Imaginarium is an unconventional restaurant, tucked away in the heart of the Savoy town, where the experience takes center stage. Here, even before taste, it is the senses that are put to the test, with an authentic multisensory journey designed for those seeking something more than just dinner.
The address is only revealed after booking and payment, along with the coordinates and contact details needed to cross the threshold of this enigmatic and deliberately secretive place. The format consists of a single evening seating with eight diners seated around a single table to share a seven-course themed menu. The menu we tried was inspired by the visionary universe of Tim Burton, Macabra Poesia: a gastronomic tale that intertwines dark aesthetics, subtle irony, and unexpected flavors. The setting is minimalist but full of personality, where excellent ingredients and a quest for innovation are the common thread running through the culinary offering.
How the Imaginarium project came about
The project stems from a lucid reflection on the dynamics of high-end dining. Chef Gabriele Gorlato identified a widespread paradox, whereby even when spending large sums of money in the most renowned restaurants, customers always wear a social mask made up of rigid codes and formal behavior that limit the authenticity of the experience. The answer was to offer haute cuisine and impeccable service in a deliberately informal, dystopian, and immersive setting. Strangers sit at the table and, passing through a simple curtain, enter a dimension completely different from what the outside world would suggest. The technical rigor and level of service remain intact, but the barriers of formality are broken down to allow total immersion in the experience.
Beneath the restaurant lies a well-equipped laboratory with workbenches for elaborate preparations, a service kitchen, and an entire perimeter dedicated to production. This autonomy gave rise to a new need last year, namely to give more space to the dessert component, where the objects used to serve desserts at Imaginarium are created. This led to the creation of Pandemonium, a contemporary-style luxury pastry shop located in the center of Turin. It functions as a physical store but maintains the visual and conceptual soul of the original project, translating it into the world of desserts. A space that preserves the common thread of Imaginarium but with its own language, namely a pastry experience that breaks with traditional norms, in keeping with the chef's visionary and unconventional philosophy.
The chef and his cuisine
Born in 1989, Gorlato began his career in France, where he honed his skills in renowned Michelin-starred restaurants, experimenting with high-end cuisine and consolidating his personal vision of gastronomy.
His return to Italy for family reasons marked the beginning of his entrepreneurial phase. He first took over the kitchen at Juventus, then at the SHG Hotel Villa Porro Pirelli, combining these experiences with the founding of a company specializing in luxury catering and consulting. This journey led to the creation of Imaginarium and Pandemonium: two distinct but complementary projects, united by the desire to break with convention and offer gastronomic experiences capable of leaving a lasting impression. The cuisine moves naturally between experimentation and research, focusing on recognizable and never forced raw ingredients, which emerge clearly in every menu item.
Among the dishes, we are served Carnaroli risotto with clam royale, nduja oil, and clam powder: the delicacy and balance immediately stand out, playing on measured, targeted contrasts and marine depth. More daring is the Petardo croccante ACME, which contains chili peppers, prickly pear mustard, and chapote, a surprising and dynamic combination that evolves decisively on the palate. The Fassona beef tartare with crispy pepper gel and fennel bernese sauce is intoxicating and refined, combining aroma and a dizzyingly clean taste.
Next comes the Campari tandoori duck, a contemporary reinterpretation of duck à l'orange, with a distinctive character and well-defined personality that also impressed us with its delicacy. The porchetta-style rabbit roulade, accompanied by a smoked mountain pine and truffle demi-glace, surprises with its complexity and pleasantness, with a balsamic touch that amplifies its depth. The low-temperature cooked halibut, with white truffle beurre blanc and lovage oil, is an enveloping dish with intense aromas and impeccable technical precision.
The journey continues with the pre-dessert: foie gras and figs, a unique dish designed for discerning and curious palates. To finish, MILK, foam and goat's milk panna cotta with honey, presented as a veritable sculpture, complex in form but surprisingly harmonious on the palate. Nutcracker, Bavarian cream with berries and calendula with a heart of licorice and blackberries, marks an intense and memorable finale.
An exciting and thought-provoking experience, enhanced by Gorlato's cuisine and a team that works with elegance, skill, and professionalism, offering diners a high-level sensory journey, recommended for those seeking cuisine that leaves a lasting impression.
Contact
Imaginarium Torino
