Live Palermo And Sicily Like a Local: My Personal Guide to the Best Stays & Experiences:
Benvenuto a Mondello e nella nostra casa vacanze.
Welcome to Mondello and to our holiday home.
As your host, my goal is to make you feel at home and fall in love with Sicily so much that you'll want to return. I've written this mini-guide to help you enjoy an authentic experience, away from the typical tourist traps where visitors are often seen as nothing more than easy chickens to pluck, and to counteract the phenomenon of touristification (low quality food and services at tripled prices).
- Natalia Holiday Home Mondello | House Rules:
- Regole della nostra Casa Vacanze a Mondello:
Dear guests,
To ensure a comfortable and pleasant stay for everyone, we kindly invite you to take a moment to read the PDF file provided: House Rules.
It contains a few simple house rules based on common sense — just like in any holiday home or hotel — as well as some useful tips on how to make the best use of the apartment’s features. Thank you for your attention and cooperation!
- Mondello | History & Authentic Lifestyle:
Mondello is much more than a renowned tourist beach—it's a vibrant coastal neighborhood steeped in history and cherished for its authentic local lifestyle. Originally a modest fishing village, Mondello transformed dramatically after the extensive land reclamation that began in 1891. This change gave birth to elegant Liberty-style villas and an iconic beach establishment that still stand as proud symbols of the area's heritage.
Strategically located just northwest of Palermo’s historic center and bordered by the majestic Capo Gallo Nature Reserve, Mondello offers residents the perfect blend of seaside tranquility and urban convenience. The well-preserved historic architecture, including early 20th-century villas, tells the story of a community that has continuously evolved while holding tight to its roots.
Life in Mondello follows a unique seasonal rhythm. In summer, the neighborhood buzzes with activity as both locals and visitors flock to the beach. Yet, locals master the art of avoiding the crowds by knowing exactly when and where to enjoy their beloved coastline. Interestingly, some true "Mondelliani Doc", who also maintain a home in the city, actually choose to live in Mondello during the fall, winter, and spring, when it’s quieter and more peaceful, and move into Palermo during the summer to avoid the high-season frenzy. As the seasons change, Mondello reveals its quieter, more intimate side—its empty promenades, serene sunsets, and an unhurried pace that invite residents to savor the natural beauty and timeless charm of the area.
The local community thrives on a strong sense of belonging and tradition. Daily rituals—like a morning coffee at a local bar, leisurely walks along hidden coastal paths, or shopping at neighborhood stores—highlight the genuine, down-to-earth spirit of the mondelliani. This authentic way of life, where historical legacy meets modern comfort, offers visitors an unparalleled glimpse into what it truly means to live in Mondello like a local.
- Mondello | SuperMarket:
If you're getting around on foot, you’ll find the Prezzemolo & Vitale Supermarket just a 5-minute walk away. It’s a bit pricey, but it offers top-quality products, including fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and wide selection of cold cuts and cheeses.
If you have a car or even renting an electric bicycle or a scooter, you can reach the Conad City Supermarket or the Famila Superstore in just 5 / 10 minutes. Are large stores with a wide selection of food products at fair prices.
Not far away, by car, there are also Eurospin Supermarket, Lidl Supermarket and MD Supermarket with very convenient prices.
- Mondello | Restaurants, Fish Shop, Butcher's Shop, Pastry Shop, Bakery:
As for restaurants in Mondello, if you're looking for a high-end culinary experience, I highly recommend Badalamenti Cucina e Bottega. The prices are on the higher side, but the quality is absolutely stellar.
A culinary excellence for the true 'Mondelliano Doc' is the Restaurant Bye Bye Blues, which was awarded a Michelin star in 2010.
Another excellent mid-range restaurant specializing in fresh seafood that I highly recommend for lunch or dinner is Simpaty Resturant.
Finally, one of my favorite restaurants is Al Gabbiano, where I highly recommend trying their delicious spaghetti allo scoglio. Al Gabbiano is also an excellent pizzeria and even offers sushi.
For fresh seafood and fish to cook at home, my personal recommendation is to visit Pescheria di Giuseppe Lo Bianco in Partanna Mondello. It’s my go-to fish market, known for its quality and freshness.
I also recommend a great seaside seafood farm called Vivaio Addaura, where you can find top-quality shellfish, crustaceans, and fresh fish.
For top-quality meat at fair prices, I recommend my trusted butcher, Butcher's Shop Porcelli Lorenzo, in Partanna Mondello.
You’ll also find an excellent butcher shop with great prices and high-quality meat inside the MD Supermarket | MD Supermarket Map, perfect if you’re planning a barbecue with friends or family on the terrace of our holiday home.
If you want to taste typical Sicilian pastries of high quality, I recommend the Pasticceria del Bar Galatea. You absolutely must try their "patate dolci", usually available on Saturdays and Sundays. This delicious pastry is a small sponge cake soaked in liqueur, covered in marzipan, and filled with custard. You can get baked goods and bread at the bakery: Piccolo Forno di La Barbera Filippo.
- Mondello | Beaches:
Mondello offers a mix of beaches perfect for both sand lovers and those who prefer rocky shores. The sandy beaches fully equipped and just a five-minute walk from "Casa Vacanze Natalia Mondello" rent out sunbeds and umbrellas. Personally, I'm more drawn to the rocky beaches, and here are my top recommendations:
Lido Addaura: very quiet and relaxing, well-maintained.
