The food was mediocre at best: very fatty slab of entrecot steak and a pizza that wasn't crispy in…read morethe least, with vegetable toppings that were bland as bland can be. Pretty bad for an Italian restaurant in, well, Italy. Additionally, the service was lackluster, even for European standards. I like to cut people a break, but this place has a great location next to a small gate in the old city wall, and I'd love if someone could take over the location and make an experience worth remembering for the diners. This place was unfortunately full with poor souls about to give their money for a lackluster meal. Oh! I forgot, the bill I received was totally wrong. Also the receipt i recieved for paying by credit card was hand written. Not sure if they are "saving" on taxes or about to rip me off, but I'll be checking my bank statements.

Perfect place to eat traditional street food from Palermo. Great also for their spaghetti allo…read morescoglio Recommended

Stopped here for lunch because they have a lot of tables in the shade, very pretty setting. We had…read moresome Arancinetta (with meat). And a sandwich with roast pork, sausage, cheese and hot mushrooms. And a side of fries. Well, that's what we tried to order. There was some confusion about the sandwich and fries, so we ended up with a French fries sandwich. Yes, French fries between bread. (See photo). It wasn't hall bad, if you area big fan of carbs.

Wonderful and tasty buns with liver, lung and spleen, specialty of Palermo. Must try! Very nice…read morepeople too!

Food is delicious. The staffs are friendly and helpful. Giovanni put a lot of meat on the sandwich…read more The place is nice and clean.

While in Palermo, this was one of the stops our food guide took us to in order to have its famous…read morespleen sandwich. The sandwich here is served slightly different than other locations as the meat is sliced very thin and its topped with shredded cheese. At first we were a little nervous about trying the sandwich but after the first bite i was pleasantly surprised that the cheese really cut organ taste of the spleen. In addition the thinly sliced meat gave it a good balance between the meat to fat ratio. I know a lot of people in our food group were apprehensive about trying it but to be honest my wife and I are pretty open to all types of food and our motto is that will always try something once.

The First Restaurant Experience in Sicily Served Food & Some "Godfather History"…read more I ate at the main branch of restaurant that is known for being one of the first and, for many years, an establishment that stood up against the Mafia and Cosa Nostra. Antica Focacceria's two owners stood against the Mob by refusing to pay the 'pizzu', or protection money. According to Michelin Star Chef #giorgiolocatelli , the consequence is even in recent years, the owners were in exile. Now settled in a confidential place in mainland Italy, they fortuitously and successfully managed the expansion of this Sicilian restaurant all over Italy. Proudly supportive, I sat at the very first branch of the restaurant, the gutsy one that courageously said no to mob bullying, the original Antica Focacceria San Francesco . And I went twice, too. On my plate: panele, all sorts of arancine #supportlocal #sicilianfood #sicilianrestaurant #sicilyunpacked #curious_eater #andrewgrahamdixon #giorgiolocatelli #palermosicily

We dined at Villa San Giovanni on the first night of our vacation in Palermo. From my first site…read moreof it the venue gave a very good impression; it's very cozy and clean :-) Moving past the threshold, we were surrounded by the amazing smells from the kitchen and it would have been obvious (even if we were blindfolded) that we were in an Italian restaurant. The atmosphere is laid-back and relaxing, while the service is very friendly and attentive. The menu is chock-full of traditional Sicilian food; it runs the whole gamet from appetizers to main dishes, with wine, cocktails, pizzas, and more! All the food we tried that evening was nothing short of phenomenal; our server suggested a bottle of local wine to pair with our mains, and it was not only wonderful, but very reasonably priced. I have no hesitation about recommending this restaurant! Whether you're looking for a romantic tete-a-tete date venu, a place to dine alone, or someplace to catch up with friends, you'll have a great experience when you come to Villa San Giovanni :-)

Tucked away, but they have and beside outdoor space!!! Food was amazing and the service the same!read more

We went here last night with family who are here visiting us. We have been here a couple of times…read morebefore because we really love this place! The food is delicious and prepared with attention to detail. I had a fish sandwich that was delicious, the fish was cooked perfectly and was so moist and seasoned well. The sandwich was large and definitely enough to fill you up. We also had the fried anchovies which are out of this world! They are crispy and delicious without an overpowering fishy taste. Our server Rosario was amazing! He was kind and helpful and made sure we felt right at home. He brought out a small bowl of water for our dog without us having to ask for it. We ended up sitting there for a while (even though it was kind of cool outside) because we were having such a great time. This place is located right on the waterfront and if you are looking for a place with great food, atmosphere, and great service I would highly recommend this place.

