Ristorante Consorzio — Restaurant in Turin

We visited this restaurant on the basis of three recommendations: One from a chef in Milan, one from a good friend, and one from someone who has hosted groups in the restaurant.

Our reservation was for 7:30 PM, and we had been informed when we booked that if we were fifteen minutes late, the table would not be available, and we would be charged 40€ each. We arrived at 7:25 PM and found that the lights were off, the security grill was down, and that there was no one moving around inside. We walked down the street and waited. At 7:40 the door was opened, and the lights were turned on. Another couple entered, and we followed them in. Our table was in the back, and we asked if we could be moved to the front room, nearer the door, where there was more airflow. ‘No, that’s impossible’. Okay, we understand, you’re going to be super busy, and have planned out the room, or something, because you told us that we could only have the table for two hours. And actually, because the chairs are so uncomfortable, sitting there any longer would have been impossible. When we left at 9:30 the restaurant was not even half full. And no one said good night.

Menus arrived, with grissini, and bread, but no olive oil for the bread. Perhaps the restaurant has an agreement with the dentists of Turin, because the grissini were stale and hard enough to crack tooth enamel. But okay, it was Wednesday night, and maybe they wanted to get rid of the grissini from the night before.

The menu is interesting, with variations on regional Piemontese dishes. We ordered one set menu, and three à la carte dishes. I was going to order the ‘Quinto quarto’ or ‘The Fifth Quarter, offal assortment’ because I do like offal, but was put off by the waiter’s description of the dish - Cow vagina is not appealing, and generally speaking, brains are no longer a good choice to eat.

The set menu came with Piemontese style steak tartar and Crunchy egg with swiss chard, fondue and bacon, Agnolotti gobbi, Ruché wine braised Piemontese beef with wholemeal polenta, and panna cotta. We also ordered the sweetbreads with a pomegranate sauce, which were very tasty, the ‘Mountain ravioli’ with mandarin pollen (starchy and under seasoned), and the hanger steak(cooked correctly but served with a side of stringy greens that were impossible to chew and swallow). The braised Ruché beef was like eating over done pot roast from a pressure cooker. The panna cotta was excellent and the coffee unexpectedly bad.

The wine list was surprising, as French wines out number the Italian offerings by two to one and are overpriced. Wine advice is ‘sketchy’ at best.

The service staff are of the ‘I’m so hipster because of my facial hair, and I have tattoos, so I’m way cooler than you’ll ever be especially because you’re older than my grandparents, so you don’t know anything about food’, variety.

The table next to us had problems with what they were served, and, although we don’t speak Italian, the response from the waiter was fairly obviously, ‘Look, you ordered it, that’s the way we prepare it, and if you don’t like it, too bad.’ We saw them later on the metro platform, and they basically told us that their meal was ‘okay, but nothing special’.

This restaurant seems to be trading on its name as part of the Slow Food movement, but that does not excuse the offhanded service nor the uneven quality of the food. The prices are high for such a badly furnished, poorly lit, and uncomfortable setting. This place is a tourist trap. It was the worst and most overpriced meal we...

Review Title: A Dining Experience Full of Arrogance, Not Passion

I recently dined at this establishment in Torino, expecting to enjoy the local cuisine and explore the wine list. Sadly, what I encountered was not the warm, passionate atmosphere of a true Italian dining experience but a glaring display of arrogance.

After asking multiple questions about the wine—given that it was described as very strong, cloudy, and quite particular—I requested a small taste before committing to a glass. This simple and courteous request was flat-out denied, with the staff insisting their wine was not defective. Rather than indulging a curious customer, they chose to be combative, treating my request as an affront.

But that was just the beginning. When my daughter politely asked for a little cheese on her pasta, the waitress flat-out refused, declaring that it would be "nauseating." Excuse me, but who are you to tell your guests what they should and shouldn’t enjoy on their plate? We thought this might be a misunderstanding, but the gentleman server—possibly the manager—then decided to argue about this, too. His belligerence did not stop at our table. I watched in disbelief as he got into a heated exchange with the people sitting next to us. They clearly faced a language barrier and had ordered only one item instead of two, but instead of accommodating them, he dug his heels in and refused to compromise.

The true hallmark of a great restaurant is not just the quality of food or the uniqueness of the wine list but the desire to create an atmosphere of comfort, happiness, and genuine hospitality. Passion for food does not manifest in dismissiveness or condescension. Sadly, this place seems to have confused arrogance for expertise.

No, you don’t need a Michelin Star to impress your guests. What you need is humility, kindness, and a willingness to listen—none of which I encountered here. Save yourself the headache and find a restaurant where the staff’s passion actually enhances your dining experience, rather than...

First of all, I want to say that Piedmont is, for me, one of the most delicious regions on Earth — everything comes together here: nature, people, produce, wine, aesthetics, culture, and art!

I always feel joy returning to this region, but one thing has consistently puzzled me — why was it so hard to eat well in Turin? How could the capital of such an incredibly rich region lack a place where flavor, atmosphere, and service all come together in harmony?

Tomorrow is the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2025 awards, and it brought me back once again to this beautiful city. I asked all my Italian and Georgian friends who are familiar with Turin for recommendations, but most of them, unfortunately, shared the same impression — finding truly great food here is not that easy…

But this time, I was lucky! My friends recommended this incredible place, where the philosophy of Slow Food truly comes to life. You can feel the focus on quality ingredients from the very first bite. The design is cozy, the music is just right, the service is warm and unintrusive — which is rare. The wine list is outstanding. And most importantly — the food is absolutely delicious!

I’m impressed and inspired. You’ve gained another loyal guest in me. I come from a small country — Georgia, the birthplace of wine — where we not only appreciate places like this, but carry them in our hearts.

Wishing you...