I have to start by saying what Piola is: a Piola in Piedmontese is a sort of bar – a hangout where in the past century the men would go to drink and chat.

Now many of these Piola have closed, but a few have resisted until now, one of them is Ranzini.

Ranzini is one of the oldest Piola in Turin, they serve typical Piedmontese snacks and the atmosphere is the same as it was fifty years ago…this is what my grandparents said.

The place has wooden furniture, a marble counter and the walls are covered with bottles of wine, old photos of Ranzini’s family and blackboards with daily specialities. The locale is small with a cosy garden inside, I recommend going early, because often there are queues but it’s worth the wait.

Usually I go to Ranzini after being at the Porta Palazzo (the biggest market in Europe), and I always run into someone I know, it is like a square in a small village but in the center of Turin.

Let’s meet at Ranzini!