Gagini Restaurant, Via Cassari, 35, +39 091 589918
In the heart of the city, Gagini is a pleasant spot, with a warm, comfortable atmosphere. The menu includes appetizers that go from sashimi with Mothia salt cube to roasted octopus with green sauce. Among the first courses you should try the noodles with saffron and shellfish or the gnocchi with turmeric, sardines and wild fennel.
A’ Cuncuma Restaurant, Via Judica 21/23, +39 091 887 2991
A pearl in the heart of the old city center with a warm welcoming atmosphere, it reinterprets traditional dishes skilfully and with superior ingredients. You should taste the pistachio wafer with scampi tartare, the Albacore tuna, the caponata, the arancini or the surmullet.
L’Oste dello Stabile, via Mariano Stabile, 39, +39 091 322491
A quiet restaurant/bistrot in the historic city center with a simple menu and very fresh ingredients. The raw fish is a must, as is the octopus salad.
Fud Bottega Sicula, Piazza Olivella, 4, +39 091 6112184
For a very high-level hamburger with excellent ingredients and an incredibly vast selection of beer.
Antica Focacceria San Francesco, Via Alessandro Paternostro 58, +39 091 320264
A restaurant with typical Sicilian dishes and street food, it is known in town as the temple of focaccia bread with spleen, which you can savor outside while you enjoy the view of the Oratorio di San Lorenzo.
Frida Pizzeria, Piazza Sant’Onofrio, 37-38, +39 393 333 8092
A small place inspired by the paintings of the great Mexican painter, Frida is one of the best pizza places in Palermo, with a great variety of pizzas made with excellent, locally farmed ingredients. Its only defect: it is always full and the wait on a Saturday (when you can’t book) can be quite long. On weekdays, you can make reservations through an app.
Spillo – La birroteca, Cortile di San Giovanni degli Eremiti, 2, +39 091 217003
In the courtyard of San Giovanni degli Eremiti, one of the most beautiful spots in Palermo, Spillo is a paradise for lovers of beer and good meat. You should try the Spillo potato, the beer risotto, the American meat fillet, the 280-gram hamburger, and the beer tiramisu. All accompanied by live music almost every night.
Antico Caffè Spinnato, via Principe di Belmonte, 107, +39 091 7495104
Like other Sicilian cafes, the elegant Spinnato, founded in 1860 in the center of Palermo, doesn’t only serve breakfast, but a vast selection of deli products and pizza.
