Palermo

Are you wanting fancy or casual?

Hi, Giangilberto from Milan, I’d like to give you a couple of options, but my best advice, beyond just standard restaurants, is this: Palermo is the Italian capital of street food, so you absolutely have to try it.
Top of the list is the famous pani ca meusa (spleen sandwich) or stigghiola (lamb or kid goat intestines seasoned with parsley, onion, and salt, then grilled over red-hot coals), then there’s pane e panelle, a soft sesame-seed roll filled with panelle (thin fritters made from chickpea flour, water, and parsley), and many other specialties. The two unmissable spots to try this food are the Ballarò and Vucciria markets.
That said, I can also recommend a more refined, Michelin-starred restaurant called I Pupi, here is their official website:

https://www.ipupiristorante.it/

It features Palermitan tradition reimagined with a modern twist by Chef Tony Lo Coco. I’ve had lunch there twice, the dishes are always excellent, with flavors masterfully orchestrated. The only downside was the service during my last visit, it wasn't quite as impeccable as you’d expect from a Michelin-starred establishment.

Alternatively, my favorite area, especially for lunch, is Sferracavallo. It’s a famous seaside village located at the city's western edge, past Mondello beach and about ten kilometers from the city center. It’s the ideal place for fresh fish, the well-known restaurants there offer delicious seafood menus at reasonable prices, you’re looking at around forty euros for a fantastic lunch. Over the years, whenever I’ve visited Palermo, I’ve always tried different restaurants in this area, so I wouldn’t recommend just one in particular, I’ve had positive experiences with all of them.

We ate at Ristorante Palazzo Branciforte, a Michelin rated restaurant with fair prices and very good food and service. Our bill for two was less than $100. Also must go to the markets are try the street food which is delicious. We booked the Streatly food tour for this adventure and had about 10 tastings included. Otherwise we found the food all over Sicly to be delcious and reasonable.

We had dinner at Osteria dei Vespri, Piazza Croce dei Vespri 6, a couple of nights ago and it was amazing. The food was outstanding. But the best part was the service team: the maitre d', our waiter, the food runners, and especially the sommelier. Super friendly, extremely knowledgable, funny, and helpful, and while they all spoke perfectly fine English, they all seemed to get a kick out of my wife's pretty good Italian. A really remarkable, memorable meal. Can't recommend Osteria dei Vespri highly enough.