Opened in 1822 as a literary cafe and the first in Italy to be lit with gas. The interior — frescoed ceiling, white marble columns, an enormous central chandelier — is the most theatrical of the historic cafes and feels closer to an opera foyer than a coffee bar.
A coffee here costs no more than at any other Italian bar; sitting at one of the inside tables to drink it is one of Turin's great cheap pleasures. The patisserie is also strong, especially the marrons glacés and the gianduiotto.