Showing 1-16 of 16 results
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Antica Focacceria di San Francesco
A Palermitan institution popular with working men and families, this is one of the city's oldest eating houses; it opened in 1834, and even hosted the first Sicilian parliament. You may find its reputation better than its food, though the age-old Palermitan snack of panino con la milza (sandwich of veal innards and ricotta cheese) is worth trying.
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Antico Caffé Spinnato
Thanks to the café's immense popularity, both with Palermo's professionals and with tourists, the local pigeons are so used to good food lying about they occasionally dive-bomb the tables outside, trying to get to the crisps and olives. Considering this rather unpleasant feature, you're perhaps better off inside the sophisticated tea salon, which serves every imaginable Sicilian drink, plus ice creams and cakes. Great for a late lazy breakfast with the newspaper.
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Casa del Brodo
This old-school trattoria (informal restaurant) has had soup as its speciality for more than 100 years, though the fresh fish and seafood are highly recommended by the locals. The tortellini in brodo (tortellini pasta in broth) is truly restorative after a hard day's sightseeing.
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Cucina Papoff
This is an intimate restaurant with exposed brickwork and an art nouveau theme. Despite being founded by a Bulgarian, the restaurant serves imaginative Sicilian dishes such a u maccu (broad beans in fennel).
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Foccaceria del Massimo
This is one of Palermo's best places for lunch, and not only for those of you wanting a bit of cheap grub. The foccacerie are traditionally workmen's eateries, and the system of choosing and ordering from the counter can be a bit daunting until you get the hang of it.
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Il Baretto
This little café with its besuited waiters gives you a good insight into how the other half lives. Rich young Palermitans dressed head to toe in designer labels, ladies with serious hairdos, and eccentric old men with Panamas and shades all congregate here for their light lunch.
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Il Firriato
Although Il Firriato is the restaurant for Hotel Principe di Villafranca, it is also open to the public. The restaurant's limited menu is a sign of the care it takes with each dish - the roast lamb is particularly delicious, and the desserts are to die for.
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Kursaal Kalhesa
Recline on silk-covered cushions beneath soaring vaulted ceilings or sit outside in the expansive garden while you savour crispy Tunisian brik (pastries) and aromatic fettucine con vongole e gamberi (fettucine with clams and prawns). The mains are meaty, with veal and lamb steaks, and the granite (flavoured crushed ice) are perfect for dessert. The cocktail and wine lists are extensive.
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L'Acanto
The decoration is gorgeous, the food delicious and the staff friendly at this elegant restaurant that sits at the end of a small street in new Palermo. The menu is traditional with a modern twist, sprinkled with some excellent fresh seafood and grilled fish, and there's a decent wine list for boozy dinners. You eat by candlelight under canvas canopies in the leafy back garden.
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La Cambusa
La Cambusa is a local favourite, and its proximity to the old port makes it a serious fish restaurant. You select your fish from the cold counter and the staff whisk it off to be cooked. Although the restaurant has a great atmosphere in the evenings, the busier it is, the more inattentive the service becomes.
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Les Amis
A great spot for a fixed lunch menu of fish, Les Amis has had consistently good recommendations over the years. It's decorated in the classic Italian style, with terracotta walls and peachy lighting.
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Massaro
Here's a true Palermo institution - it's a bit out of the way, but it's as traditional and loved by its regulars as it gets. It's excellent for breakfasts or snacks, but it's best for the vast variety of cakes, which range from pistachio balls to pine nut-encrusted rolls to creamy cannoli (pastry shells stuffed with sweet ricotta).
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Massaro 2
Smaller and more modern than its sister restaurant, Massaro, at Massaro 2 you'll find fewer cakes but delicious ice cream, great coffee, sandwiches and futuristic décor in shiny aluminium. The Via Brasa branch has window stools for people- (and traffic-) watching.
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Osteria dei Vespri
If you want to try modern Italian cuisine, this is the perfect place to surrender your taste buds. Add the pleasure of sitting in the shadow of the venerable palazzo where Luchino Visconti filmed parts of Il gattopardo, and you have the perfect restaurant. But it's really the cuisine you'll be focusing on. Dishes include anelleti (pasta ringlets) with octopus poached in nero d'Avola wine and wild fennel with a hint of saffron; and quail and prunes in Marsala wine on a cannellini bean and celery.
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Sant'Andrea
Right in the heart of Vucciria, this good restaurant serves fresh food from the market. It was the regular haunt of Peter Robb while he researched Midnight in Sicily, and the brooding atmosphere of the book mirrors that of the restaurant. The pasta is superb.
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Trattoria Biondo
Be prepared to brave the stares as you ring the bell to gain entry to this trattoria. You are on native turf here and the atmosphere, well oiled with a fine wine list, is darkly intimate.
Showing 1-16 of 16 results
