Ancient Saint Francis Focaccia Shop — Restaurant in Palermo

Partner and I were on the way to another restaurant to have some pizza. On our way, we were swayed by the sight of a gorgeous piazza full of customers and an attractive menu. We decided to sit and I ordered the Burrata salad and the aubergine pane (a bread roll with slices of aubergine). My partner ordered the “Sicilian” steak and a side of potatoes. Our orders were taken and then within 10 minutes, brought out in a plastic cloche which we could see was placed on a nearby table before being brought to us a further 5 minutes later.

Unfortunately, the salad was extremely bland and the tomatoes hardly ripened. The salad arrived with a tiny bit of basil and some dried oregano, topped with burrata. The pane/roll was oily and again, very bland to the taste. My partners steak and potatoes were also under-seasoned and oily. We were hungry so did eat our food but left half of our meals on our plate.

We complained about the dishes on paying, however the staff advised it was “not possible” to amend the total bill and offered no apology. We reluctantly paid the €52 bill and will not...

I visited Antica Focacceria San Francesco with my friends and family, we had a great experience. The restaurant is located in a beautiful square near the church of San Francesco and it has a long history dating back to 1834. The staff was very friendly and helpful, they explained us the menu and the specialties of the house. We ordered some of the typical street food dishes, such as focaccia, arancine and pane con la milza (bread with spleen). They were all delicious and freshly made, with high quality ingredients and rich flavors. We also tried some of the traditional Sicilian dishes, such as parmigiana di melanzane (eggplant parmesan) and pasta con le sarde (pasta with sardines). They were all amazing and satisfying. The portions were generous and the prices were reasonable. We enjoyed the cozy and clean atmosphere of the restaurant, with a nice view of the square. We felt like we were part of the Sicilian culture and we appreciated the authenticity of the cuisine. Antica Focacceria San Francesco is a must-visit place for anyone who wants to taste the real Palermo style...

Rarely I have to spread a bad review but this one I can't let slip. We were a group of 14 today, reserved weeks and confirmed a menu a week ahead of the visit for supper. Not only did they forget about the booking, upon presenting them with the complete email exchange, they treated us with indifference and arrogance. When we turned to leave they wanted us to stay. Thinking they would be nice hosts and would make an effort we agreed to be seated. Big mistake. They proceeded setting the tables outside in November while the whole restaurant was empty. Eventually we could convince them to move indoors. We were served stale and luke-warm left-overs from lunchtime as appetizers (dry hard pieces of Foccachia for crying out loud) and bland and undefined pasta as prima piatti.

Both courses were little touched by everyone and collected by the waiters without any reaction.

No apology or any nice word, collected the full price that was agreed upon in the reservation they themselves totally forgot about. Poor service, poor food, dirty glasses, poor experience. A disgrace for Italian...