Travel review: Palermo, Sicily - the food that took my trip to the next level
Italians know how to do food right. From spending six weeks in Rome, to weekends in Florence and beach-side destinations across the country, one thing was consistent.
The food never missed - and Sicily was no exception to this.
From eating around the markets of Palermo, to the array of seafood on offer, to pasta and arancini, and to the devilishly good sweet treats, Sicily really has the best of Italian food, writes Travel News Blitz’s Chloe Willis.
Breakfast of Kings
Starting the day off right is essential, when you are wandering around the old town in 30 degree heat, or hitting the beach for a bit of rest and relaxation.
And for me, the ideal breakfast is a pastry, preferably stuffed with pistachio cream!
Luckily, in Sicily, they have plenty, so here is a little list of the pastry shops we went to:
Pasticceria Cappello - I, of course, had a pistachio croissant.
This was definitely the cheapest pastry I had, coming in at one euro, sixty cents.
However, the rest of the places all remained under three euros for a pastry, and can be found dotted around the old town (Centro Storico) of Palermo.
Lucchese Angela - the chocolate stuffed puff pastry was buttery and flaky.
La Martorana - the pistachio croissant did again graze my plate, however this one didn’t have the depth of Pasticceria Cappello.
My sister ordered a pain suisse (something that doesn’t seem to line the shelves in British bakeries) and said it was delicious.
Donnafrancalab - jam-packed custard (crema) croissants. These were the size of my head, and came in a beautiful French patisserie-style box, as we enjoyed them on the train.
Vago - now this is where the pastries hit the next level. If you are going to go anywhere for breakfast, this is my top recommendation!
I had a peanut butter iced coffee with lactose free milk and a cinnamon bun that was drizzled with nutella and had chocolate mixed in with the cinnamon butter to give it that extra sweet kick.
This was divinity on a plate and if I could eat this every day for the rest of my life, I would.
If sweet isn’t your thing
If you aren’t a pastry fiend, like myself, there are brunch spots dotted around Palermo that bring just as much to the party as the small bakeries.
At Bar Timi, on our last day, we ordered the scrambled egg with salmon on toast, the turkey, tomato and salad sandwich and pancakes with pistachio and nutella, to share.
Since my trip to Canada last summer, the concept of a ‘breakfast combo’ has well and truly solidified in my mind.
It is almost barbaric that every single brunch spot does not offer this option.
So of course, we designed our own.
Getting that sweet treat kick in the morning is a must for me.
But, to be totally honest, I think you could walk into any bakery and come out with a big pistachio cream smile on your face.
Sandwiches and snacks
I love nothing more than exploring the old town of a holiday destination, when the cobbled streets are lined with market stalls selling local delicacies.
You feel like you have taken a step back in time, the raucous shouting of vendors mixed in with the chatter of holidaymakers and locals alike trying to decide on their next bite.
There are two main food markets in Palermo - Capo and Ballaro.
Luckily for me, I have Italian family, with one cousin giving me a run for my money when it comes to passion and knowledge about food.
So, of course I had to consult him before the trip to get some insider tips.
He suggested we focus our attention on Mercato Ballaro, so that is what we did.
I wanted to try some of the traditional Sicilian food, as well as more national dishes, so we went for a bit of a mix, including tomato bruschetta, ricotta bruschetta, croquettes, arancini with ragu, octopus and stuffed sardines with orange.
The latter was by far my favourite, and not something I had tried before.
It had crisp skin, and a zestiness that perfectly complemented the soft fish.
The fin was still sticking out of the section of fish, but to me, that only added to the authenticity of the eating experience.
The arancini was delicious, packed full of rich ragu encased in soft and cheesy rice, with a crisp exterior.
Top tip: make sure that you are opting for fresh arancini, where it is fried after ordering - this will give you the best experience.
Does unlimited prosecco make everything taste better?
Another experience that involved snacking on Italian antipasti, was the boat trip from Palermo, towards Mondello beach.
From the off, I knew this was going to be my favourite day, with loungers on the front of the boat, to sunbathe as the cool spray splashes over your legs and 2000s party anthems bouncing with the movement of the boat over the waves.
We went to four different swim spots, including into a cave that felt like something straight out of H2O, with a hole in the top directing a ray of sunlight onto bright blue water.
Following the morning's activities, Freddie brought us plates of pizzette, arancini, fruit and cannoli. It was all absolutely delicious and really fresh.
