Where to eat the best pane e panelle in Palermo

You say Sicily and the immediate association is with street food. Palermo, in particular, is a city that has made street food its symbol, from arancina (here declined in the feminine form) to pani ca' meusa, not forgetting sfincione. Another typical street snack is pane e panelle, a soft bun covered with sesame seeds and stuffed with chickpea flour fritters, usually flavoured with parsley and drizzled with a squeeze of lemon. To taste some really good ones, here is a list of the best pane e panelle in Palermo.

The best pane e panelle in Palermo

Acquolina in Bocca

Nomen omen for this address, not exactly central but located in a busy transit area, which keeps its promises when it comes to salivation. You come for the authentic city street food, but also for the take-away (or for a seat, since there are tables for eating) that offers simple traditional dishes that are very tasty and well seasoned. Like the tasty mafalde con le panelle, not to be missed.
Acquolina in Bocca – via Orvieto - Facebook Page

Antichi Sapori Palermitani

This is a homestyle restaurant where the most authentic flavours are celebrated, with street food based on offal and salads assembled from the little that people could afford (in most cases butcher's scraps). The chickpea panelle sandwiches here are sublime: the fritters are soft, balanced and delicious.
Antichi Sapori Palermitani – via Messina Marine, 683 - Facebook Profile

Ballarò

This putìa (bodega) devoted to Made in Sicily specialities, is a beautiful project with a multifaceted soul, at once noble (the local is housed in the former stables of Palazzo Cattolica) and popular. The menu celebrates street food, but with the cultured and creative flair of those who know how to distinguish themselves. Among the various specialities, there is no shortage of panelle, made to perfection.
Ballarò – via Calascibetta, 25

Chiluzzo

A guarantee of quality is this centrally located sandwich and fry shop that has been delighting Palermo residents and tourists with traditional gastronomic specialities for over seventy years. The panelle sandwiches are a must: the chickpea fritters are prepared with care and dedication, delicious even eaten plain.
Chiluzzo – Piazza della Kalsa, 11 - Facebook Profile

Chioschetto Pani ca' Meusa

A short walk from the central station, here is a cult place in Palermo's street food scene. Here the ravenous come to bite into juicy, well-filled traditional sandwiches, served warm and prepared according to the old recipe. There is a choice between muffoletta and mafalda rolls, and whether you opt for the former or the latter does not matter, the inevitable is the cimino on the surface and the filling of spleen and lung, or panelle and crocché. All served with a squeeze of lemon.
Chioschetto Pani ca' Meusa – corso dei Mille, 200 - Facebook Page

Focacceria Testagrossa

Trust this name. There are many in the city who choose or recommend this establishment to enjoy authentic Palermo food. The muffole filled with panelle are a delight for the palate: each sandwich is generously filled with thin, crispy fritters in a perfect proportion between bread and filling.
Focacceria Testagrossa – Corso Calatafimi, 91 - Facebook Page

I Cuochini

The smell and sight of such a variety of small bites makes you salivate as soon as you cross the threshold of this small local, a mecca for many a glutton. The panelle are tasty and well-made, used to fill smaller-sized sandwiches, ideal for a tasty snack.
I Cuochini – via Ruggero Settimo, 68 - Facebook Page

Mercato del Capo

It has become one of the most popular tourist destinations for fully immersing oneself in Palermo's authentic soul, perhaps because in the space of a stroll one can condense a historical-artistic-architectural and even gastronomic itinerary. The route from Via di Porta Carini to Via Beati Paoli (or vice versa) is a succession of grills, equipped gazebos and small roadside eateries offering quarume, stigghiola, frittola, sandwiches with panelle (a must-try), spleen, fried food and much more.
Mercato del Capo – via Cappuccinelle

Nino u' Ballerino

The unique and inimitable dancing sandwich belongs to Nino, street food artist from Palermo. The main branch is now joined by a new kiosk in Piazza Indipendenza, a stone's throw from Porta Nuova, where you can find Nino's cult favourites. His pane ca' meusa is very famous, but equally good are the muffole with panelle and freshly fried crocché, which win you over from the first bite.
Nino u' Ballerino – corso Camillo Finocchiaro Aprile - ninouballerino.it

Nni Franco 'U Vastiddaru

A favourite establishment with locals and tourists who are seduced by the folklore of the place and the friendliness of the staff. People come here for dozens of reasons, all of which have to do with the palate: muffolette topped with sesame seeds and stuffed with creamy spleen fried in lard, or lots of golden, thin, fragrant panelle onto which a squeeze of lemon is added.
Nni Franco 'U Vastiddaru – via Vittorio Emanuele, 102 - Facebook Page

Passami U' Coppu

Natale Giunta's is now a true gastronomic empire, born with luxury catering and now extended to the general public thanks to the opening of this establishment devoted to street food and Palermo's pop gastronomic tradition. In the two city branches (the second is in Via Maqueda), fried food is king: croquettes, panzerotti but above all panelle, to be eaten alone or stuffed in soft bread buns.
Passami u' Coppu – via Roma, 195/197 - Facebook Page

Roxy RistoFriggitoria

The outdoor seating area overlooking the sea is definitely a trump card for this very popular (especially on sunny weekends) restau-fryery, not only for its privileged location but also for the variety on offer. It is the ideal place to have a 100% Sicilian aperitif with panelle - exquisite - and crocchè. For the more gluttonous, there is also a sandwich version, with a very rich filling.
Roxy RistoFriggitoria – Piazza Mondello, 27 - Facebook Page

Spinnato

Palermo's elegant salon does not neglect street food, to the contrary, it prides itself on it, and in fact next to the shop windows displaying traditional pastries and modern cakes, there is the counter of the tavola calda, with everything you need to feed large appetites. Starting with sfincionelli and panelle and crocchè sandwiches. Panelle can also be found served in small bite-sized pieces for aperitifs.
Spinnato – Piazza Castelnuovo, 16 - Facebook Page

Testaverde 2.0

In over forty years, the place has become a local landmark for gourmets. Despite its distance from the tourist trails, the establishment is a success, synonymous with loyal local customers who choose Testaverde for their lunch break, snack or dinner. Pane e panelle here are delightful: soft and tasty fritters, fluffy sandwich bread that holds them.
Testaverde 2.0 – via Lorenzo Iandolino, 4/6 - Facebook Page