A tavern that speaks of modernity in a historic district of Turin that looks to the future.
Photo credits: Elisabetta Riccio
When we think of Turin, we often associate it with the opulence of the Savoy court, its Roman quadrilateral, the elegance of the city center, or, conversely, with Fiat, the gray city of factories that made it a popular destination for migrant workers in the past. But Turin is made up of many nuances, which combine to form a fascinating urban complexity. The Barriera di Milano district is an area of the city at the northern exit of Turin, on the road that led to Milan, where in the 19th century a toll was paid to enter the city.
At the turn of the century, Barriera was one of the most densely populated areas, where you could feel the rhythm of the industrial city, thanks to the presence of factories and workshops, a lively neighborhood of workers, artisans, and immigrants. In recent years, Barriera di Milano has been experiencing a creative renaissance: artistic spaces, street art, independent theaters, and cultural venues are breathing new life into a neighborhood that combines popular memory and urban innovation. One of the cultural hubs of the area is the Ettore Fico Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, the centerpiece of a vast redevelopment program for a disused industrial area. Right next door is Muro, a contemporary osteria.
The format
The venue welcomes us with its international urban style. It could be Turin, New York, or Berlin, but deep down you can feel the beating heart of Barriera di Milano, which lives and pulsates outside the door, providing a setting, a backdrop, a personality. And so Muro is neither a wall nor a barrier, but an open door through which you can breathe in all the intensity of a complex neighborhood, free of hypocrisy and without pretense.
A metaphorical wall to overcome, bringing people into the neighborhood through restaurants and other activities, so that even the people of Turin themselves can discover parts of their city that are rarely explored. After all, the lively center of a city is not always the historic or tourist center. It may not be very typical of Turin to grow and stimulate each other, but here, as in other urban areas, people are trying, and this is how the vital lungs of the city are born. Here, there is a mantra that says, “The city is ours, let's break down the walls.” This is the beginning of what can happen, what is already happening: opening up to the suburbs.
The dishes
The kitchen, which is also open, like the soul of this place, is consistent with all of this. Sincere, direct, made to unite. The captivating design details are curated by Studio Velvet, which is not just a design studio but a broader creative workshop that aims to transform spaces into living narratives. Everything contributes to creating an environment rich in personality, from the graffiti on the doors to the toy soldiers perched on the false ceilings, as well as the temporary photography exhibition that currently adorns the walls. Behind some of the tables, separated not by a wall but by a glass partition, is the museum, with which the young people of the tavern have an evolving relationship, which they imagine will become increasingly intertwined.
The project was launched at the end of 2024 as a collaboration between restaurateur Matteo Borgnino, the mastermind behind this format, also known in the city for his previous experience with “Luogo Divino,” whose essence and originality in creative thinking he brings to this new venture, and a group of young professionals from the restaurant, design, and art worlds. The team in the kitchen and in the dining room is young and energetic, and guiding guests through the extensive wine list is partner and sommelier Federico Verri, who joined the project through his great friendship with Matteo. His idea is to offer good wines, including natural wines, but without rigidity, maintaining an open mind that, despite defining wine in our culture as “a sacrament,” does not exclude a future evolution that also embraces low alcohol. The service is convivial, putting people at ease, offering tastings, sparking curiosity, and sometimes connecting diners who end up exchanging bottles to taste. This is the deepest soul of Muro, a sort of small magic created through gestures, smiles, words, and flavors.
The dishes are not necessarily Piedmontese; the boundaries are broader, and the menu reflects the true urban melting pot of Turin, which is mainly influenced by island and Mediterranean flavors. It is worth remembering that the heart of this neighborhood is Piazza Foroni with its lively market, better known as “Piazzetta Cerignola”: a virtually unique case of an urban name established by popular initiative, thanks to families who immigrated to Turin in the 1940s and 1950s from the Foggia area. The approach in the kitchen is collaborative and multidisciplinary, rather than focused on a single chef. There is no rigid, hierarchically organized brigade in the kitchen, but a team that interacts in a flexible and versatile way. The menu offers recipes that stem from memories, significant moments, and relationships, such as malloreddus with swordfish, eggplant, and salted ricotta, created while reminiscing about vacations in Sicily, blended with a Sardinian touch, or sea bass with pumpkin and fennel soup, which is a delicious and straightforward dish, a treat for the palate created while cooking for the family, which, for a moment, diners also feel part of.
We find a sure and delicate touch in the offal dishes: pappardelle with heart ragù is the perfect autumn comfort food, while ossobuco alla romana makes you feel like you're at Sunday lunch at your grandmother's house, but a grandmother who has kept up with the times, refining the sauce with the enveloping flavors of leek, saffron, and potatoes, adding the freshness of orange, which is somewhat reminiscent of Lombardy's gremolada, lightening the whole dish, even in its presentation. This is the “young” imprint that the cuisine wants to give: recognizable flavors that we all remember and are accustomed to, cooked in a more contemporary way, but with the same satisfaction as at home.
They share the same frankness, authenticity, care, and friendliness as other famous contemporary formats such as Trippa di Milano (with whom Muro recently held a glorious four-handed dinner), but with a different direction, a different interpretation of the trattoria. The atmosphere transports you to another place, confirmed by the cuisine. The dishes of yesterday become more colorful, contemporary, freer from the legacy of the past, and more suited to this type of setting.
Muro is an act of faith in the city, nurturing relationships and building bridges between those who live in Barriera every day and those who are discovering it for the first time. In this part of Turin, the city is no longer “gray”: it is alive, vibrant, and diverse. And so, between a plate of pappardelle and a glass of wine, between the aroma of grandma's sauce and contemporary art, a city begins to tell its story once again. More authentic, more human, more Turin than ever.
Contacts
Muro Osteria
