Italy’s smallest Literary Café opens in Turin

In the picturesque architecture of the historic Galleria Subalpina, dating back to 1874 and just steps away from Palazzo Carignano, where the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, the new premises of the Libreria Internazionale Luxemburg have opened. This historic bookshop, founded in 1872 as Libreria Beuf (the Beufs were a notable family of booksellers of French origin), began as a small shop in post-unification Turin and evolved into an essential cultural landmark. Today, it is one of the most prestigious and long-standing independent bookstores, recognised by international media as one of the ten most beautiful bookstores in the world.

Previously located just 50 metres further along the same Via Cesare Battisti at the corner with Via Accademia delle Scienze, the bookstore relocated due to rising rental costs. The new space retains its Via Cesare Battisti entrance, featuring five display windows, and adds another entrance with five more windows facing the Galleria Subalpina. Spanning 216 square metres, the bookshop’s wooden furnishings have been carefully restored and repositioned. The interior features wooden floors, vaulted ceilings with exposed brick, designer lighting, and the iconic owl symbol, marking the new chapter of this esteemed institution.

A surprise in Store

Measuring less than 13 square metres and with a deliberately descriptive name, Caffetteria Locale serves as a counterpart to the Libreria Internazionale. This tiny design-centric café boasts innovative ceramic surfaces by Mutina, a central counter reminiscent of a kitchen island to eliminate barriers between patrons and staff, and a cash desk ceiling adorned with ceramic modules forming intricate wall sculptures. These sculptures, created by Breton artist Ronan Bouroullec, are part of the permanent collection at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, where Bouroullec’s work was exhibited until last September.

Curated by Diego Dequigiovanni, owner of Luogo Divino, the café enjoys an exceptional partnership with Caffè Baratti & Milano, a historic establishment just steps away within Galleria Subalpina. Baratti, rated “three cups and three beans” in the Gambero Rosso Guide to Italy’s Bars, brings its expertise to the café’s offerings. Morning breakfasts (the café opens at 9 am, like the bookstore) feature Baratti’s croissants and biscuits paired with single-origin Mundo Novo coffee. The beans, sourced by Dequigiovanni from Brazil (where he has family roots in Piedmont), are roasted by Turin’s Costadoro.

For lunch, the menu includes Baratti’s impeccable tramezzini (such as ham or Russian salad fillings). The highlight, however, is the aperitivo, currently available until 8 pm but set to extend to 10 pm from spring onwards, complete with an outdoor seating area on Via Cesare Battisti. The drinks menu includes fine local wines such as Alta Langa Borgo Maragliano, Arneis Valfaccenda, Nebbiolo Giovanni Rosso, and Barbaresco Albino Rocca. Champagne lovers will find offerings from Alberto Massucco, a Piedmont native producing in Champagne. His AMC02, specifically designed for the Italian palate, aligns with the “local” ethos. Classic cocktails, including the Americano and Gin Tonic (soon to feature non-alcoholic gin), are also available, with Vermouth Carlo Alberto served neat in the Piedmontese vermutino style.

At the helm

The café is led by Marco Peyron, a wine expert with a deep understanding of gastronomy. Over the past two decades, Peyron has managed venues such as the Antica Enoteca del Borgo on Via Monferrato, the Bstr8 on Corso Moncalieri, and Parola, a wine bar adjacent to the bookshop at No. 7 Via Cesare Battisti.

Good books, fine drinks, and tasteful experiences define the offerings at Luxemburg. The bookstore’s carefully curated selections include a dedicated space for Einaudi (featuring even historical series), a dedicated Adelphi section, foreign editions (displayed on the café walls), and an international newsstand. This thoughtful approach carries over into the Caffetteria Locale.

Thanks to these initiatives, Galleria Subalpina is once again becoming—if not reclaiming its former status as—a favoured promenade spot, just as it was 150 years ago.