Pasticceria Cappello on Via Colonna Rotta is home to the Sicilian Setteveli, Palermo's defining seven-veil chocolate cake refined by Salvatore Cappello AMPI master, served with espresso through the day.
Tip: Setteveli single slice with espresso. Closed Monday. Second branch on Via Nicolo Garzilli 19.
Address: Via Colonna Rotta 68, 90134 Palermo
Moltivolti's daytime cafe-coworking room on Via Puglia in Palermo's Ballaro serves espresso, North African and West African tea alongside Sicilian breakfast pastries.
Signature drink: Espresso, Senegalese karkade
Tip: Coworking by day, restaurant by night. Karkade tea is the unusual order; the courtyard seats fill first.
Stancampiano on Via Notarbartolo in Palermo's Liberta is the city's reference granita-and-brioche counter, three generations of family operation, with espresso bar through the day.
Signature drink: Granita di mandorla, brioche col tuppo
Tip: Brioche col tuppo with granita di mandorla or pistacchio is the Palermitan summer breakfast.
Moltivolti's daytime cafe-coworking room on Via Puglia in Palermo's Ballaro serves espresso, North African and West African tea alongside Sicilian breakfast pastries.
Signature drink: Espresso, Senegalese karkade
Tip: Coworking by day, restaurant by night. Karkade tea is the unusual order; the courtyard seats fill first.
The dolceria inside the Santa Caterina d'Alessandria monastery on Piazza Bellini in Palermo serves convent-recipe Sicilian sweets with espresso in the historic cloister setting.
Signature drink: Espresso, granita di gelsi
Tip: Enter through the monastery cloister. Granita di gelsi (mulberry granita) is the summer order with cannolo.
Bar Touring on Via Ruggero Settimo in Palermo's Politeama is the working-Palermitan morning cafe, espresso al banco, cassatina and arancina for the office-going crowd.
Signature drink: Espresso, cassatina
Tip: Arrive 07:30 to 09:30 for the local crowd. Espresso al banco one euro.
Pasticceria Costa on Via D'Annunzio in Palermo's Liberta is a senior Setteveli pasticceria-cafe, with espresso bar and monoporzione case for sit-down breakfast.
Signature drink: Espresso with Setteveli or cannolo
Tip: Setteveli monoporzione with espresso. The morning monoporzione case has seasonal flavours.
Antica Focacceria San Francesco in Palermo since 1834 doubles as a sit-down cafe-restaurant; espresso al banco, granita and Palermitan pasticceria alongside the street food menu.
Signature drink: Espresso, granita
Tip: Espresso al banco is one euro. The terrace facing the basilica is the seat at breakfast.
