Five places to eat in Turin during C2C Between contemporary trattorias, neighborhood wine bars, and niche street food

The twenty-third edition of the C2C Festival, one of the most important electronic music events in Europe, scheduled in Turin from October 30 to November 2, has recently been almost completely sold out. Tickets for the main festival nights – Friday and Saturday, featuring numerous artists including Blood Orange, Four Tet, Nicolas Jaar, and Floating Points – have been sold out for over a month; only a very limited number of tickets remain for the opening and closing nights, featuring respectively Daniel Blumberg (2024 Oscar winner for Best Original Score with The Brutalist) and Billy Woods, among others. With these and other names on the line-up, C2C remains a key reference for clubbing enthusiasts and beyond, thanks to a program that for years has combined different genres under the label “avant-pop”. The 2025 edition of C2C is dedicated to the festival's founder, Sergio Ricciardone, who passed away at 53 – a well-known figure in the Turin and Italian music scene. Not by chance, this year's theme is «per aspera ad astra». It promises to be a historic edition of the festival, likely marking a “before” and “after” in its twenty-year history.

With over 40,000 participants expected from around the world – about 40% of them from abroad – the C2C organization anticipates once again a mostly young audience, as half of the passes have been purchased by under-30s. For those in Turin between late October and early November, it is also an opportunity to discover the vibrant gastronomic scene of the Piedmontese capital, alongside its musical and cultural offerings – from contemporary trattorias to neighborhood wine bars and niche street food. Here are five places worth trying.

Ristorante Consorzio

Highlighted by the Michelin Guide with the Bib Gourmand award – a recognition for restaurants offering excellent cuisine at reasonable prices – Ristorante Consorzio has long been a reference point for food enthusiasts in Turin. The atmosphere is informal yet contemporary, just like its cuisine: the restaurant serves creatively reinterpreted dishes from the local tradition with attention to high-quality ingredients. «One of the most interesting and accomplished Piedmontese kitchens in the city», writes the Michelin Guide, which also emphasizes the restaurant's ability to showcase less noble cuts of meat, such as offal and tripe: «absolutely unmissable».

Smashy

It was among the first venues in Italy to spot the smash burger trend with timing and authenticity. The menu is deliberately minimal, following the example of the famous Californian chain In-N-Out, which inspired many similar ventures. Smashy offers only cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, and bacon cheeseburger, served with fries and a minimal selection of beverages. «In a world where everyone tries to add more, we decided to do exactly the opposite», said the founders at the opening in November 2023. Even today, this philosophy makes Smashy one of the top destinations for high-quality burgers in Northern Italy.

Ailimē

«Italian mood, Japanese attitude», says the motto of Ailimē: the restaurant’s concept – halfway between a wine bar with kitchen and a contemporary trattoria – is inspired by home-style cooking, combining dishes from northern Italian osterias with traditional Japanese cuisine. «An eclectic and fun menu that changes over time, enriched with new recipes», writes TorinoToday. The restaurant recently opened its own “izakaya” – a typical Japanese format halfway between a pub and a trattoria, where guests primarily come to enjoy small informal dishes alongside drinks.

Orso Laboratorio Caffè

Opened in the San Salvario district of Turin, the café was among the first in the city to introduce the concept of specialty coffee, bringing a completely new approach to one of Italy’s most iconic beverages. After over ten years of activity, the opening of a second Turin location confirmed the success and solidity of the project. Orso Laboratorio Caffè has always focused on artisan roasting and the selection of specialty coffee micro-lots, collaborating with small producers from around the world. The café also offers a curated selection of viennoiserie, perfect for pairing with the many types of coffee available.

Razzo

«A cozy restaurant with contemporary, youthful, and relaxed tones, serving cuisine attentive to regional and seasonal products», writes the Michelin Guide about Razzo, a Turin restaurant opened in 2019 and still led by chef Niccolò Giugni. «The à la carte dishes [...] reveal great technique and a mature creative soul», reports the magazine Dissapore. The restaurant also offers a small tasting menu at a very reasonable price considering the quality offered – and the wine list stands out for its carefully curated selection.