ItalianChef Vincenzo Clemente€€€€€75politeamaBook 1 week ahead
Cin Cin on Via Manin near the Politeama theatre in Palermo is one of the city's senior fine-edge rooms, ranked in L'Espresso's top 5 Palermo tables.
Tip: Dinner only Monday to Saturday from 19:00. The wine list is entirely Sicilian; ask about Etna by the glass.
SeafoodChef Gianni Corona€€€€€65libertaBook 1 week ahead
Corona Trattoria on Via Marconi in Palermo's Liberta is a family-run seafood room opened in 2015 by Gianni Corona, daily catch from the Palermitan fishermen.
Tip: Book three days ahead at weekends. The chef's tasting tracks the day's catch.
International€€€€€135vucciriaBook 2 weeks ahead
Gagini on Via dei Cassari between Vucciria and Cala in Palermo is a contemporary Sicilian fine-dining room inside the 16th-century workshop of sculptor.
Tip: Closed Monday. The wine pairing is entirely Sicilian; the natural-wine extension flight is worth the supplement.
SicilianChef Patrizia Di Benedetto€€€€€130mondelloBook 2 weeks ahead
Bye Bye Blues on Via del Garofalo in Mondello was Sicily's first female-chef Michelin-starred room under Patrizia Di Benedetto, holding the star from 2010.
Tip: Closed Tuesday lunch. The 6-course tasting is the entry point; book the patio April to October.
SicilianChef Carmelo Trentacosti€€€€€115loggiaBook 3 weeks ahead
MEC Restaurant on Via Vittorio Emanuele opposite Palermo Cathedral holds one Michelin star inside an Apple-computer museum, chef Carmelo Trentacosti.
Tip: Closed Sunday. The caponata with Modica chocolate is the signature opener; book the balcony table.
ItalianChef Alberto Rizzo€€€€€85kalsaBook 1 week ahead
Osteria dei Vespri on Piazza Croce dei Vespri in Palermo's Kalsa quarter occupies a wing of Palazzo Gangi (the Visconti film Il Gattopardo location).
Tip: Closed Sunday. The two tasting menus run 65 and 85 euros; the wine list is one of the city's deepest.