I Sapori di Ballaro — Restaurant in Palermo

I'd heard about the great food at mercato Ballaro but I've just had a plate of lukewarm fried fish for €15 that was the worst I've ever had anywhere. Currently downing a shot of Grappa in a nearby bar to hopefully avoid food poisoning because it seems like a pretty big risk! If the toilet was anything to go by, hygiene standards are pretty low. The rest of the food on offer at the market does not look any better. Sad, perhaps at one time you could get good food here but it's no longer the case. Avoid.

On the plus side, this Grappa is actually very nice. If you make the mistake of eating at Ballaro, head to Bar Katia beside the...

We made the mistake of ordering the 15€ fried mixed fish and while the portion was generous, the fish were terrible. They tasted really fishy and did not seem at all fresh. Both my partner and I felt sick the rest of the day. We also had aracini, pani panelle and milza. They were okay but we’ve definitely had better in Sicily. Everything was also heated up in a microwave. This place just seems like a total...

Le tape-à-l’œil n’a jamais été gage de qualité. À Palerme, en quête d’authenticité et de grillades marines, nous avons commis l’imprudence de nous attabler chez I Sapori di Ballarò. Séduits par une devanture engageante et une note de 4/5 intrigante (dans une rue pourtant truffée de mauvaises notes), nous avons accepté l’invitation. Quelle naïveté.

Les plats exposés ? Ce ne sont pas des modèles, mais vos assiettes en devenir. Réchauffés sans honte au micro-ondes, puis déposés devant vous comme si de rien n’était. Mon calamar « grillé » provenait directement de la vitrine, escorté d’une salade sans âme. Quant aux pâtes, elles nageaient dans une huile à faire frémir un cardiologue.

À leur décharge, la cheffe, visiblement gênée par ma mine déconfite, m’a apporté un second calamar, et proposé trois cannoli flétris en guise de compensation, que nous avons poliment refusés.

Le seul bon point ? Je n’ai pas été malade. Mais pour une immersion culinaire en Italie, mieux vaut passer son chemin. Amateurs de cuisine sincère : fuyez ce théâtre...