Caffè Fiorio

“How are things at Caffè Fiorio?” King Carlo Alberto used to say every morning, which basically meant “what’s going on in the city?”. An aristocratic drawing room and emblem of city life where great personalities of the past met. Caffè Fiorio was and still is one of the symbols of the Savoy Turin in which madame, intellectuals and nobles met to discuss over a good cup of chocolate.

From the busy and crowded Via Po ‘you just need to take a step to be catapulted into the mid-nineteenth century. Among huge mirrors, velvet-lined chairs, gilded stuccos and paper-covered walls it is not difficult to imagine Cavour, D’Azeglio or Balbo engaged in a political conversation while enjoying a traditional Bicerin or a coffee. Try to imagine yourself as one of the noble lords of yesteryear in a place that invites you to sit with history, to admire it and in a sense almost taste it.

Here, it is tradition to be the master and if you hear anything about Fiorio it will certainly be about the ice cream of the chocolate in a cup.  They preserve the secret of the same age-old recipe that made Nietzsche love them during his stay in Turin. An urban legend suggests that the “walking cone” was invented here and another credits Fiorio for bringing down the taboo that forbid women to show themselves in public with an ice cream cone in their hands. Anecdotes aside, the fact remains that it is obligatory to taste this ice cream from another era.

The famous chocolate in the cup is a real experience. Mixed according to the authentic Turin tradition, this type of drink has always been considered a “ritual” for which “special and good-natured objects” are necessary to enjoy with a moment of conviviality to take some time to relax and chat. Here everything is done by Fiorio according to the criteria of this rite of Savoy, from which I strongly recommend you experience, choosing from the wide range of tastes: cinnamon, dark (in different sizes), amaretto and of course the inevitable giandujotto.

Abandon yourself to the history and the sweetness of this magical place through full immersion in the sabaudità, soul and taste of the Piedmontese capital.