Caffe Mulassano ★ 4.6
Caffe Mulassano under the Piazza Castello porticoes in Turin invented the tramezzino in 1926. Thirty-plus crustless-triangle fillings, eaten at the counter.
Try: Tramezzino (30+ fillings)
History
Onorino and Angela Nebiolo returned from Detroit in 1925 to take over Caffe Mulassano on Piazza Castello, and in 1926 invented the tramezzino: crustless, triangular, on pillowy white bread. Gabriele D'Annunzio, a Mulassano regular, gave the sandwich its name. The cafe still serves 30-plus fillings; Mulassano's display case is the canonical reference. The tramezzino turns 100 in 2026.
Common allergens: Gluten, Egg
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 8 thin slices soft white sandwich bread, crusts removed
- 120g tuna in olive oil, drained
- 60g good-quality mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons capers, rinsed and finely chopped
- 4 anchovy fillets in oil, finely chopped
- Pinch black pepper
Method
- Mash the tuna with the mayonnaise, capers, anchovy and pepper to a soft spread.
- Spread the filling generously on four slices of bread; the filling should puff slightly when topped.
- Top with the remaining slices, press lightly, then cut each square diagonally to form two triangles.
- Press the cut edges to seal slightly; wrap in damp paper towel for 30 minutes if not eaten immediately.
Tip from the editors. Keep the bread thin and soft, never toasted; the canonical tramezzino is pillowy, never crisp.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Where to eat tramezzino
Tramezzino in Turin
Caffe Baratti & Milano ★ 4.3
Baratti & Milano on Piazza Castello in Turin is the all-day cafe option: bicerin, cornetto, savoury tartine and a gianduiotto on the saucer in the Liberty.
Order: Bicerin, cornetto, gianduiotto on the saucer
Caffe Platti 1875 ★ 4.4
Caffe Platti on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II in Turin opened in 1875. Luigi Einaudi and Pavese drank coffee here; Juventus was founded on a bench out front.
Signature drink: Espresso and bicerin
More cities are in research. Want tramezzino covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.