Coffee, chocolate and cream since 1763
Facing the Santuario della Consolata, one of the most beloved churches of the Turinese, the Caffè Al Bicerin is a tiny café founded in 1763, with only eight marble tables, wood panelling, mirrors and a counter, which has remained almost unchanged for over two centuries. It gave its name to Turin's most famous drink: the bicerin, "little glass" in Piedmontese dialect.
The bicerin is a hot drink served in a small glass with a metal handle, made of three layers that are not mixed: espresso coffee, thick hot chocolate and milk cream, according to a recipe that the café has kept secret. It derives from the "bavareisa", an eighteenth century drink of coffee, chocolate and milk, and was the favourite drink of the faithful who left mass at the Consolata after fasting, as well as of famous customers such as Cavour, who came here waiting for the Savoy royal family, Silvio Pellico, Alexandre Dumas, Friedrich Nietzsche and Puccini. It is said that the café was always run by women, a rarity in the past. Next to it, the baroque sanctuary of the Consolata, designed by Guarini and Juvarra, is filled with thousands of ex-votos, paintings offered for graces received.
Tip: the café is small and often has a queue; go in the morning or mid-afternoon. Many other Turin cafés serve their own version of the bicerin.
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