Cartari Locanda — Restaurant in Palermo

Our first time/night in Palermo, staying in the Kalsa area. We set out around 11pm to find something to eat. Most kitchens were closed but the bars were alive and full. Saw a sign outside of this place for pizza and walked in. Owner, a young man, greeted us warmly and showed us a menu in English. We opted to sit outside for the street theater, seated on straw mats and carpets with small step stool height tables for food & drink. Quickly our server came out and was equally charming and helpful. We ordered a bottle of Sicilian wine, the grillo grape, and eggplant parm. Everything was delicious and crazy affordable! When we went in to pay we struck a delightful conversation with our server about travel, learning new languages etc. She offered us a shot of homemade limoncello and welcomed us to Palermo! We were tired from travel and had gotten some troubling family news before looking for some food. We couldn’t have landed in a better spot to help introduce us to this area....

What first caught my eye was the big chalkboard outside with the handwritten menu. Such a charming touch that made me curious enough to stop for dinner with friends. And I’m so glad we did!

We ordered the eggplant parmigiana, crispy feta triangles, stir-fried noodles, and a delicious potato “gattò” with asparagus. Every dish was tasty, well-balanced, and clearly made with care.

The place is cozy and thoughtfully decorated, with a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere that makes you feel right at home.

Highly recommended for a casual Tuesday night out with friends or for anyone looking for a different kind of dining experience in the city. I’ll...

Very disappointing. Our last night in Palermo and, sadly, by far the worst meal. The mixed starter of falafel, brik and caponata was nice enough, the seafood cous cous was just about okay, but the soup was truly awful. We asked for mixed bean, lentil and chickpea, what we got was just beans in a completely tasteless, bland broth with no seasoning and an unpleasant slimey consistency. I mentioned this before paying, but they just said that people from different countries have different tastes - true enough, but people from all countries...