In 2001, the Caffè Al Bicerin received another important award – Paolo Massobrio of the Critica & Golosa Guide, awarded it one of his prestigious ‘Faccini radiosi’ (Radiant faces). For ten years, in his magazine ‘Papillon’, Massobrio has tested the pulse of Piedmontese gastronomy and wines (he now also covers Liguria, Valle d’Aosta and Costa Azurra) judging what restaurants offer, trattorias, cafés, wine, bars, rural produce establishments and any shop selling good produce. The ‘Radiant Face” is the equivalent to 5 stars and maximum possible votes, and was achieved thanks to the highest quality produce and the remarkable ambience that pervades this locale.
The fascination of Piazza della Consolata remains to this day. An almost identical corner of a Turin of past times, where it’s easy to imagine the film-set of a period film. Here stands the Sanctuary of the Madonna, symbol of catholic worship in Turin. Facing the entry columns, in contrast there is a minute shop window with an even smaller door. This is the Bicerin, a one-room locale with a creaking parquet floor, eight little marble tables and an old bar-counter surrounded by antiquated shelves.
Everything is at it was a couple of centuries ago (…) the same ambience that captivated Silvio Pellico, Giacomo Puccini, Nietzsche and Mario Soldati. (…) Here you can enjoy the finest breakfast, the best aperitifs or just lounge lazily – when the climate allows – at one of the small tables outside in the summer. It would be a joy to relax for a while in one of the most charming spots in the city.
Vote: ‘ Faccino radioso’ (‘Radiant Face’ – ten out of ten.
(Paolo Massobrio- guida Critica & Golosa)
