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Italy : Turin - December 2008

Country Code: Dial for Italy

The Torinesi love Christmas time. December means more chocolate, more wine and more nocciole (hazelnuts). Turin’s centro storico is transformed into a gastronome’s paradise, packed with the best of Piedmont’s treats and temptations. Warm yourself up in one of the city’s famed restaurants or drop into one of its chic little bars for a quick vermouth. Matt Barker enjoys a bit of festive spirit, Turin-style

Getting around

Caselle airport

Bus: A bus service from the airport to the city centre runs every 30 minutes, from 5.15am to 11pm (see www.sadem.it). The journey takes 40 minutes and costs €5.
Train: Trains run directly into Dora station from the airport. The service departs every 30 minutes (see www.gtt.to.it) and takes 40 minutes. Tickets cost €3.
Taxi: A taxi to the city centre takes about 30 minutes and costs €35. Tourist information: The city’s main tourist office is at the Atrium, Piazza Solferino (tel. , www.turismotorino.org).

LA CROCETTA

Named after its tiny local church, this is a fashionable part of town, with its ‘liberty’ architecture (an Italian take on art nouveau) and well-groomed locals.

Culture vultures – The Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (31 Via Magenta) adds to the quarter’s arty ambiance and features frequently changing exhibitions and a permanent collection. This month’s Cronostasi show is an intriguing comparison of cinema and stills photography.

Must eat – Testa (56 Corso Re Umberto, tel. ) is Turin’s most celebrated ice cream parlour and it gets packed, even in the depths of winter. Try the hot chocolate with whipped cream. Caffè Ristorante Platti (72 Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, ) is a grand old charmer dating from the 1870s, with marble tables, huge mirrors and impeccable service. If the chocolatedipped hazelnuts don’t get you, the house cakes most certainly will.

Shop til you drop – One of Turin’s best chocolate shops can be found at Pfatish (42 Via Sacchi), which traces its roots back to the legendary chocolate producers Ferraris. It’s closed Sunday afternoons and Mondays, though. A sister shop, Peyrano-Pfatish (76 Corso Vittorio Emanuele II) is nearby.

QUADRILATERO ROMANO

A small network of bars and cafés spills over onto cobbled streets and public spaces just off Via Garibaldi.

Culture vultures – Christmas lights tend to be taken very seriously in Turin, with acclaimed contemporary artists invited to design the city’s festive focal point. The Torino Triennal runs until February and includes exhibitions and projects by some 50 artists, spread across the city centre (torinotriennale.it).

Must eat – Pastis (9 Piazza Emanuele Filiberto, ) is a fine Gallic-infused trattoria, serving up hearty Piedmont classics to a chatty cross-section of Turin’s cultural crowd. La Montagna in Vetrina (3a Piazza Emanuele Filiberto, ) has a more relaxed air, with a deli-type menu and accompanying shop.

PORTA NUOVA

Hanging around railway stations for too long is rarely to be recommended, but the area immediately surrounding Turin’s main rail hub does have plenty to offer and is a good spot to find a hotel.

Sleep soundly – L’Art Hotel Boston is a sleek designer number complete with Warhols hanging on the walls. The Grand Hotel Sitea is a traditional cosy bolt-hole that’s nice and central.

Shop til you drop – Foodies should make a beeline for Baudracco (62 Corso Vittorio Emanuele II), with its enticing window display of homemade goodies and a large wine selection. Zanaboni (41 Corso Vittorio Emanuele II) is an excellent bookshop, big on specialist design titles.

IL BALON

Even if you’re not in the city at the weekend, and so can’t make a visit to Turin’s famous street market, the Balon area is still worth a detour. It’s got loads of its antique and secondhand shops, some the size of small galleries, others huge warehouses.

Must eat – La Rusnenta (11 Via Andreis Vittorio, ) is tucked away on the second floor of a townhouse, but it’s well worth seeking out for its excellent pasta and very moreish puddings. Trattoria Valenza (39 Via Borgo Dora, ) is one of the city’s best restaurants, an old-school trattoria serving meaty Torinesi fare.

Shop til you drop – Il Balon (balon.it) stages two markets: a weekly flea market, which takes place every Saturday, and a larger antiques market, on the second Sunday of every month. Both are spread out along the streets around Via Borgo Dora.

Compiled by Matt Barker