Turin is the city of the historic cafés, of the piole, of the shops, but also, and increasingly, of cocktail bars. In reality, the link between the capital and drinking well did not arise recently - vermouth was in fact born in the Savoy city - but there is no doubt that in recent years this relationship has intensified, thanks to the many entities that have proposed and that they still offer a contemporary mix, the result of study, research and lots of experimentation.
If Barz8 and Smile Tree they opened the doors to one research mixing, then also proposed by other venues which today are real certainties, in recent years a new generation of bartenders has emerged, capable of introducing unconventional experimentation to an increasingly large audience, both in the city center and on the outskirts . The bond between the professionals of the night has never been so felt and experienced as in the edition of Mix Contest Italy Tour of November 13th at Lavazza cloud.
A competition in which the bartenders rejoiced not only in their own success but also in that of their other colleagues and friends. The Turin stage of the contest was also the first in which theThe tender opened to the Turin hinterland and the Piedmontese provinces, with the entries of GAF in Cambiano and Radici in Asti, testifying to the growing level of the proposal even outside Turin's radar.
After this premise, here it is our selection of cocktail bars to drink in Turin and Piedmont.
Born in Laigueglia (SV), in Liguria, in a place with a terrace (azotea, in Spanish) overlooking the sea, from summer 2021 the nikkei restaurant-cocktail bar project (i.e. contamination between Japan and Peru) - born from the idea Of Matteo Fornaro and Noemi Dell'Agnello, now respectively bar manager and restaurant and pastry shop manager, as well as partners - moved to Turin, in the central Via Maria Vittoria. The protagonist behind the counter is the ingredient, very often gastronomic, worked with one or more alcoholic bases in order to obtain a homogeneous and balanced result. The cocktails, also made by the bartender Giovanni Saracino, pay homage to the Japanese and Peruvian countries and can also be ordered in combination with chef Robles' dishes in a tasting menu in sips format.
It is located inthe elegant Piazza Carignano in the center of Turin, on the upper floor of the oldest restaurant in the city, the starred Del Cambio, this American bar with private and exclusive cuisine. It is a real living room, in which the Turin soul marries the furnishings and the international atmosphere, given by the dark tones - of the black boiserie, teal colored walls, velvet sofas and leather chairs – and the gold leaf vault by Arturo Herrera. In the spotlight is the drinks proposal of Marco Torre, who has been leading this counter for several years now, with important attention to detail. In the drink list, the ever-present Hall Of Fame, the brand's bestsellers such as the Torino Mule or the Martini del Cambio, are joined by the signatures of La Section del Tè and Le Spezie del Gin.
A few steps from the Po and the Gran Madre there remains a temple of Turin mixing, so defined, because the idea of Salvatore Romano and Luigi Iula, of offering tailored cocktails without a real menu, has been innovative since it opened. Also innovative was the choice to set up a bottle rack unrivaled at the time, which the place can still boast today. Now that the reins of the counter have passed into the hands of the bar manager Alessia Mittone, supported by bartenders Dragos Adam And Gabriel Mohamed, there is also the possibility for customers to order from a small menu of five proposals, exclusively signature. The rooms of the restaurant are very intimate; Precisely for this reason, many prefer to sit outside, or even more often, standing, chatting outside the entrance.
This elegant and refined cocktail bar is located in the right wing of Villa Sassi, a seventeenth-century noble residence on the Turin hill. If the restoration of the entire structure reflects the eclecticism of the Patrizia Reviglio property, the same can be said of this cocktail bar, characterized by vertical green walls, soft lights, floral wallpapers, bright velvets, marble, mirrors and golden lines . The signature cocktail is that of Roberto Palestini, which expresses itself here, together with the bartender Marco Vaudagna, with dedicated drink lists for each space: the Lounge, the Cocchi Terrace, the summer Garden and the Greenhouse, where brunch is served. The signatures are born from the research carried out over the years by Roberto and aim to transform the raw material - including the botanicals of the Villa's centuries-old park - into homemade products such as foams, syrups, sodas, shrubs and so on.
Largo Saluzzo is the square chosen for this cocktail bar with cuisine, which stands out in the panorama of the multi-ethnic San Salvario district of Turin. Two aspects catch the eye: the New York style of the furnishings and the contemporary cocktails of Luca Granero, served on elegant sofas and comfortable armchairs. The protagonist in the bottle rack is Scotch whisky, present here in around 280 different labels, many of which are no longer in production. However, the same cannot be said in the cocktail list, in which all the international alcoholic bases are mixed in turn, often with each other even in the same recipe, together with homemade and particularly refined ingredients. To complete the menu, a selection of gin and tonics and soft drinks.
Where once, according to some legends, there was a charcoal pit where Mazzini and Garibaldi secretly met, today, on the corner between Piazza Vittorio and Lungo Po Armando Diaz, there is a historic cocktail bar. If from this sign you can admire the beauty of Turin, the Gran Madre and the Monte dei Cappuccini, the most recommended reason to reach it are the drinks of the new bartender couple Roberto Di Gioia And Michael Faccenda. The current drink list is inspired by 90s icons - from Nelson Mandela to Madonna - reinterpreted in signatures made up of 4-5 quality ingredients. The menu is completed by sections dedicated to premium cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks.
