Overview

Authentic Palermo street food

You can’t truly say you’ve been to Palermo without a visit to the Antica Focacceria San Francesco. Located in the heart of the city, it sits opposite the church of St Francis of Assisi. Here you can taste authentic Palermo street food – sweet and savoury delights in a place full of history.

The cast iron kitchen was made by the Fonderie Florio in 1834, while the cast iron and marble tables were produced by Fonderia Oretea and date from 1902. It is said that it was here that Ruggero Settimo celebrated his election as head of the local government after the Palermo Revolution of 1848. Apparently, even Giuseppe Garibaldi stopped here during the Expedition of the Thousand in 1860. And Francesco Crispi used to linger here, discussing politics between a panella and a crocchè.

Today, the fifth generation of the family is in charge of the restaurant, which offers all the great local classics, from pane ca meusa to guastedde, from chickpea panella to potato crocchè, alongside sfincione, anelletti al forno, sarde a beccafico, cannoli and cassate. In summer you can sit on the small square in front of the restaurant, in the shade of the beautiful 13th-century church with its Gothic portal.