Palermo is a city where you drink your coffee at the counter, start the evening with a spritz and can have lunch right at a market stall. This part of my Palermo guide is about food and drink: three restaurants, a café-workshop, bars — one on a rooftop, one full of records — and two old markets, all from my list of saved places. The descriptions are put together from Google Maps reviews. I'll add my own notes after the trip.
Prices are Google's average spend per person, valid as of 1 October 2026. Rate: 1 € ≈ $1.13.
In short
- Dinner with wine: OCCHIOVIVO! Bistrot, where the sommelier pairs Sicilian wines with every dish.
- Best coffee: Officine calderai, a tiny café-workshop that closes at 15:30.
- Street food: Mercato Ballarò, with arancini, cannoli and grilled squid straight from the stalls.
- Cocktails: Spina Bar, which many call the best in Palermo; Castigamatti, a bar spinning rare vinyl.
- The market at night: Vucciria turns into a street of eateries and bars. Agree on prices first.
Where to eat
Capocollo
Via Maqueda · Sicilian food, pizza & burgers · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · daily 11:00–0:00
Google Maps · website · Via Maqueda, 200
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 2,500+): a cosy restaurant with a terrace right on one of Palermo's busiest streets. The menu is wide, from Sicilian classics to pizza and burgers, and reviewers praise the busiate with caponata. Service is quick and caring: if you don't like a dish, they may swap it. Downsides: some found the carbonara too salty, and service slows down at peak times.
OCCHIOVIVO! Bistrot
Kalsa · bistro & wine bar · 20–60 € (≈$23–68) · Mon–Sat 17:30–0:00, closed Sunday
Google Maps · website · Piazza Croce dei Vespri, 7
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 100+): a bistro with tables out on Piazza Croce dei Vespri and one of the most praised wine lists in the reviews. The sommelier knows Sicilian wine and nails the pairings. Small plates and pasta in two sizes; people rave about the fried cardoncelli mushrooms, the maltagliati with artichokes, the cappelletti and the lentil and fennel soup. Downside: one guest got a side salad that wasn't fresh, which stings at these prices. The kitchen runs until midnight, and walk-ins sometimes get a table.
Asmundo Bistro
By the Cathedral · Sicilian food · 20–30 € (≈$23–34) · Google lists Tue–Fri 11:00–14:00, so check ahead
Google Maps · website · Via Pietro Novelli, 3
According to Google Maps reviews (4.4 from 30+): a new bistro with a view of the cathedral, handy for lunch after your visit. Sicilian food at reasonable prices and friendly staff; the chef will cook something separate for gluten-free guests. Downside: one review complains of rude service just before closing. There aren't many reviews yet.
Coffee, aperitivo and cocktails
Officine calderai
Centro storico · café & workshop · 1–10 € (≈$1–11) · Tue–Sun 9:30–15:30, closed Monday
Google Maps · website · Via Calderai, 24
According to Google Maps reviews (4.9 from 190+): a tiny café on the old tinsmiths' street that doubles as a mini-museum of a metal workshop, with metal display cases and even a metal menu. Many call its espresso the best in town; reviewers also love the matcha latte, the orange cake and the baked chocolate cassata. Next door, a craftsman makes bracelets, so you can pick one out and sit down for a coffee.
4 canti caffè
Quattro Canti · bar & aperitivo · 1–10 € (≈$1–11) · 9:00–1:00, Sat until 1:30, closed Tuesday
Google Maps · Facebook · Via Vittorio Emanuele, 315
According to Google Maps reviews (4.6 from 180+): a small bar a few steps from Quattro Canti that still feels local rather than touristy. Cheap spritzes and Aperol- and limoncello-based cocktails, an owner who sometimes pours drinks that aren't on the menu, and good music from jazzy house to nu-disco. Plenty of guests came back every day of their trip. Downsides: no ice cream, and one guest describes an unpleasant run-in with the owner.
Il Bar in Piazza San Domenico
Via Roma · rooftop bar · 10–40 € (≈$11–45) · daily 10:00–22:30
Google Maps · website · Via Roma, 289, top floor of Rinascente
According to Google Maps reviews (4.2 from 270+): a bar on the roof of the Rinascente department store, with limoncello spritzes and gin tonics at sunset, air conditioning and attentive staff. A beer is about 5 € and a glass of Nero d'Avola about 7 €. Downsides: the view is weaker than expected because the seats are low and the barrier is high, and there's little music or atmosphere. Enter through the store, or use the lift on the Piazza San Domenico side after it closes.
Spina Bar
Centro storico · cocktail bar · 1–20 € (≈$1–23) · daily 17:00–3:00, Sun from 10:00
Google Maps · website · Piazzetta della Messinese, 6
According to Google Maps reviews (4.7 from 250+): signature cocktails and small plates in a quirky space, away from the main tourist streets. The bartender also plays the music, and the ice and garnishes are spot on; many call these the best drinks they had in Palermo. It's easy to come alone, since the staff make you feel at home right away. Open until 3 a.m.
Castigamatti Dischi e Bar
Kalsa · cocktail bar & record shop · 10–20 € (≈$11–23) · Tue–Sat 15:00–1:00, Sun 18:00–0:00, check Monday hours
Google Maps · Piazza Aragona, 5–6
According to Google Maps reviews (4.5 from 450+): a bar and record shop, and the city's go-to spot for techno, electro and house. DJs play obscure vinyl, sometimes even at weekend lunchtime next to a street market. Good cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks too. Downside: pricier than the Palermo average.
Markets
Mercato Ballarò
Albergheria · street market · Mon–Sat 7:30–20:00, Sun 8:00–14:00
Google Maps · Via Chiappara Al Carmine, 23
According to Google Maps reviews (4.3 from 3,800+): one of Palermo's two main markets, winding through narrow streets, so it's easy to miss the second half. Fish, mountains of citrus, vegetables, cheese, spices and shouting vendors. Street food includes arancini, cannoli, and squid and octopus off the charcoal grill, plus a spleen sandwich for the adventurous; fresh orange and pomegranate juice costs about 1 €. Downsides: some ready-made food looks like it's been sitting out a while, and early in the morning many stalls are still setting up.
Vucciria
Vucciria · market & street eateries · hours not listed
Google Maps · Via Maccherronai, 57
According to Google Maps reviews (4.2 from 170+): an old market that trades by day and turns into a strip of small restaurants and bars at night. Noisy, messy and fun. The main warning: one guest describes a bill with higher prices than the ones quoted, so agree on prices before you order.
One last thing
Officine calderai is only open until 15:30 and Asmundo Bistro, per Google, only at lunchtime, so coffee and lunch in Palermo belong to the first half of the day. Save the evening for OCCHIOVIVO!, which opens at 17:30, and the bars: Spina Bar and Castigamatti stay open past midnight.
More on Palermo: what to see, street food and sweets, shopping and vintage.