Cheap places to eat in Turin? Find out which one is the best!

INDEX:
Cheap places to eat in Turin? Find out which one is the best!

What is a piola?

About Piola da Cianci

Traditional dishes

Otras opciones

When we talk about Italy, the first cities we think of are Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan… And that is not surprising, although it is a little unfair to other smaller cities such as Bologna or Turin. On the one hand, the former is the cradle of Italian gastronomy, and here I tell you why. On the other hand, the latter is the first Italian capital. In other words, we are talking about a city with more than 2,000 years of history that has a significant cultural heritage. And, although you may believe the opposite, finding cheap places to eat in Turin is possible and now I am going to tell you which is the best one to do it.

Looking for cheap places to eat in Turin? Find out what a piola is!

Although you will find all kinds of restaurants in the city, if you want to eat like a true Turinese, the best place to go is a piola. But… What is a piola? It is a small restaurant, usually a family business, that offers traditional dishes and local wines at affordable prices. In fact, they are often so economical that these kinds of restaurants are considered the best places to eat cheap in Turin.

In addition, a piola used to be a meeting place where food, drinks, and table talks were enjoyed in a family atmosphere. Sadly, this has changed over the years, and today piolas have adopted the business model of a regular restaurant.

Anyway, if you are looking for cheap places to eat in Turin, now that you know what a piola is, you can imagine why these restaurants are your best option. And, among all the ones you can find in the city, Piola da Cianci is possibly the best rated.

Piola da Ciancia is one of the best cheap places to eat in Turin

Eating cheap often means renouncing quantity or quality, but fortunately, this is not the case. In Piola da Cianci you will find good dishes at low prices. Naturally, the long queues of Turinese and tourists attest to this. Would you like to know why this is one of the best cheap places to eat in Turin?

As they describe themselves on their website, this is a small and unconventional restaurant with over 11 years of history. To be honest, they do not care to please everyone. Actually, one of the slogans that define their philosophy is “for many but not for all.” In other words, you hate them, or you love them. In our case, we are definitely in love with Piola da Cianci!

I have previously mentioned long lines to eat at Piola da Cianci. As you can imagine, the day we ate there was not an exception. Fortunately, the wait was not too long because the restaurant has lots of outside tables, and they work fast. Apparently, they don’t take reservations, so you’ll have to be patient and wait your turn. But believe me, it’s worth it, you’ll find delicious and cheap food there!

If you are already interested in visiting them, you should know that they are located in the historical center. To be more precise, very close to the cathedral of the city. Here is a map to help you find them.

TRADITIONAL DISHES AT PIOLA DA CIANCI

Although Piola da Cianci’s menu tends to vary, some dishes usually remain constant. Naturally, those are the most traditional ones in the area, such as vitello tonnato, tomini al verde, and tajarin al ragù. So if you want to try traditional dishes, this is one of the best cheap places to eat in Turin.

Vitello tonnato

On the one hand, vitello tonnato is made with beef accompanied by a sauce whose main ingredients are mayonnaise and tuna loins. Curiously, it is also popular in Argentina, and it is usually eaten during Christmas holidays.

Obviously, we tried it several times when we were in Turin. Although some people may be surprised to eat cold meat as a starter, if you like tuna, you will love it. To be honest, vitello tonnato of Piola da Cianci was the best, not only for its taste but also for its value for money. Totally recommended!

Tomini al verde

In addition to that, we also tried tomini al verde, another traditional dish. We are talking about a fresh cheese with white color and a characteristic medium sweet flavor. It is usually accompanied by a green sauce prepared with parsley, garlic, anchovies, bread, capers, and olive oil. If you are a true cheese lover, this is definitely a must-try. Honestly, we liked it, but it didn’t wow us either. In my opinion, in Italy, you will find much better cheeses than this one.

Tajarin al ragù

On the other hand, we didn’t miss the chance to try the tajarin al ragù. As you can see, it is a thin and long pasta- Its shape places it between tagliatelle and spaghetti. What makes this kind of pasta so special? The original recipe required between 30 and 40 egg yolks – you read that right! That made it a perfect dish for all kinds of celebrations.

Honestly, it was the dish we liked the most at Piola da Cianci. It was generous, taking into account its price, and tasted heavenly. It was accompanied by some grated grana padano, so it was perfect. We loved it!

Other options to order at Piola da Cianci

In addition, at Piola da Cianci you will find other less conventional but equally economical options. In this case, we are talking about gnocchi with sausage and mushrooms.

Honestly, I found it interesting because gnocchi is usually accompanied by a sauce. On this occasion, it was served with a sort of tasteful broth. This was one of those dishes that, in the beginning, are not very convincing, but as you eat it, you like it more and more. In the end, we were sorry to finish it. If I had the chance, I would love to order it again.