Whether you are in Turin for a short vacation, whether you are a resident of Piedmont’s capital city, there is one part of the city that you cannot fail to visit. It is the Roman Quadrilateral , or more simply Quadrilatero, the historic heart of Turin as well as one of the most vibrant neighborhoods for its food and wine offerings and nightlife.

The origins of the Quadrilateral go back, as the full name implies, to the Roman era . This was in fact the place where the first castro , the military camp that would give rise to the urbe Julia Augusta Taurinorum . As envisaged by traditional Roman urban planning architecture, the city core was organized around two main perpendicular streets, the castro and decumanus, and had a regular geometric shape, which inspired its present name.

Today, the Quadrilateral is bounded by. via Cernaia , via Rome , Corso Regina Margherita e Corso Galileo Ferraris and is home to numerous artistic and cultural attractions:from the Chapel of the Holy Shroud al Roman Theater , dal Shrine of the Consolata a Porta Palazzo with its market, moving from the scenic Town Hall Square e Savoy Square . Those who then want to devote themselves to the shopping can take advantage of the boutiques of via Rome e via Garibaldi , all while walking among nineteenth-century stately mansions immersed in the atmosphere that earned Turin the title “Little Paris.”

What, then, are the most recommended venues in Turin’s Quadrilateral?

What makes the Quadrilateral one of Turin’s most popular neighborhoods, however, are its localization . From breakfast until late in the evening, the offer is really wide and varied, with bar , pub e restaurants innovative and trendy.

Cafe Al Bicerin

Any self-respecting list of Turin’s Quadrilateral venues cannot fail to mention the Cafe Al Bicerin . It is probably the best-known bar in the capital city and boasts no less than 260 years of history, having been founded in the 1763 . In this wood-paneled establishment, you can breathe in the memory of tradition, especially when you order the real star of the menu:the Bicerin, which is a hot drink made of coffee, chocolate, and milk cream that originated together with the historic coffee. It is said that the best way to enjoy Bicerin is without stirring it and savoring the ingredients as they come to the palate;this same experience has been had over the years by all the bar’s illustrious guests, from Camillo Benso Count of Cavour a Friedrich Nietzsche , as Umberto Eco a Italo Calvino .

In addition to the Bicerin, here you can also taste sweet delicacies such as the eggnog the Bicerin cake coffee and chocolate, hot and cold chocolate, and the Royal Bicerin Snack , in which the iconic drink is accompanied by whipped cream, traditional Piedmontese cookies and a glass of the exclusive house liqueur made from pure chocolate. Speaking of liqueurs, at Bicerin the offerings belong mainly to the Turin tradition and range from the Barolo chinato al Passito di Caluso, from Carpano Vermouth to black cherry Ratafià.

Pastis

From a historic establishment to an establishment that has made (and is making) the history of Turin. Located in Piazza Emanuele Filiberto, this bistro is true in every way to its name inspired by the famous French liqueur. “ Pastis ”in fact means “mixture,”exactly like the one you breathe while sitting at the minute tables and looking around:a mixture of scents, flavors, ethnicities and vibrations, made harmonious by the desire to be together to drink and eat well.

Pastis is open from morning until after dinner, and on its counter alternate traditional and avant-garde flavors, Piedmontese and Mediterranean dishes. Among the unmissable delicacies are definitely those of the aperitif, the “ Italian-style tapas ”that take their cues from Southern recipes and bring them up to date with a pop twist. You can thus combine a mini portion of eggplant parmigiana to a glass of Barbera, or a tuna ficazza to a Franciacorta, leaving you inebriated by the atmosphere reminiscent of that of a small restaurant overlooking the shores of Mare Nostrum.

Nurah Cafè

The cultural meltin-pot of Turin’s Quadrilateral is excellently embodied by the Nurah Cafè . Formerly known as Hafa Cafe, this venue has the power to catapult you to Marracash as soon as you cross its threshold. Colorful pillows, lanterns, and mirrors are just a few of the decorative elements that give off an authentic Moroccan atmosphere. And then there’s the culinary offerings:from snacks to after dinner, North African dishes and drinks are carefully served both indoors and, during warm weather, in a quaint outdoor patio.

Mint tea e spicy coffees will make you feel one step away from the desert, perhaps accompanied by a fragrant hookah , while for aperitifs you can choose from specialties such as. taboulet Served in colorful tajines, Hummus e fresh Arabian bread . After dinner then continues with cocktails both classic and revamped with a Moroccan twist:there is no shortage of spices, and the liquors are of excellent quality.

Judafire Music Café

If you are looking for a music venue in Turin’s Quadrilateral, you have found it. Located at the intersection of Via Sant’Agostino and Via San Domenico, the Judafire Music Café offers musical evenings of the most diverse types, from DJ sets to live performances by a jazz band. Not only that:exhibitions and art performances are often organized in this modern, youth-run pub, giving more or less well-known talents the opportunity to perform.

From Judafire, one does not then leave with either hunger or thirst. In fact, the restaurant sets up abundant apericene for all tastes, to be accompanied by classic cocktails, local wines and timeless beers. Then if you want to be daring, ask the barman to prepare you the chupito of the day . You will see some good things.

Smile Tree

Originality is at home at the Smile Tree. Indeed, this cocktail bar open until late has as its flagship its “designer”drinks, innovative creations that are impossible not to photograph. The cocktails offered are both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, but all are still characterized by the extreme attention to detail and the search for out-of-the-box raw materials.

So you can try a drink made with sake, yuzu and Lapsang tea syrup, or a non-alcoholic made with guanabana (or graviola) juice, Spanish almond syrup, lime and orange juice. But that’s not the end of the story, as the Smile Tree also distigues for aperitifs, which it offers in both classic and vegan .