Pepèn

• Carciofa. The pie, sold by the slice or whole. The Milan menu describes it as artichokes, spinach, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano and mortadella, best eaten warm.
• Caval pist. Raw minced horse seasoned with oil, salt and lemon, in a panino or a small focaccina, with grilled zucchini, mayonnaise and chili.
• Lo Speciale. The first sandwich on the menu: cooked ham, giardiniera and house mayonnaise.
• Spaccaballe. Roast pork with ketchup, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise and chili.

There are also panini with Prosciutto di Parma aged 30 months and with salame di Felino. If raw horse is not for you, the Speciale is the one with history.

Pepèn has no website for the Parma shop and no published price list. The most recent full menu with prices is from the Milan branch, reviewed by Scatti di Gusto in January 2025: carciofa €4.80 a slice or €35 whole, the Speciale €8.50, the horse-meat panino €10.80, a horse focaccina €6.80, the Spaccaballe €9.80. Milan prices are usually higher than Parma's. A 2019 Parma price list quoted a Spaccaballe at €6 and carciofa at €2.50, but those figures are years old. Treat €10 a head as a ceiling for a slice and a panino.

Pepèn does not publish opening hours. Travel directories list Tuesday to Saturday, open in the morning and again in the late afternoon with a break, and closed on Sunday and Monday. That pattern fits a traditional Parma shop, but it is not confirmed by the business, so check before you plan a meal around it. Expect a line at lunchtime and very few seats. It is a stand-up stop, not a lunch.

A 2019 Scatti di Gusto review called Pepèn an institution, but said the bread itself "leaves something to be desired" and that the place is always crowded with few chairs. That is still the right frame: you come for the carciofa and the horse, and for a taste of how Parma eats on its feet. For a sit-down lunch at a similar price, go to Osteria dei Mascalzoni. More options are on the cheap eats guide.