The Deluxe ‘Tastes of Turin’ Food Tour in Turin

If you’ve followed this blog or my social media channels at all, you’ll know that I looovve food tours. I think they are a fantastic way to get introduced to a city, to meet other people as a solo traveler and to help you scope out restaurants or eateries you want to come back to later if you have more time.

If you are looking for a food tour in Turin that will offer you a way to try many many different kinds of local foods and dishes as well as that is run by warm and welcoming locals, I recommend trying the ‘Tastes of Turin’ food tour with I Eat Food Tours. You will NOT leave this hungry. In fact, you probably won’t be able to eat everything that is put in front of you. But, you will have fun trying…:)

What to Expect from the Deluxe Street Food ‘Tastes of Turin’ Tour:

The tour starts at 11:30 am and lasts approximately four hours. You will start the morning at a cafe where you’ll meet Cecilia and Abram (the owners and tour guides)  and enjoy a morning coffee or other special beverage along with some sweet treats.

Move on from there to a marketplace where you’ll enjoy locally produced cheeses and meats accompanied by wine and served by a local purveyor who is passionate about artisan Piemontese cheeses and meats and who will explain to you a little about each item.

Then, on to a food hall of gastronomic delights where you will sample many more delectable dishes prepared by seasoned and renowned restaurants or chefs. You will definitely get to taste dishes topped with truffles or made with truffles-from pasta or risotto to crostini with truffle-infused tapenades….

At this point on the tour, you’ll almost certainly start wondering how you could eat another bite. In fact, if you are me, you might actually say ‘oh my god, I really couldn’t eat another bite’. But you have committed to this food tour and it is your duty to give it 100% of your effort. Eat more… you must!

Cecilia and Abram will attempt to help you prepare your stomach for yet more Piemonte cuisine by leading you on a short tour of the city as you trudge (more heavily than when you began..) onwards towards your next destination.

What at first sight appears to be a fruit and vegetable/fine food market with a butcher’s counter, shows itself to be something more. Aromas emanate from somewhere behind the counters of prepared foods-and staff emerge with steaming plates of pasta, neat mounds of carne crudo and various platters of roasted meats or locally made cheeses. A glance around the compact space, reveals people sitting and eating at lines of tables tucked amidst the counters displaying freshly rolled agnolotti, cured meats and cheeses and against shelves lined with Piemontese wines. People

This clearly ‘locals only’ hidden gem (which should be revealed by Cecilia and Abram, and not within this blog post…) is known for its food and intimate, casual ambiance. It is the perfect place to grab a quick but artisan quality meal before heading out to finish your weekend or holiday shopping, or before picking up your order of hand-rolled tortellini.

The owner (or butcher… or chef.. or all three!) greets tables as he pours wine or delivers plates. The ambiance is casual, friendly, noisy (in that polite yet somehow slightly muted way that, in my experience, sets Northern Italy apart from louder and warmer regions)  and comfortable.

If you are able to finish your plate-you will earn congratulations from Cecilia and Abram and appreciation from the owner. By this point in the day, after three solid hours of eating and drinking, it is an impressive feat.  And yet there is still dessert to look forward to……..

Cecilia and Abram plan their tours to end with something sweet that they know people will make room for, regardless of how utterly stuffed they are. Artisan gelato.

Despite your disbelief that you’ll be able to do justice to the last artisan delight on the tour, when you arrive at Casa Marchetti and make your way downstairs to the private clients’ tasting salon that has been reserved for the group, the aroma of chocolate and toasted hazelnuts will lure you in.

Every experience is different, but our group was given a taste of not only eight different flavors of Casa Marchetti’s award-winning artisanal gelato (four different combinations of two flavors each-which is typical) but also some of their specialty gianduja (a Piemontese specialty consisting of pure hazelnut paste and high-quality chocolate) and chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella-but kicked up ten notches on the quality scale…). My personal favorite gelato flavor combos were the Fior de Latte and toasted hazelnut and the Gianduja and Gran Marnier.

After the sweet finish to this almost half-a-day tour, Cecilia and Abram bid you farewell,  sending you away with a little gift as well as the sense that you’ve just spent a morning with local friends.

Brooke (me!), Cecilia and the two lovely French girls who accompanied us.

I have been on a lot of food tours and I can honestly say that this one was one of the best values and experiences that I’ve had. There is no way you could taste this many amazing different dishes and/or foods in Torino, for the same price on your own. But of course,  the benefit of being able to sweep into popular places and have a table or private room ready and waiting for you, as well as gaining a private audience with the owner, chef or purveyor of these businesses is what really appeals to foodies who want the ‘insider’ experience.

Questions about taking a tour with I Eat Food Tours? You can email Cecilia and Abram at info@ieatfoodtours.it.

Where to stay in Turin:

If you are looking for a centrally located hotel in Turin, try one of these.

If you prefer to book a place closer to Porta Susa (where you can catch an early morning airport bus to Turin’s Caselle airport) so you only have a couple of blocks to lug your bags from the train station and then to the airport bus, try the Hotel Residence Torino Centro. Not only is it just a block from Porta Susa station, but it’s also clean, has friendly staff, a great breakfast buffet and is a bargain. When I stayed here I paid only about $80/night, which included breakfast.

*Note: Some of my posts may include affiliate links, though many do not. What this means is, that I have added links to some posts, which lead to products or services. Normally, the links are there to make the post more valuable to my readers. If you click on one of my links it costs you nothing extra, but I may make me a few cents if your purchase something through that link. 🙂