deuiles that has enticed so many celebrities to Lyon.

La Mère Brazier. 12 rue Royale. Tel. 00 33 4 78 23 17 20

3-Choose from a 3-take menu with one eye on Japan: Do-Mo

Lyon’s gastronomic heritage, popular or bourgeois, is so mega famous, so legendary the world over and, at the same time, so full of itself, it’s hard to ignore. Yet a short stroll along the city centre streets, even with blinkers on, shows us that Japanese cuisine is fast gaining a foothold. It must appeal to the locals because Japanese restaurants are opening all over the city. Here’s our recommendation for a rather unique experience. At Do-Mo, the produce on offer is given three takes: French, Franco-Japanese or Japanese. So you can, for instance, order your beef French style, with a hint of wasabi for that touch of fusion, or in a 100% Japanese tataki. And the same applies to their three takes on spring rolls, sea bream or chocolate, to give a few examples. Do-Mo provides an ultra-modern setting in the new neighbourhood that has sprung up along the banks of the Saône. During the day, it offers picture-postcard views. At night, it’s teeming with beautiful people. On a nice day, it would be a crime not to enjoy its delightful terrace. And any evening visit simply must end in its fashion lounge next door. As well as the a la carte menu, it also has two set menus: €49.50 and €39.50. It even has a kids’ menu, which they don’t actually call “kids’ menu” and doesn’t consist of sausage, chips and beans. It’s called the Jeune Gastronome and includes a dish from the 3-take menu plus a dessert for €12.

Do-Mo. 45, quai Rambaud. Tel. 00 33 4 37 23 09 23

4-Cheesemakers: Let’s try some Saint-marcellin!

Many shops in Presq’île — i.e. the Peninsula, which is the popular name for the area of Lyon between the rivers Saône and Rhône — as well as numerous market stalls in Les Halles, showcase the fact that people from Lyon are also mad about cheese. The most typical local cheese is Saint-marcellin, a soft cheese with a fermented crust and made from cow’s milk. You can find this cheese and many more besides at La Mère Richard, a famous cheese stall at Les Halles, whose owner is an expert at recommending cheeses for her customers, uses only the finest suppliers and has a colourful character to rival even Madamme Brazier herself. The women from Lyon would seem to be as intriguing as the cheese: we love it. Both the intrigue and, especially, the cheese.

Mère Richard. Les Halles Paul Bocuse. Tel. 00 33 4 78 62 30 78

5-Cool lodgings: bed and breakfast at Mama Shelter

We all need to rest. Lyon is a city of commerce full of comfortable hotels, it’s easy to find somewhere to stay. But if you chance upon somewhere unusual, all the better. If you like to feel cool, look no further. Mama Shelter is the hotel for you. The staff are young and friendly. Each room has a Mac screen displaying a personal welcome message. The clientele are all easy-going and take full advantage of the hotel’s nighttime DJ sessions as well as the wholesome breakfasts. Despite its loud colour scheme and hip decor (which we don’t dislike), the dining room at Mama Shelter transmits a decidedly zen-like ambience which helps set the mood and opens your appetite for the days’ gastronomic tour. While it may not be located in the most central area, it is well connected by underground, bus, tram and trolleybus. Lyon pulls out all the stops when it comes to public transport.

Mama Shelter. 13, rue Domer. Tel. 00 33 4 78 02 58 00

6-Stop off at a cake shop and buy a cream puff

Lyon is also the perfect destination for those with a sweet tooth. Among the many treats on offer, one stands out above the rest. They are light as air with a creamy filling. Need more clues? Ok, just one more. They are made from choux pastry and usually come with a cream or truffle filling. You got it, cream puffs and profiteroles. Yet Lyon’s choux pastries are the same as you’d find in any French city, such as Toulouse, or Courbevoie, to use the birthplace of Louis de Funes as an example. Lyon does, however, have its own local sweet treats, such as coussins (literally, pillows) or cocons (literally, cocoons). One option is to sample these traditional specialities. Another, which we highly recommend, is to drool over the tasty treats on display at Clostan Traiteur. And, once you’ve finished drooling, you can buy and enjoy exquisite cakes, mousse, tiramisu and a thousand variations on traditional desserts, which led to this master confectioner’s being named the best in the world in 2012.

