Osteria Antiche Sere

Tucked away in the quiet residential neighbourhood of Borgo San Paolo to the west of Turin’s city centre, this friendly family-run osteria features dark wooden furniture, period chairs and framed photos from the early 20th century. The menu, scribbled on recycled paper, is strictly seasonal: autumn sees hearty soups, including bean and mushrooms and chick pea soup (€6), along with wholesome polenta, mushroom and sausage dishes (€8). In the warmer months meals are enjoyed on a pleasant vine-shaded terrace.

€ · Piedmontese

This no-frills, family-run joint might seem a bit out of the way, but is well worth the metro ride to the residential Cenisia neighborhood. In what feels like more of a living room than a dining area—the cozy space is clad in timber paneling and whitewashed walls, adorned with vintage photographs—diners are treated to straightforward Piedmontese classics from a handwritten menu that changes with the seasons. The antipasti misti is a must, offering a slew of traditional starters like grilled red peppers topped with anchovies, wedges of frittata laced with herbs and greens, vitello tonnato, and hard-boiled eggs finished with bagnet vert, a blended green sauce of parsley, capers and anchovies.

A treasure chest where the most authentic gastronomic tradition is preserved in an old-fashioned and lived-in setting, but always extremely well cared for and welcoming. This is Antiche Sere, a place where guests can bask in the most sincere flavours of Piedmontese classics: anchovies, baked peppers, tomini cheese, agnolotti with roast sauce and, of course, vitello tonnato cooked to perfection, with an excellent sauce. The wine cellar is not impressive, but there are the right references for this menu offered at honest prices.

Nel quartiere di Borgo San Paolo, l’Osteria Antiche Sere accoglie in un’atmosfera calda e accogliente. Il posto perfetto per chi cerca ristoranti tipici a Torino dove mangiare specialità della tradizione: si va dai tajarin, i caratteristici tagliolini di pasta all’uovo, conditi con ragù di maiale e fegatini di pollo, agli agnolotti con sugo d’arrosto, dal brasato con polenta agli gnocchi fatti in casa, conditi con ragù di salsiccia suina. Una certezza che non potevamo non segnalare tra i migliori ristoranti di Torino.

Osteria Antiche Sere is one of those unpretentious trattorias that charms diners with their homey atmosphere and honest food. Often listed as one of the top restaurants in Turin, you’ll find it nestled on a side street in the semi-central district of Cenisia – a bit out of the main tourist area, but totally worth the detour. The interior is charmingly old fashioned, with embroidered curtains, black and white photos and pots hanging on the walls.

Recommended to me by one of the people I respect most when it comes to food, Osteria Antiche Sere is family-run, just far enough off the beaten track that it attracts few tourists and takes a vague, ‘who cares?. ’ approach to marketing (hours listed as “may be incorrect” on Google Maps, bookings only by phone). In other words, my platonic ideal of a holiday restaurant.

It feels like a warm hug, so relaxing, so inviting and so delicious. The best part is that it’s full of locals thanks to being way out of the city centre. This can also be a downside if you’re a tourist and don’t have a car, but trust me, it’s so worth visiting!