Horrible food and they added 10% charge to every item we order. It must have been because we were…read moretourists. Don't go to this place there is much better food in Palermo. We made a huge mistake when we checked the reviews. The worst food we eat in Italy in two weeks.

The food was mostly good I won't lie. They add a larger cover charge for tourists then they do for…read morethe locals (3 euro per person, instead of 2 total), I can see why they do, not nice but fine. They insisted tip was not included. I tried to tip 1 euro which by no means is required in all of Italy. The waiter waited for me to put the tip down. I put one euro. He handed it back to me and said no "5-10% tip". I said it's not required here he said no no "5-10%" tip. I started to translate using some app and was about to say aloud in Italian tip is not mandatory here but only suggested. He realized and shushed me and said ok. Spoke to my Airbnb host. And they said that he was trying to milk us for more money Honestly a prick move. For that reason I would never recommend anyone eat there. Tried to embarrass us into tipping extra

A solidly good restaurant, with prices slightly above the average for Palermo area, but with…read moreservice, presentation and ambiance to justify it. It's not the kind of place we would normally walk into, but it was recommended by someone we trust, and we were really glad we tried it. The restaurant is one of the few located right on the water, practically over it, so that you can eat on a terrace on the water or inside at these huge windows. If it's windy or a bit cool, indoors you have plenty of fresh air coming from the door and windows without the inconvenience of the terrace. We reserved a table for two at the window and it was so bright it was like being outside! The decor inside is quite formal, with double cloth table coverings and white faux-leather chairs that have seen better days but are perfectly comfortable. There is a less formal terrace at one side that is for the pizzeria and faster lunch, probably very crowded during prime-beach-weather. Let's talk food. We started with a plate of fried calamari (€13) which were huge and fresh, not at all chewy, with very light batter. Our primi came a little too soon afterwards; mine were a kind of three-coloured bucatini with tomatoes and pesce spada, which was really good, especially the quality and texture of the fish. I think the flavour was lacking delicacy slightly, I'm not a fan of pasta tricolore and no idea anyone actually ate the stuff, but the overall dish was good. My husband's pasta with pesto and shrimp looked a little heavy and over-dressed but you'll have to read Tommaso O's review to find out more :) I had just a salad after this, while Tommy O continued with a pesce spada which looked delicious. Dessert screamed for a lemon sorbet to digest, which was served in a kinda inconvenient bowl, rather than in the usual wine glass - so i transfered it to a glass :) My companion in crime had the most incredibly good cassatina fritta, I shall not tell you what it is just order it (it's a bomb!!). Today price 82 euros, which came down to 76 euros when we noticed a 2 euro discrepancy (coke we didn't order). Overall impression - very pleasant lunch and a great way to spend three hours after lazily reading on the beach all morning. It is a hard life, but the Yelper must do her best to eat, eat, eat.

This is clearly a tourist trap. Although the restaurant proudly displays its Michelin stickers, in…read morereality it is selling mediocre overpriced food. You can get much better authentic food at trattorias around the corner in the alleys at much better prices. The menu is surprisingly limited, offering very few choices, while the "dishes of the day" amounted to a single, unimaginative option. (At real Palermitani restaurants the "plates of the day" are a list of specials with fresh ingredients--not here). The wine selection was equally underwhelming and overpriced with a very stingy pour. The biggest disappointment was the degustazione appetizer. For 20 euro they served a small plate of very ordinary street food (caponata, overcooked tuna, re-warmed panelle)--nothing memorable, nothing that showcased local tradition or exceptional ingredients or any elevation or unique twist. You can find these same dishes throughout Palermo for a fraction of the price, fresher, and better quality. What makes this especially frustrating is the pricing. By Palermo standards, the restaurant is extremely expensive, but there's little on the plate or in the glass to justify the premium. It feels as though you're paying for the Michelin stickers on the door rather than the quality of the food. You will see there are no locals here, only foreign tourists steered here by their hotel or guidebooks. Overall, this was a disappointing experience. If you're looking for authentic Palermitan cuisine, generous hospitality, and good value, there are countless restaurants in Palermo that deliver all three far better than this one.

I may be generous with the 3 stats. The service was unfriendly and generally poor. The food was…read moreokay at best. And the ambiance was a solid "meh"