On the outskirts of Turin, in the metropolitan city of Cambiano, research is the common thread of this restaurant & cocktail bar. The bar manager's drink list Paolo Beatino and the head bartender Nicolò Canali focuses on forgotten icons of mixing, twists on classics - from the Smoked Margarita to the Pession Mule - up to extremely refined signatures, to be enjoyed calmly, such as meditation spirits. The Gaf President, for example, blends two classic recipes - Sazerac and Presidente - mixing J. Bally Agricole Rum, Vermouth Martini Riserva Rubino, Angostura bitters and absinthe scent. From the menu you can also choose from a selection of spritzes, soft drinks and bestsellers.
Back in Piazza Vittorio. This cocktail bar also took its first steps in this representative place of Turin and it is here that it turned twenty-one. The Drogheria has the double merit of being on the one hand a "neighborhood" bar frequented by loyal customers, who return here every week because they feel at home (it is no coincidence that the furnishings are reminiscent of those of a home) and, on the other, to be one of the reference points for mixing in the city. Behind the counter, the head barman Sergio Pisu and the bar manager Martina Franchini they lead a large team of bartenders, including Marco Di Muro And Nicolò Armano. The drinks change once a year, are exclusively signature and include the use of fermented products from around the world, ingredients from the Piedmont area and homemade preparations.
Where once there was a historic Turin mixing venue, the Abrevoire, today there is the young sign of the partner and bar manager Vittorio Rosso, here supported by the head bartender Simone Francesia and the bartenders Mara Carando And Alessandro Pozzato. In refined and elegant living room environments, a refined and at the same time simple mix takes place. The drinks, with ironic names, are never made with more than three ingredients, often represented by vermouth - which however is not the only alcoholic base - very common spices and raw materials, recognizable on a gustatory level. There is also the possibility of ordering some classics and two non-alcoholic choices, alcohol-free reinterpretations of the signatures on the menu.
It was the beginning of 2021 when the footballer Leonardo Bonucci, together with other partners, chose this elegant villa in the Crocetta district of Turin to open his restaurant and cocktail bar. The signature drink proposal, curated by the bar manager Edoardo Vincenzo Mastroianni and the bartenders Manuel Bonafede And Alessio Corrao, amazes with its extreme research, which focuses on raw materials that have often never been explored before. The protagonists are international alcoholic bases, with fruit, vegetables, spices and tea. The drink list changes every three months, coinciding with that of the restaurant, following global mixing trends. In spring/summer, customers can choose to come to the venue to enjoy the drinks, in a dedicated outdoor space, where many mixing classics are also made.
On the top floor of the sustainability hub Green Pea, in a rooftop with swimming pool in the Lingotto district. This is the position from which the bar manager Pierpaolo Cavalli creates its own drinks, together with the bartenders Giorgio Altobello And Deborah Wise. They range from anytime cocktails, to those for the aperitif, up to classics, twists and non-alcoholic ones. Each recipe is very elaborate and the result of mixing no less than four extremely refined ingredients, such as Japanese whisky. The same can be said of non-alcoholic drinks, which are often also created tailor-made at the table, following customer requests. The style of the furnishings is rather modern and characterized by the many windows that do not reveal anything of the outside world.
Far from the centre, on the outskirts of the Mirafiori district of Turin, Giuliana Giancano (bar manager) and his sister Giorgia have opened their own place, where they serve cocktails that also bear the signature of the bartenders Samuele Cerri And Gianluca Sanna. In the recipes, there is space for alcoholic bases from all over the world, with a focus on rum and gin, fruits, flowers and aromatic herbs that grow in the garden (in which you can also sit), ingredients not used in the culinary proposal in pairing and homemade. Among the signatures there is always room for a non-alcoholic drink, the recipe of which changes every evening based on what the garden offers, while the selection of niche bitters stands out in the bottle shop. The attention to sustainability is maximum.
In October 2023, the place opened at the height of the pandemic by the brothers Alessio and Gaia Cogerino and their parents has become even bigger. If the expansion made it possible to create a laboratory for the preparation of homemade drinks from the bar manager Andrea Ciravolo and bartenders Federica Di Lella, Riccardo Cristiani and Stefano Lops are even more elaborate and minimal in appearance. By sitting in a part of the counter, which overlooks the new social table, you have the possibility of ordering a tailored cocktail, designed face to face with a bartender. In the new 300 m2 interior, in addition to the main room, there is also a VIP room, where it is possible to order a bottle of spirit to drink straight or mixed. Confirmed is the large dehors, which overlooks the central Via Sant'Agostino.
Self Asti it is a city inextricably linked to wine, this cocktail bar wants to speak against the grain, winking at lovers of mixed drinks. The name of the sign is a tribute to Sebastiano GarantAnd to his dear Sicily on the drink list. An example? The Femminello lemon from Syracuse used in Maledetta Parodi or the Etna pear liqueur in the signature Una pear a day. In this place you can also drink great classics made to perfection, such as the Daiquiri, and it also ranges beyond the Italian borders, with raw materials such as pisco or vodka, and with homemade products such as tonka bean bitters.
It is the cocktail bar that, together with Barz8, has opened the doors to research mixing in Turin. The ingredients? Research, technique and a lot of care in the presentation of the bar manager's drinks Alex La Roccto and the bartender Mattia Poletti. In the rich and varied drink list, which changes once a year and is made up exclusively of signature drinks, the aim is always to amaze the customer, through a colorful and sometimes even spectacular result in the glass, with the use of dry ice or smoking. Each drink is accompanied by a small gastronomic tasting, perfectly designed ad hoc. There is ever greater attention to the reuse of leftover ingredients, in order to avoid creating waste.
