Turin, with a population of around 45,000, was rapidly growing under the Savoy dynasty, which had made the city its capital.
Overlooking Piazza Carignano stood the Palazzo Carignano by Guarini and the building known as Trincotto Rosso, used for the game of “trincot” and for comedic performances.
Prince Luigi Amedeo of Carignano transformed the Trincotto into a theatre with boxes, forming the first nucleus of what would become the Teatro Carignano.
According to some sources, a small shop already existed within the theatre — a possible ancestor of the future Del Cambio.

On October 5, 1757, Mr. Vigna received permission to construct, following a design by the architect Antonio Bellino, the building that would host the Caffè — and later the Ristorante Del Cambio. The name “Cambio” may refer either to the changing of travelers’ horses or to the exchange of currency, reflecting the busy commercial life of the piazza. The first recorded owner was Lorenzo Gazzola, followed by his wife Margarita, at a time when the café occupied only the oldest rooms: the entrance and what is today the Pistoletto Room. The current Risorgimento Hall did not yet exist; in its place stood a simple open porch.

Amid the wars sweeping across Europe, Piedmont came under French rule, and Del Cambio – Cambj in Piedmontese – appeared in guides as the Café du Change.
With the return from the Savoy, the square becomes a place of political manifestations, while Carlo Alberto ascended to the throne in 1830 and granted the Albertine Statute in 1848. In 1833 opens the Farmacia Bestente, at the corner between piazza Carignano and the current via Cesare Battisti.
The Del Cambio is managed by Pietro Cavalchini and after by Pietro Cavallo, which enriches it by transforming the space into a proper restaurant, one of the first with gas lighting equipments. In 1842 the future hall is built, closing the part of the porch in front of the café with wood and glass.

Turin’s population reached around 130,000, and the city stood at the heart of the Italian Wars of Independence.
Palazzo Carignano housed the Chamber of Deputies, and Del Cambio became the preferred restaurant of politicians, earning the nickname “Vice-Parliament.”
Among its regular patrons, the most famous and devoted was the Count Cavour: it is said that from his table he kept an eye on the window of the office across the square, so his secretary could alert him in case of “emergencies.” In 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was born, and Cavour passed away shortly thereafter. During this period, Del Cambio was managed by the Cornagliotto brothers.

Guides of the time described Del Cambio as the perfect setting for “déjeuners à la fourchette,” leisurely meals enjoyed in the late morning. In 1875, Giuseppe Reale undertook a renovation of the Salone, enriching it with Bonelli’s works, including the paintings of the Four Seasons and the famous caricature of Cavour and Nigra. Giacomo Bonotto succeeded him and, in 1894, opened the dehors, as Turin was rapidly industrializing — the same year the FIAT was founded.

During the golden age of cinema, the restaurant was managed by Amato Scavarda, who later passed ownership to former waiter Luigi Cappellino.
The city’s landscape was transformed by the new porticoes of Via Roma, and Del Cambio became a gathering place for industrialists, artists, and members of the era’s elite.
During the Liberation of 1945, on Giulio Bolaffi’s initiative, Del Cambio temporarily became a “partisan canteen.”
In 1958, Michele Parandero, who like Cappellino had once worked at Del Cambio as a waiter, inherited the establishment.

The management of the restaurant was taken over by Publirosa, part of the Cinzano group, which commissioned the Jansen firm to carry out an extensive 19th-century–style renovation.
After a period under the Turin Hotel International group, in 2012 the establishment was acquired by Risorgimento S.r.l., which launched a major restoration and cultural enhancement project. Del Cambio reopened its doors in 2014, unveiling its three iconic spaces: the Ristorante Del Cambio, the Farmacia Del Cambio, and the Bar Cavour.