Osteria Ballarò

Palermo’s Hippest Restaurant

Osteria Ballarò, in the somewhat gritty old town Palermo, is the hippest restaurant in town. Exposed-brick walls, tall stone archways, terracotta floors, vaulted ceilings and candlelit wine barrels dot the rooms of these former stables. Despite the intriguing ambiance and hopping crowd, the cuisine is the main attraction.

Osteria Ballarò offers some authentic local “street food” snacks and starters, including perfect arancini balls, various fritters, tongue, black pig, tripe and even Palermo’s famous spleen sandwiches. But the main dishes, especially the seafood, stand out. Try the branzino with capers and potatoes; spaghetti Ballarò with prawns, sea urchins and clams; and the garlicky, delicious polpo—a big, whole cooked octopus wrapped in a cordon of pasta.

The restaurant features a large selection of fine Sicilian wines. I loved the fragrant and crowd-pleasing Dalila white wine from Stemmari, and—for examples of luscious Sicilian reds—you can try a Nero d’Avola and the Nerello Mascalese from Benanti. 

The Osteria gets lively, particularly on weekends as many of the best Palermiani vie for a seat. Call for a reservation if possible, but a walk-in can usually find a seat with the help of the accommodating staff. 

Osteria Ballarò • Via Calascibetta, 25, 90133 Palermo, Sicily, Italy • www.osteriaballaro.it/en • Tel: +39 091 791 0184