Ai Normanni — Restaurant in Palermo

Relaxed, Authentic

From the privileged location of this relaxed and unpretentious place, one can see through the palm trees of the Piazza Della Vittoria the two most important UNESCO World Heritage sites of Palermo: the Norman Palace and the Cathedral.

The building itself deserves a note: It served as stable for the Norman rulers in the Middle Ages. Today, mismanaged Sicilian style, the fascinating court is used as parking lot. (It would make the most fascinating dining venue...)

There is a dining room that can be reached via the court, which makes service a real challenge for a one-man staff (the two cats don‘t help much).

My discovery: baccalà all'arancia (cod in orange sauce).

I especially appreciated Alessandro‘s suave service. Not pushy, truly heartfelt. There should be more like...

Arrived in Palermo late and found this place a few blocks from our apartment. It’s set back in a courtyard. Didn’t know if it was open but we checked and were warmly greeted and quickly seated. Nice diverse menu. After we ordered they brought out these little fried tortilla like items topped with fennel. The patties were made from chick peas. I could have eaten a bunch more. Glad I didn’t because my sword fish roll ups were amazing. The side of oven cooked potatoes were melt in your mouth buttery. Dessert was a pistachio cheesecake and chocolate cream cake. Fantastic meal and super friendly service....

We ate here on our first night in Palermo and liked it so much we came back for a second visit. On night 1 I had Il Baccala: codfish delicately fried with almonds, chickpeas and caramelised onions. All beautifully cooked and presented. I had sardines to follow, accompanied by grilled vegetables, then an unusual (but delicious) sweet cous cous dessert. And tonight my main course was swordfish which was wonderful. If you like seafood you’ll love eating here: it’s in a beautiful building just opposite the Norman Palace. Great service, great value. Recommended without...