An exceptionally intimate Turin destination for handmade plin and tajarin, with theatrical hospitality and strong value for a fixed-menu experience, but reservations and strict booking logistics are essential.
Plin E Tajarin delivers exceptional food quality anchored in handmade Piedmontese pasta and carefully sourced ingredients, paired with remarkably attentive service that reflects owner-led hospitality. The intimate 16-20 seat setting creates genuine warmth rather than grandeur, and consistent execution across recent years supports reliable dining. What keeps it just short of the very top tier is a modest, neighborhood-focused ambiance that prioritizes personal attention over distinctive design or destination appeal.
Plin E Tajarin is a tiny, reservation-led Turin dining room where the experience begins before the pasta arrives: reviewers describe aperitifs, little jars of savory bites, artwork, jazz, and an owner-host who turns dinner into an intimate performance. One guest summed up the feeling as being welcomed into a private living room, while another said the roughly 16-seat format made every interaction unusually personal. It is a destination rather than a casual drop-in, and booking discipline matters. The cooking is rooted in Piedmontese tradition but presented with playful theatricality and a broad tasting-menu structure. Handmade plin and tajarin are the stars, with roast gravy, bagna cauda, Bra sausage, Castelmagno, hazelnuts, Barolo, truffle, fish, and raw-meat options giving the menus plenty of range. Most detailed diners find the €35-49 fixed menus fair once the extras and dessert are considered, although an isolated critic felt presentation and hype exceeded the food. Vegetarian and fish menus make the offering more flexible than the meat-heavy regional profile suggests. For families, the verdict is mixed rather than effortless. The current menu offers familiar pasta formats, vegetarian choices, and desserts such as bonet and hazelnut cake, but there is no children’s menu, the meal is structured as a tasting experience, and the very small, quiet room is better suited to patient older children than restless young ones. Families should confirm timing and dietary needs in advance.
Area vibe: Residential and mixed-use area with a calm, local Italian urban feel.
Safety: Generally safe with normal city precautions; well-lit streets and steady foot traffic in evenings.
What's nearby: Close to Porta Nuova and Crocetta, near tram/bus lines, shops, neighbourhood bars and bocconi-style eateries.
The safest picks are the Plin di salsiccia di Bra al tovagliolo and truffled tajarin, with dedicated vegetarian menus available.
Book carefully for this 16-20-seat dining room, and budget €35-49 before drinks for a tasting-style meal that may feel small for the price.
Expect an art-filled, home-like pasta room where an owner-host guides a highly personal tasting experience.