Casa del Pingone is the perfect place to explore Turin, Italy’s most French city, on foot and at your own pace. And the French have a term for this: flâneur. A flâneur is someone who strolls slowly through the city streets without a specific destination, with the sole purpose of observing and simultaneously drawing inspiration from everything.
Casa del Pingone, a dialogue between yesterday and today
Fully embracing this philosophy of life and travel, we greatly appreciated the location of Casa del Pingone, in the heart of ancient Augusta Taurinorum, the city founded by the Romans in 28 BC. Over time, it became the heart of the medieval city center and today Turin’s most bohemian neighborhood: the so-called Roman Quadrilateral, with its working-class soul, yet still a bit snobbish, as only the Savoy city can be, and its irresistible charm.
From here, the city is literally at your fingertips. But that’s not all. Staying in one of the six suites—ours is number 10—you experience the profound emotion of living in a house boasting Turin’s only remaining medieval tower.
Casa del Pingone is actually a complex of several buildings at the intersection of Via della Basilica and Via Porta Palatina, the only one remaining of the four that opened along the city walls. It takes its name from Emanuele Filiberto Pingone, who in the 16th century was the court historian of Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy. Originally from Chambéry, he is said to have lived in this house. Abandoned for years, it was restored in 2002 by architect Federico De Giuli with the aim of making it a reference point for travelers, but also for those who want to spend pleasant moments between breakfast, lunch and dinner or simply enjoying a cocktail.
Indeed, the ground floor houses the kitchen and dining room of AB+ Ristorante & Cocktail Bar, and it was here, with a glass in hand, that we met the architect and owner of Casa del Pingone, the man who bet on the rebirth of this building, built around a courtyard that holds small treasures like the coffered ceiling and grotesque wall decorations. At the B&B, we were welcomed by Paola, the Casa del Pingone’s gracious ambassador and author of the invaluable guide to the city’s “secret” addresses, which she gifted us, and Sara, who accompanied us to our suite.
Each one different, the rooms are spread across multiple floors and offer generous dimensions: the smallest suite measures 43 square meters, the largest a full 180 square meters. Each features carefully selected elements, including rugs, Gio Ponti Superleggera chairs, lamps, and designer objects that stand out against the exposed beams and walls with traces of frescoes. The bathrooms are meticulously designed: simply calling them bathrooms would be an understatement. These rooms, too, are distinguished by a vintage feel, yet the amenities are modern.
In our suite, the rugs were the only decorative elements removed due to Otto’s presence, but in return, he was able to enjoy a comfortable and soft giant dog bed all to himself!
And he was also able to accompany us to the restaurant where the mastermind is Lorenzo Cherubini, who, while sharing the same name as the famous Cortona-born singer Jovanotti, boasts distinctly Piedmontese origins. His cuisine, inspired by tradition and therefore by the region and its products, is also Piedmontese, yet light and attentive to ensuring harmony in every dish. It’s a shame we weren’t able to chat during dinner: we would have loved to hear him share his experience and culinary philosophy, and hear him present his dishes directly. But we must emphasize that everything was presented to us admirably, along with the wine pairing, by Greta, a young and knowledgeable sommelier who moved from her native Lazio to Turin.
And it’s immediately a pleasure to sit at the simple yet elegant table, where thin ceramic leaves serve as cutlery rests. The wine? Basadone 2024, made from Pelaverga Piccolo grapes and produced by Castello di Verduno, served slightly chilled to enhance its spicy notes. Its name derives from the Piedmontese term for wild poppy, but it also playfully refers to someone who loves to kiss. The explanation elicits smiles and even more desire to taste this unknown nectar, derived from a native grape variety grown almost exclusively in the Verduno area of the province of Cuneo.
From the kitchen, an irresistible delicacy immediately arrives at the table: the Pan brioche, butter, and Cantabrian anchovies, which expresses a perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness on the palate through the smooth flavor of butter enriched by the more intense flavor of anchovies that enhance the soft, freshly toasted bread.
After the delicious amuse bouche, the team surprised us with an appetizer of Fried brains, arugula, and tartar sauce, a veritable explosion on the taste buds, with no single ingredient overpowering the others in a harmony unexpected given the quality of the ingredients.
Then came the first courses, which in Piedmont are no joke. For me, Bottoni, smoked buffalo ricotta, salted lemon and onion, a blend of various gastronomic cultures: the filled pasta, clearly a Northern tradition, combined with a hint of Southern cheese, and salted lemon, a preserve typical of North African cuisine that we tasted for the first time in Egypt. For the second course, a Roll of rabbit, asparagus, and white mustard, a dish that inspires an oxymoron: rich yet delicate.
For Michele, the Agnolotti del Plin with three roasts, a must-try Piedmontese classic, followed by Sambucano lamb with artichokes, goat cheese and mint, a perfect expression of Cherubini’s cuisine, which always strives for seasonality. It was accompanied by exquisite focaccia, along with breads and breadsticks, all made in the in-house bakery and pastry shop.
The shared dessert choice was the Chocolate Crumble with mandarin sorbet and Port reduction, both hot and cold, a true masterpiece of ingredient proportions.
At this point, all that remains is to reveal the origin of the name AB+. During restoration work, some building materials were found in the building’s basement. On one of these, a large fragment of Roman brick, is engraved a mill game board with the initials AB+. The interpretation is uncertain, but this is where the Bistro, steadfastly managed by Chef Lorenzo Cherubini, takes its name.
Casa del Pingone is not only the starting point for those who want to enjoy the city of Turin within walking distance of everything, but the perfect choice for those who want to feel at home, but not in just any house. A home where you can feel the breath of the centuries of history that have inhabited it, and a non-invasive restoration has restored its soul through meticulous attention to contemporary details that dialogue with the original elements.
Casa del Pingone
Via della Basilica, 13 – Turin
Suite +39 375 7702267
Cafeteria +39 011 5692233
www.casadelpingone.it – info@casapingone.it
