Ciccio Passami l'Olio — Restaurant in Palermo

As a chef visiting from the U.S., I approached this dining experience with an open mind and a genuine interest in exploring the local culinary scene. The restaurant itself is beautifully arranged, offering a warm and inviting atmosphere. There is ample seating, though it fills up quickly, a clear sign of its popularity.

Our service experience was somewhat mixed. Our initial server spoke English, which was helpful, but his demeanor felt disengaged. Despite our repeated expressions of gratitude, he seemed distant and somewhat disappointed that we didn’t order drinks right away. We were later assisted by a second server who was more direct and efficient, though not particularly warm. Then we were approached by a third individual—possibly the owner’s son—who was notably more hospitable and took time to engage with us, which we appreciated.

As for the food, my pizza was excellent—well-executed and flavorful. Unfortunately, my wife’s dish didn’t meet the same standard. She found the flavors unbalanced and noted that the cheese had a grainy texture, which detracted from the overall enjoyment of the dish.

As the restaurant became busier, the attention to our table diminished. By the time we were ready to leave, we had to seek out the staff to request the check. While the son noticed that one of the dishes had barely been touched, there was no follow-up or inquiry, which felt like a missed opportunity for service recovery. That said, I understand the financial and operational pressures restaurants face and don’t expect compensation in every situation. That being said. The prices were fair and we weren't too disappointed. Just wish it had some welcoming feeling and communication of any...

Inviting, very bright restaurant with white wooden tables and white wooden chairs, white wooden ceiling. And a beautiful old stone doorway. Simple, elegant wine racks on the walls. Open-plan kitchen.

It is a pizza restaurant with an enormously extensive selection, as well as some meat dishes. And a salad on offer.

I ordered the Raviolo pizza with extra pepperoncini. Instead of fresh peperoncini or peperoncini pickled in olive oil, I got a bottle of chilli oil.

As the pizza was very soft, very watery and the crust was also very soft and fluffy, I decided not to add any more liquid with the chilli olive oil. (I always carry extra hot chilli around with me, knowing full well... that restaurants in Palermo prefer to operate without spices ;-).

The flavour of my pizza was good! It would just have been nice if it had been crispy and crunchy... (there are such wonderfully crispy pizzas with wafer-thin bases and spectacular toppings elsewhere... not only in Berlin). Pizza is also served differently in Turin...

The selection of wines by the glass is manageable. Two different reds on offer. The Syrah is good.

The water comes in a glass bottle: chapeau! There are no cloth napkins.

And the staff can argue heartily and loudly with each other: Palermo just likes to be very loud 😅.

Recommended for pizza fans. If you prefer your pizza crispy rather than watery and soggy, please specify this when ordering (which I neglected to do).

By the way, the pizza size is pleasantly small! Big plus...

Pizza is good here, however the service was horrible. The only person that I can thank, is the guy that brought our pizzas. The server that night absolutely ignored us. We went there because kids wanted pizza after playing in the playground (which is in front of the restaurant). After that, no one came over. We kept on waiving or looking at the waitress, she just kept on saying one moment, and would not return. People that sat after us, had their drinks and some appetizers, while we had nothing. We asked a guy that was cleaning the tables to see if someone could take our order. Finally, when she came to take our order, she rushed us to take the order. We asked for 1 appetizer, 2 pizzas and 2 glasses of wine. The people that sat after us were done eating, had their pizzas in a box and they were getting ready to leave. We had to approach the same guy again and finally she came with 2 glasses of wine. Pizza was brought out by another guy, but our hunger was basically dead. We tried to get the attention of the lady again. I waved at her, as she was walking by (not stopping at our table), she said one moment, and never returned. People behind us had left, another couple had sat and they were already eating their pizzas. Finally, we walked inside, got boxes ourselves, paid for the pizza, and we left.

Absolutely horrible service...