8 Best Restaurants in Palermo, Sicily

Here's a novelty for Palermo in the form of a superb modern restaurant located within a museum dedicated to Steve Jobs and Apple products, a surprisingly successful combination; you not only have the ability to revisit ancient IT devices and learn about the history of the tech company, but the food is pretty excellent. Each of the dishes is a revelation, from the house-made tonnarello pasta with mullet and smoked provola cheese sauce to the pigeon with red-wine scented quince and, among the desserts, semifreddo meringue with ricotta cheese, mango chutney, and passion fruit ice cream. Vegetarian options are as good as any that Palermo has to offer—best sampled in a set tasting menu. The elevated prices are commensurate with the sophisticated cuisine. The venue is also extraordinary as the restaurant is housed within the Palazzo Castrone, one of the city's finest old palaces, just steps away from the Cathedral and entered through a beautiful courtyard.

Marble-top tables, cast-iron ovens, and walls adorned with turn-of-the-20th-century black-and-white photographs characterize this neighborhood bakery, celebrated for the Sicilian snacks and inexpensive meals it has been doling out since 1834. The big pot on the counter holds the delicious regional specialty pani cà meusa (boiled calf's spleen with caciocavallo cheese and salt), but the squeamish can opt for chickpea fritters or enormous arancini. There are tables in the piazza in front of the lovely facade of the church of San Francesco d'Assisi, as well as in the two capacious rooms upstairs.

While vegetarian and vegan restaurants are few and far between in Palermo, this airy spot in the modern town not only fits the bill but also will entice the most die-hard of carnivores. Spacious and contemporary in style, with a profusion of plants set against green walls and a gentle soundtrack of 1970s rock in the background, it offers dishes as diverse as vegetable lasagna, involtini alla Palermitana (seitan rolls stuffed with raisins and pine nuts), and curries, as well as a range of plant-based burgers. It makes the perfect stop for a light lunch or dinner.

Just steps away from Quattro Canti and the cathedral, this smart snack stop has everything you could want to accompany a break from sightseeing: panini, house-made pastries and biscuits, ice cream, and good coffee. There are tables in the picture-hung interior and out on the pavement, and pastas, pizzas, and salads are also served if you want something more substantial.

On the edge of the Vucciria, this is one of Palermo's oldest restaurants, dating back to 1890, and still dear to the hearts of locals for its wintertime namesake dish, tortellini in brodo (in beef broth), the specialty of the house. There's an extensive antipasto buffet, and you can't go wrong with the fritella di fave, piselli, and carciofi e ricotta (fried fava beans, peas, artichokes, and ricotta). There's a good selection of offal dishes including oxtail, tongue, and tripe, and hearty slow-cooked pork shank for the less adventurous.

Only the finest agricultural produce of the nearby Madonie mountains goes into the simple but satisfying dishes served in this informal eatery attached to the Palazzo Butera art gallery. The frequently changing menu—dependent on the season and what's available from their suppliers—offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes alongside meat choices, and might include busiate pasta with a sauce of cardoncelli mushrooms and breadcrumbs, and beef nuggets cooked in nero d'avola wine with carrots and mashed potatoes. Cheeses, cold cuts, and salads are also on offer, or you might settle for a "gourmet sandwich" stuffed with buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto, anchovies, and mortadella. The restaurant is open for breakfast, too. Many of the ingredients used are for sale in the small delicatessen counter inside, where there are a few tables in addition to the ones on the pavement.

One of the most famous pastry shops in Sicily, this modern and capacious place is one of Palermo's best spots to find sweet favorites like cannoli and cassata siciliana. It's also a meeting place for all ages, where you can relax with a drink or an excellent gelato. Pizzas and other snack foods are also available.

A civic institution facing Palermo's old fishing port, this venerable (but modernized) snack stop has been serving pani cà meusa (calf's spleen sandwich) for more than 70 years. This local specialty comes sprinkled with a bit of salt and a squeeze of lemon and served with or without cheese to a buzzing crowd of Palermo's elders and youngsters alike. The signature dish may very well beat Antica Focacceria San Francesco's own version for the title of best pani cà meusa in town, though not everyone will acquire the taste for it. Take a look anyway—other specialties are available, and there's outdoor seating.