Palermo’s 11 Best Restaurants and Osterie for Local Flavour
Palermo is a city marked by centuries of contrasting cultural influences. Nothing makes this clearer than the Sicilian capital’s cuisine, where the lingering flavours of past settlements fuse with same-day-sourced ingredients from the markets. Here’s our guide to the best places to eat in Palermo.
Palermitan culinary presentation never feels forced: from paper-wrapped breaded rice balls to street vendors doling out stigghiole – that’s guts on a stick, for the uninitiated – you’ll find theatre and terroir in every bite.
Be sure to book ahead for the best food tours of Palermo and make the most out of your tasty trip.
Trattoria Piccolo Napoli
Restaurant, Italian
This is the sort of unpretentious place that endears visitors to Palermo, despite the Naples homage woven into its name. A mainstay of the Borgo Vecchio neighbourhood – the onetime stomping ground of sailors – Piccolo Napoli’s menu is heavy on no-frills local basics. Follow the cues of the regulars and ask what’s good that day, rather than ordering off the menu – but if you’re shy, you can’t go wrong with the golden-baked, breadcrumb-stuffed sardines (sarde a beccafico).
Osteria dei Vespri
Restaurant, Italian
Trattoria da Salvo
Restaurant, Italian
Not far from the Catalan-tinged church of Santa Maria della Catena, burly Palermitani sling fish and crustaceans onto equally hefty roadside grills. Da Salvo is a Piazza della Kalsa institution, and the quintessential “street trattoria” in Palermo. Opt for the grigliata di pesce (mixed grilled fish) or the fixed-price menu with the fresh catch of the day – anything else is a distraction. Fair warning if gruff service and language barriers make you squirm: the bare-bones set-up and disorder is part of Salvo’s charm.
I Pupi
Restaurant, Italian
Much of chef Tony Lo Coco’s menu puts a gourmet spin on Palermitan street food. A dinnertime-only Michelin darling, I Pupi’s trademarks include an upmarket twist on sesame-topped pani câ meusa – normally translated as “bread with spleen”; Tony’s take is milder, made with cuttlefish. Glass tables, stone floors and slate walls mean the mood can be uncharacteristically serious for Sicily, so if you go, put on your gastronome cap. Options rotate, but none of the tasting menus will leave you wanting.
Osteria Ballarò
Restaurant, Italian, Wine
Bisso Bistrot
Bistro, Italian
Had your fill of fish? Head to the casual-chic Bisso Bistrot in the Baroque-laced Quattro Canti district. Highlights here are the crisp, veggie-based first courses and mains. The chickpea, pepper and dried fruit couscous – a 21st-century trace of Sicily’s years under Arabic rule – makes an easy light lunch, but doesn’t compromise on regional character. And, speaking of character: Bisso is housed in the former Libreria Dante, giving it the air of an antique bookshop.
Trattoria da Mafone
Restaurant, Italian
A fast-and-fresh seafood joint in the humming Mercato del Capo neighbourhood, Mafone’s daily specials are straight from the fishmongers’ stalls. A top pick among the primi (first courses) is the spaghetti ai ricci (sea urchin spaghetti), while, for the secondi (mains), your best bet is always whatever the staff says looked good at the market that morning. The classic contorni (sides) are also worth their salt: don’t miss the caponata, a sweet-and-sour medley of aubergine, celery, tomato, onion, capers and olives.
Pasticceria Cappello, Via Colonna Rotta
Bakery, Cafe, Pastelaria, Bar, Pastry Shop, Pastries
Recommended by Ellen Von Weigand.
Antica Focacceria San Francesco
Restaurant
Food meets culture at Antica Focacceria San Francesco, which aims to highlight the Spanish, French, Arabic and Greek influences that have come to define the food of Sicily through its dishes. The traditional arancini and stuffed sardines are in part responsible for the restaurant’s enduring popularity with locals; all served in an interior and exterior with monumental decorative doors, high ceilings, and antique wrought iron light fixtures.
Recommended by Ellen Von Weigand.
Kursaal Kalhesa, Palermo
Restaurant, Italian
Recommended by Ellen Von Weigand.
Gagini Social Restaurant, Palermo
Diner, Market, Restaurant, Italian
Recommended by Ellen Von Weigand.
Head back to one of these boutique hotels, or if you’re looking for something a little more special, Palermo has a range of luxury hotels. Start your evening with a glass of something local in these Palermo bars, then spend your days exploring what there is to do, including these breathtaking hiking trails across Sicily. To explore a different part of Sicily, head to Taormina – and sample local cuisine at these top restaurants.
This is a rewrite of an article originally by Enrichetta Frezzato.