The trip came with unlimited prosecco, which they definitely didn’t skimp on, including our first glass being handed to us while we tread water next to the mountainous coastline.
If you want to feel like a millionaire for a few hours, spending the afternoon with Seagold will do the trick.
Freddie and Giuseppe, who were running the trip, were excellent. Dancing along to the music, chatting away and making sure we all had a good laugh.
And isn’t the service part of the eating experience as well?
Pistachio has no limits in Sicily
I couldn’t talk about lunchtime eats, without mentioning the Italian sandwiches.
On our day trip to Cefalu, which was around 50 minutes on the train from Palermo, we visited Cefalu Nostrana - a TikTok favourite, that definitely lives up to the hype.
I had the ‘Mr Sandwich’, a huge “roll” (as the Brits would say), layered with mortadella, burrata, pistachio pesto, rocket and sundried tomatoes.
I really have never tasted a sandwich quite like it.
The freshness of the ingredients is really what makes the food so special in Sicily, and the lunch time sandwiches and antipasti really show this off, with raw ingredients that have to deliver.
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Seafood and pasta
On our first night, we dined at Trattoria Magna Roma, where I enjoyed my favourite pasta dish - tonnarello alla vongole (thick spaghetti-like pasta with clams in a buttery sauce).
I spent six weeks in Rome, where I tried many a vongole, but this was by far the best one I have had, with perfectly al dente pasta and a sauce that I wanted to bathe in.
I did, in fact, have to ask for more bread, to mop up the sauce from the bottom of my bowl.
The seafood continued to excel with our visit to Cefalu, where we ate in a cave-like restaurant that overlooked the beach, with a sheltered terrace.
There were only three tables outside at Enoteca Le Petit Teonneau, which made the restaurant feel very exclusive.
We ordered the seafood platter, which included octopus in a lime dressing, cured swordfish, smoked salmon and a tomato and swordfish caponata, with bread.
Washed down with a hugo spritz, it was the perfect lunch time eat - refreshing and light.
All along Cefalu, the restaurants had terraces that hung out over the sea, resting on rocks, which created a unique dining experience that felt quite magical.
Incredible views paired with the lapping of the waves on the shore, I don’t think holidays get more relaxing than this.
The sunsets over the old town of Palermo
Views from a terrace don’t stop at the coastline, with one of the most highly anticipated restaurants in Palermo sitting on a rooftop overlooking the old town.
Seven is a fine dining experience, with elevated traditional Italian cuisine and wine that pairs perfectly with the seafood dishes it shows off.
The sommelier recommended a sauvignon blanc that had a subtle citrus hit to complement the richness of our orders.
I had the fusilli tomato pic-pac (a traditional Sicilian tomato sauce, made using a base of raw ingredients to give it a summer freshness) with a mussel foam and black lime.
The pasta was perfectly al dente, and the foam packed a punch, so when mixed in with the sauce, gave the illusion of a seafood pasta, despite the lack of physical ingredients.
My sister had pasta with monkfish and an anchovy breadcrumb, and my mum had the turbot with a cream sauce and salmon roe, which she described as “exquisite.”
For dessert, we shared a chocolate, hazelnut and coffee delice, as well as a pear and almond tart. Both of these were incredibly delicate, and almost too beautiful to eat, adorned with chocolate tuiles and frangipane foams.
Ice cream and sweet treats
The cannoli on the boat was put to shame by our trip to Monastero Santa Caterina, where the ricotta filled pastry was the size of my head.
My sister found this place and suggested we share one, due to their size. I was skeptical of this, as I had been dying to have one all to myself.
Once we had queued (always a good sign) and entered the bakery, I quickly changed my mind.
I was not prepared for the size of these cannoli, dipped in pistachio and dark chocolate.
They were absolutely delicious, the fried dough perfectly crisp with a slight flakiness, and the ricotta cheese smooth and light.
We ate it in the garden area of the monastery, with a beautiful fountain marking the centre.
But, the incredible sweet treats didn’t stop there, with a trip on our penultimate night to Dolce Capo.
Here, they serve brioche con gelato, a traditional Sicilian dessert. I opted for pistachio (of course) and stracciatella, with two huge ‘scoops’ stuffed into the open brioche bun.
I don’t think I will give a wafer cone a second thought after this!
In fact, there isn’t much food back in my hometown that excites my tastebuds quite like this.
So, when you are booking your holiday to Sicily, or anywhere in Italy for that matter, make sure to put food right near the top of your priorities.
It really does make the trip!
