Osteria dei Vespri

We had the two lunch menus, earth and sea. Both where boring. The house white wine was nice. The table next to us had al a carte and their food looked better.

The service, the food, he ambiance were just terrific… beautifully presented
appetizers and main courses… warm and engaging staff that made you feel right at home, language not withstanding. This was really one of the highlights of our
Sicily dining experience… we took our friends who live there as a treat and they loved it… wondered how we ever found such a nice spot!

Generally when we travel, the one place we «must» eat in each city we visit is carefully scripted in advance by reading multiple 10 best lists, Unilocal reviews, Michelin and whatever other information I can get my hands on.
For some reason we chose to leave the research and decision making until we arrived in Palermo to begin a 17 day trip to Italy that will end with dinner at La Pergola (among other fabulous restaurants throughout our trip) on our final night.
The fact that we ended up at Osteria Dei Vespri on our first night was a totally unexpected joy.
I will leave it to others to be food critics and simply say that the overall experience was on par with most any meal we have anywhere in the world.
The friendly and knowledgeable staff made itself clear to us immediately. The food, from the outstanding and creative breads and the incredible sampler of 3 delicious amuse right through to the desert we shared and the complimentary 3 piece offering of treats to end the meal was absolutely spectacular.
Most surprising was that the check for Pasta, Entrée and a shared dessert (including a € 30 euro bottle of Rose) was only € 124 making this meal without question the best value we have ever found for food and service of this caliber. We have literally paid 4 and 5 times that for similarly spectacular meals at Michelin starred restaurants. (And not one of which I have taken the time to review here)
Although we chose to order Al a Carte, the 2 tasting options offered the night we dined were priced at € 65 and € 75, an exceptional value as well.
Although we are more whisky buffs than wine buffs, the very large and extensively diverse wine list would seem to be on par with everything else about the experience.
The beautiful little off the beaten path semi-​private sguare where Osteria Dei Vespri is located is beautiful and clean, something not all that easy to find in Palermo. It felt more like Rome than Palermo.
Enough said. If you are in Palermo this truly is the place to try.