Clostan Traiteur. Magasin Halle Paul Bocuse. Tel. 00 33 4 78 62 93 03

7-Quenelles never seen (or eaten)

Lyon may be far from the sea, but its inhabitants have always enjoyed eating fish. Back in the middle ages, some local monks created artificial pools in order to farm pike. Today, the area has been turned into a nature reserve. But let’s get to the point: this ensured a plentiful supply of fish, and with one kind in particular — pike, or brochet in French — they created the quenelles that are so typical of Lyon. They are usually made with choux pastry mixed with wheat pasta, butter, eggs, milk and, of course, brochet. The chef uses two spoons to shape the mixture into semicircles, which explains why everyone associates this shape with quenelles. They can be so big that one alone is a meal in itself. Other times they’re smaller, so you can try lots of different kinds. At Giraudet, they give them their own creative touch – adding squid ink and other innovative ingredients – leading to long queues of people anxious to buy them.

Giraudet. Les Halles Paul Bocuse. Tel. 00 33 4 78 62 34 05
Giraudet. 2, rue du Cl Chambonnet. Tel. 00 33 4 72 77 98 58

8-Jesus! We’re not being blasphemous, it’s a kind of salami

Cold sausage deserves a chapter all to itself in any good food guide to Lyon. While the city’s sausage makers use recipes that share a common base, they all add their own special touch, so you won’t find two establishments selling the same thing. This special touch is a closely guarded secret that gives each sausage a unique personality. Basically, it’s all about aromatic herbs and spices. Some of the more popular varieties include cerveuil (which must be cooked, contains pistachos and, in its more luxurious form, truffles), saucisson a cuire (literally, sausage to cook), rosette (a long, slender cured sausage) and, above all, Jesus. The cured sausage known as Jesus is made from the widest part of the intestine and gets its name from the fact that, during the production process, it is wrapped in twine which, according to legend, gave it a quality reminiscent of baby Jesus. Who would have thought? What we do know is that it’s Lyon’s greatest cold sausage and that any Jesus like this makes even the most hardened atheist pray for more.

9-Browse around the market and have lunch there

There’s Bresse chicken. There’s foie. There’s truffle. There’s cheese. There’s wine. Lovers of good food be warned, if you enter Lyon market, you’re doomed. You’ll no doubt come away with a little more cholesterol and a little less money. But that’s the cross we foodies have to bear! To avoid breaking the bank or punishing your taste buds, we suggest that you stay at Les Halles for lunch, where there’s something to suit every pocket. We’re huge fans of Passionnement Truffes, a small bistro inside the market where truffles rule supreme. At lunchtime, they offer an affordable set menu for €19 (dish of the day — a big serving —, dessert and a glass of wine). We had the tenderest chicken ever covered in mushroom sauce. And it filled us with bonheur.

Passionnement Truffes. Les Halles Paul Bocuse. Tel. 00 33 4 78 60 15 98

10-Le beaujolais est arrivé!

The area around Lyon is famous for its wines, boasting no less than four denominations of origin. Beaujolais is one, and it’s been made popular thanks to the beaujolais noveaux, the first wine of the year, the youngest wine. It’s uncorked barely two or three months after harvest (between November and December) and fussier wine lovers will tell you that it’s not worth the effort, since it’s better to let wine age. But the anticipation of wine growers to try the first fruits of their labours infects all of us as well. Let’s hope we’re never deprived of the chance to raise a toast, cry out Le beaujolais est arrivé! and celebrate the fact that we, and our taste buds, have fallen in love with Lyon. And such love lasts forever.

Makes you want to go, right? Do it! Check out our prices here!

There are places that are perfect this time of year because of their pleasant climate and great prices, and because they are quieter than in summer. If you fancy a getaway over the next few months, these are the winter destinations to look out for: