Palermo invented the street-food city: fried, fragrant and eaten standing up, with the markets as its kitchen.
Last updated September 9, 2026
Start with arancine (fried rice balls), panelle (chickpea fritters) and sfincione (thick, spongy pizza), then graduate to pani ca meusa - the famous spleen sandwich - and finish with cannoli. The markets, Ballarò above all, are where the city eats; the sit-down trattorias do the same food with more ceremony.
Refined Sicilian cooking in a frescoed 17th-century palazzo, with a serious wine list and a calm, elegant room.
A historic café and pasticceria dating to 1860, famed for granita, cannoli and the city's favourite evening aperitivo.
A modern street-food shop that elevated the arancina into an art form, with a rotating cast of creative fillings.
An elegant restaurant pairing Sicilian tradition with a contemporary touch, strong on seafood and local produce.