woman behind the counter of a chocolate shop
At A. Giordano, on Piazza Carlo Felice, chocolates are delicately wrapped, ready to be taken home.
Photograph by Simon Bajada

Photo story: is this city the chocolate capital of Europe?

Piedmont’s capital has a connection with chocolate dating back centuries. Today, across the city you’ll find skilled confectioners creating everything from truffles and pralines to gelato.

Story and photographs bySimon Bajada
December 12, 2023
6 min read
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK)
two men walking under archway
Piazza San Carlo’s baroque arcade is lined with shops and other establishments offering Piedmontese specialities.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
window view of woman within historic cafe setting table cloth down
Cafe culture and chocolate have long gone hand in hand in Turin. Among the city’s many historic establishments are Baratti & Milano.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
woman entering caffe painting in black, surrounded by bricks
At Al Bicerin, the main attraction is its namesake drink – a local favourite combining espresso, drinking chocolate and milk. Here, bicerin is served in a tall glass, with the freshly brewed coffee topped by an ultra-thick layer of chocolate and a blanket of whipped cream.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
traditional dessert served over tea, looks like a skinny churro
Merenda reale (‘royal snack’) is a Turin tradition that originated in the 1700s, served at cafes including Moderna Torrefazione.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
dessert stacked on silver trays
Merenda reale involves serving hot chocolate with an array of traditional sweets and biscuits for dunking.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
woman tempering chocolate by hand in white apron
Gianduia-maker Giacinta Ruggieri tempers chocolate by hand at Guido Gobino’s factory, using skills she’s honed over 23 years on the job.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
waiter waiting for dishes within restaurant, stairwell picture din the background
Renowned for its ornate interiors, Caffè Torino has welcomed famous faces including James Stewart and Ava Gardner since opening in 1903.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
pistachio dish with cream
Fiorio has been a Turin institution since 1780, and was once popular among the intelligentsia and political classes of the Kingdom of Sardinia. As well as chocolate, it uses pistachios in many of its precise pastries.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
gianduia (hazelnut and chocolate) gelato
Fiorio is famed for its gianduia (hazelnut and chocolate) gelato; legend has it that ice cream cones from here helped break down the taboo of women eating in the street.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
chocolate displayed behind cases in shop
Established in 1915, Pfatisch has display cases lined with chocolates, while down in the basement, the shop is home to a chocolate-making museum, featuring century-old machinery that’s still fully functional today.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
chocolate dessert with everything chocolate - cream, sprinkles and sheet
At Pfatisch, the must-order is the signature Il Festivo chocolate cake, a 1960s creation of cocoa meringue discs, chocolate chantilly cream and chocolate sprinkles, topped with a delicate sheet of chocolate.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
red, cream, brown and green wrapped bars of chocolate
Pfatisch sells chocolate bars alongside its ornate pastries and other cocoa-centred treats.
Photograph by Simon Bajada
Published in Issue 21 (autumn 2023) of Food by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

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