Turin is a young city with a thriving nightlife of bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs. Turin's clubs don't usually get going until after 11 pm but the city comes alive well before then; at 6 pm people gather at their favorite bar for an after-work drink called
aperitivo. Two of the most popular after-work beverages, Martini and Cinzano, are made in Turin. Sparkling wine, either Prosecco or Spumante, is another popular
aperitivo.
The Torinese have taken the Italian custom of aperitivo to new heights. Establishments compete with each other to offer the most bountiful and splendid buffets during the period between 6 and 9 pm. For the price of a drink, you can help yourself to a lavish selection of food including pasta, tiny pizza, stuffed tomatoes, bruschetta, mushroom caps, olives and crisps. Drinks cost one or two euros more than usual, or you may be charged an extra two euros for the buffet. The food is meant to whet the appetite, but you will see many Torinese students tucking into what looks like their evening meal.
The two most popular areas of Turin for aperitivo are Via Po and around Piazza Vittorio Veneto and in the lanes of the Roman Quarter (Il Quadrilatero). Just northwest of the Roman quarter is an area known as Borgo Dora, an abandoned industrial district that has been taken over by all-night clubs and discos. Prepare to take a taxi both ways, as buses stop running before the clubs open. A row of dance clubs is located along the Po River that have outdoor dancing in the summer months. Turin also has a number of English and Irish pubs, especially along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II.
