Antica Focacceria San Francesco, Italian restaurant in Palermo, Italy
Antica Focacceria San Francesco is a restaurant in the heart of Palermo, located next to the church of San Francesco d'Assisi in the Kalsa district. The dining rooms have painted ceilings and long shared tables where locals and visitors sit side by side.
The restaurant opened in 1834, making it one of the oldest in Sicily. Its recipes have been handed down from generation to generation, with the core concept remaining largely unchanged.
The focacceria is known for its 'pane câ meusa', a sandwich filled with spleen and lung that has been eaten in Palermo for centuries. It comes in two versions: the plain one and the 'maritata', topped with ricotta and caciocavallo cheese.
The restaurant sits right on Piazza San Francesco d'Assisi and can be reached on foot from most of the old city. Arriving a little early is a good idea, as it tends to fill up fast around lunchtime and in the evening.
The daily menu changes regularly depending on the season and available ingredients, as is common in traditional Sicilian cooking. This means the same dish can taste slightly different on two visits close together.
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