From the glittering shop windows, under the arches of the ancient arcades, the scent of freshly baked cakes spread. The Art Nouveau salon recalled knights and princesses, like Jolanda of Savoy – daughter of the King – who loved to spend hours in the laboratory, where the pastry chef Giuseppe Castino, known as the “Michelangelo of chocolate”, taught her pastry secrets. Jolanda asked him to invent a pie, which no one had ever tasted before, to bring to Zurich for her guests. Thus was born the Zurich Pie, based on the ancient recipe of the pastry chef, still proposed today as Zurich – Castino: a delicacy filled with Chantilly cream flavored with Strega liquor, crumbled nougat and Gianduia chocolate chips.

But the ancient glories failed over time and the pastry shop, after decades of activity, first changed management and then sadly closed. On December 24, 2014, thanks to the Cosso-Eynard family, the activity started again and the shop windows overlooking Piazza San Donato finally returned to light and the arcades to the smell of chocolate.
The brand is re-proposed on kind permission of Gemma Castino, daughter of the Pastry Chef, and the spaces, totally restored, evoke the original design of the premise, in the choice of style and materials: wooden panelling and velvet armchairs recreate an atmosphere of the past.
The new ownership, driven by the love for the territory and the desire to enhance it, has revived one of the most beautiful corners of the historic centre, taking the Antica Pasticceria Castino towards the Maestri del Gusto project reward.

The Confectionery, which works with the highest quality level, has its own artisan workshop, directed by the confectioner Davide Muro, who interprets tradition with respect, but also with creativity and curiosity, with particular attention to the quality of the raw material and processing.
Every day, a rich selection of cakes, also in single-portion. For breakfast a selection of 20 different variety of croissants; as well as the pralineria and the small pastries, as per the Piedmontese tradition. A very particular proposal for the aperitif: fresh and dry, savoury pastries. Another excellence: the salted filled “panettoni”, available all year round.