In Palermo there is one of the new best wine bars in Italy according to Gambero Rosso

by Nino Aiello

An entire life devoted to the worlds of food and wine — that of Giuseppe Lisciandrello, for several years now the passionate owner of one of the four new entries in the group of the best wine bars in Italy (those awarded with Tre Bottiglie) in the Ristoranti d’Italia 2026 guide by Gambero Rosso. The first, and for now the only one, in Sicily: Vinoveritas.

Where to drink well in Palermo: Vinoveritas

Lisciandrello began his career at the Hotel Management Institute, as it was originally the kitchen that fascinated him. Then came the attraction — exclusive, profound, all-encompassing — for wine and its many nuances and suggestions. This passion was cultivated and refined as the right-hand man of the most important wine merchant in Palermo during the 1990s, nourished by countless tastings and endless journeys through the most important Italian and European wine regions.

Finally came the fifteen years that radically changed his life, marked — first and foremost — by the opening of two wine shop-bistros: the original, in 2001, and the spin-off in the new city, in 2011. Both began with a simple offering of hot and cold dishes (which soon evolved into something significant and of real value), becoming comfortable, welcoming spaces filled with fine bottles from all over the world, widely available also by the glass.

One of the best wine bars in Sicily

The natural conclusion of this journey, for someone like Giuseppe who has always sold “other people’s wine”, always putting quality first, could only be the acquisition of his own vineyard — several hectares in a highly suited area of the Palermo hinterland.

The cuisine, led by the talented Daniele Scarlata, is seasonal, market-driven and enticing, seducing with tasty dishes such as spaghetti al nero di seppia (squid ink spaghetti), monkfish with potatoes and capers, and braised black pork cheeks. All perfectly complemented by a formidable wine cellar, where wines — Burgundy, Bordeaux, Champagne, Piedmont, Friuli, Germany and the New World (among others) — stand alongside an impressive cocktail programme, offering something for every preference and budget.

Lisciandrello’s choice is praiseworthy (“I encourage the consumption of wine”): to maintain perhaps the lowest prices in the city for both takeaway and by-the-glass service. The main venue (Via Sammartino, 29) is open for lunch and dinner, with its lively and varied cuisine.

Vinoveritas – Palermo – Via Boris Giuliano, 22 – 091 342117 – Facebook