What to eat in Palermo
Arancina, panelle, pani ca meusa and sfincione from the hand, then pasta con le sarde and cannolo at a table.
- Pani ca meusa
- €2.50–3
- Arancina
- €2.20
- Panelle
- €2 (sandwich)
Palermo is eaten standing up: street food is the main reason to arrive hungry, and a first meal usually costs €2.50–3 (pani ca meusa). A sit-down meal in a trattoria, a main course, goes for €8–12 (main course, trattoria). The dishes come in the order of the day: breakfast first, then a snack, then the table.
Pani ca meusa — breakfast with spleen
A sandwich of veal spleen, lung and windpipe, in a bun with lard. It is traditionally eaten around nine in the morning, in two versions: schietta, with lemon only, or maritata, with cheese. Price: €2.50–3. The word meusa comes from Arabic.
Panelle — the chickpea sandwich
Fried chickpea-flour paste in a sesame bun, often with potato croquettes. The dish is of Arab origin and entirely plant-based, and it is sold by panellari from mobile trucks. Price: €2 (sandwich).
Arancina — the fried rice ball
A ball of rice, about nine centimetres across, filled with meat sauce or with béchamel, cheese and ham. It is eaten whole, from the hand. Price: €2.20. It even has a patron saint, Santa Lucia.
Sfincione — the thick Palermo pizza
A spongy dough with tomato sauce, onions, caciocavallo cheese and anchovies, cut into slices. It is the Palermo version of Sicilian pizza and is looked for in bakeries, where the price of a slice depends on the bakery.
Pasta con le sarde — the first course
Pasta, usually bucatini, with sardines and anchovies, wild fennel, saffron, pine nuts and raisins, topped with toasted breadcrumbs. The dish is tied to Palermo, and the original recipe has no tomato. It goes to the table, in a trattoria: a main course there costs €8–12 (main course, trattoria).
Cannolo — to finish
A fried pastry tube filled with ricotta, filled only when you order it. Palermo decorates it with candied orange zest. The price per piece depends on the pastry shop.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
How much does street food cost in Palermo?
A street meal costs €2.50–3 (pani ca meusa). An arancina is €2.20, and panelle €2 (sandwich).
What is pani ca meusa?
A sandwich of veal spleen, lung and windpipe in a bun with lard. It is eaten with lemon (schietta) or with cheese (maritata), and costs €2.50–3.
Are panelle vegetarian?
Yes, and fully plant-based: they are made from chickpea flour. The vendors are called panellari, and the dish is of Arab origin.
Ready for Palermo?
Where to next
The best time to visit Palermo
→Spring and early autumn for sightseeing, summer for the sea — but with heat and a packed Mondello.
Catania · 165 km
→Black Baroque built from lava stone, a fish market behind the cathedral and a volcano at the end of the main street.
How well does Palermo suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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