🥙 Pani ca' Meusa since 1943
Pani ca' Meusa Porta Carbone
The harbour stall that became a Palermo legend
Palermo · Sicily
Best Sandwiches & Delis in Palermo
16 places for Palermo's legendary street food: pani ca' meusa, pane e panelle, arancine and sfincione, plus the historic markets of Ballarò, the Capo and the Vucciria.
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🥙 Pani ca' Meusa Guide →
Palermo's most famous sandwich: a soft sesame bun (vastedda or mafalda) filled with sliced veal spleen and lung, simmered and then warmed in lard. Ask for it 'schietta' (plain, with a squeeze of lemon) or 'maritata' ('married', with grated caciocavallo or ricotta). These are the historic counters.
🥙 Pani ca' Meusa since 1834
Antica Focacceria San Francesco
Palermo's historic street-food hall, since 1834
🫓 Pane e Panelle & Friggitorie Guide →
Panelle are thin fritters of chickpea flour; crocchè (also called cazzilli) are potato croquettes with mint. Stuff both into a sesame bun, add lemon and you have Palermo's cheapest and most loved lunch. Friggitorie also fry aubergine slices, arancine and calzoni.
🫓 Pane e Panelle & Friggitorie since 1992
Nni Franco 'u Vastiddaru
The friggitoria on the corner of Piazza Marina
🍙 Arancine & Sfincione Guide →
In Palermo it's an arancina, feminine and round: saffron rice around ragù ('accarne') or ham and mozzarella ('abburro'), breaded and fried. Sfincione is the city's thick, spongy pizza topped with tomato, onion, anchovies, caciocavallo and toasted breadcrumbs. Get both from bars, rosticcerie and bakeries.
🍙 Arancine & Sfincione since 1957
Panificio Graziano
The bakery locals cross the city for, for sfincione
🍙 Arancine & Sfincione since 2011
Panificio Guccione
Ancient Sicilian grains and a top-rated sfincione
🧺 Markets & Delis Guide →
Palermo's historic street markets, Ballarò, the Capo and the Vucciria, are where street food was born: stalls fry panelle, grill stigghiola and sell boiled potatoes and octopus all day. Add a historic gastronomia for Sicilian cheeses, salumi and Slow Food products to take home.
Palermo sandwich survival tips
- Say 'arancina', not 'arancino'. In Palermo the rice ball is feminine (and round); 'arancino' is the Catania word.
- Pani ca' meusa comes 'schietta' or 'maritata': plain with lemon, or 'married' to caciocavallo or ricotta. First-timers usually prefer maritata.
- Buy sfincione in the morning. By the afternoon the breadcrumb topping goes soft, especially from street carts.
- Don't drive into the centro storico. Much of it is a ZTL limited-traffic zone with cameras. Walk, or park outside and take a bus or taxi.
- New here? Read what pani ca' meusa is and how to order it.
Between sandwiches: plan your day
- ⛪Monreale Cathedral cloister
The Norman cloister next to Monreale's gold-mosaic cathedral, a short trip from Palermo. - 📶Airalo eSIM for Italy
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