I was in Turin yesterday and I couldn’t help but poke my nose into some of the beautiful historic cafes under the elegant portici in Piazza Castello.

Cafe Mulassano is perhaps the oldest cafes in Turin. This liberty-style gem was opened in 1907 and offered a place for writers such as Guido Gozzano to find inspiration in the daily of the Torinesi.

Just around the corner, Baretti e Milano offers an elegant retreat from the bustle of the traffic. The first time I had tea here I felt like I had fallen back in time. I always dreamed of taking my grandmother here to nibble on little sandwiches and sip from elegant china. This cafe was renovated a few years ago, but luckily they changed very little.

There are many other historic cafes in Turin (Platti, Fiorio, il Bicherin and more). These are small pieces of the city’s living history. They remind us of more gentile times but they are also important places for social life in the city. The culture of coffee and sweets is alive and well in Turin.