Ombelico del Mondo Addaura: more suitable for young people and more affordable than the first.
Baia del Corallo in Sferracavallo: not far from Mondello, in Sferracavallo, (10/15 min. by car) there's this little slice of paradise highly recommended both as a beach club and for aperitif or dinner evenings.
Lido Seäson in Sferracavallo: also in Sferracavallo, this is a tranquil beach club particularly suitable for families with children.
For trekking and wild nature lovers, I recommend two more seaside spots:
Lighthouse of Capo Gallo in Mondello: in the heart of the Capo Gallo nature reserve, here there's also a nudist area.
Avamposto di Barcarello in Sferracavallo: this is an extraordinary seaside place to visit. Yoga and meditation classes are held at sunset on certain evenings.
N.B. During certain periods, currents may bring jellyfish close. I recommend to use tried-and-tested repellent cream before entering the water to prevent stings: Respingo Jellyfish Antimedusa. If you do get stung, rinse the affected area with seawater (never fresh water or urine) and gently remove the spines with a razor or credit card.
- Mondello | Road to Addaura, Vergine Maria, Acquasanta:
There are many ice cream shops in Mondello and Palermo. My advice? If you see the phrase "brioches con gelato col tuppo", be wary—run, leave immediately! "Col tuppo" is just a ridiculous gimmick designed to fool tourists.
For top-quality, easily digestible ice cream at fair prices, you must try Gelateria La Vela di Antonio Lo Cicero in the Vergine Maria neighborhood area, right next to Tonnara Bordonaro.
It's a must-stop for me, whenever I head from Mondello to Palermo, I never miss a visit to Gelateria La Vela for my brioche with Setteveli-flavored gelato, all for just €2.50.
Right across from Gelateria La Vela and Tonnara Bordonaro, there’s a great pizzeria, Pizzeria Mistral, which still offers fair prices. Their pizza maker, Ron Garofalo, is one of the most awarded in Italy.
Continuing along the road that runs along the sea towards Palermo, in the Acquasanta area, right after Hotel Villa Igiea and facing the Marina di Villa Igiea, you must stop at Bar Turistico to enjoy their top-quality arancine.
If you're looking for a truly picturesque aperitif, I recommend booking a table at Hotel Villa Igiea Terrazza Bar. A minimum dress code is required, and reservations are essential.
- Mondello | Useful Information:
- Airport Bus
- Taxi Palermo
- Taxi Sharing Palermo
- Tikets: Bus, Tram, Parking, ZTL Pass
- Bus Line App Traking
- Electric Bicycle & Scooter
- Boat & Dinghy Rental in Mondello
- Boat Tours & Quad Tour in Mondello
- Horseback Riding Tours
- Wine Tasting Experience at Baglio di Pianetto
- Wine Tasting Experience at Tasca d'Almerita
- Country Club Tennis Mondello
- Golf Club Palermo
- Pharmacy in Mondello
- Medical Guard Mondello
- Coast Guard Sea Emergency | : 1530
- Emergency Ambulance Service | : 118
- Real-Time Emergency Room Status Service
- State Police Mondello | : 113
Local Miscellany and Other Picks
- Holiday Home in Mondello | Bed & Breakfast:
If you prefer a bed & breakfast experience by the sea in Mondello, I warmly recommend the charming B&B run by my friend Amanda. It's a lovely place to enjoy the beach atmosphere and local hospitality. You can find more information here: B&B Mondello Martini.
- Palermo | Historic Center:
If you want to experience in the heart Palermo’s historic center with everything within reach, I highly recommend the Mix&Match B&B by Popo Landino. A cozy and well-furnished B&B in Palermo’s historic center.
I warmly recommend another lovely apartment owned by my dear friend Anita in the historic center of Palermo. It's a great option for enjoying the heart of the city: Casa Anita in Centro.
For an authentic street food experience in the historic center, don’t miss Basilio Food, high quality street food at fair prices.
A laid-back place I often visit with friends is A'nica. Their gourmet pizzas are creative and high quality. I usually get the "Pizza Salentina" – yellow cherry tomatoes, artichokes, burrata, prosciutto crudo, and EVO oil. A bit pricey, but truly delicious.
- Palermo | Center:
When I’m craving traditional Sicilian flavors and a warm, homely vibe, I go to Osteria Lo Bianco, It is located in the center a few steps from the Teatro Garibaldi Politeama. Honest food, generous portions, and prices that are hard to beat — it feels like eating at a local’s table. Right next door, they’ve also opened a pizzeria with great pizza at true local prices. Definitely worth a visit!
Looking for the best seafood couscous in Palermo? Head to Kus Kus! Here you can enjoy a delicious, authentic seafood couscous made with fresh ingredients, at honest prices. Whether you choose to dine in or grab a generous portion to take away, Kus Kus is a must-visit spot for anyone craving true Sicilian flavors — Kus Kus Map.
- Palermo | Semi-Center:
Dear tourists, If you want a true benchmark for Palermo’s street food prices, head over to Rosticceria La Romanella on Via Leopardi. There you'll find top-notch Sicilian bites – arancine, calzoni, fried calzoni, rollò and so much more – all at just €1.50 each.
- Palermo | Touristification:
I'll now open a small parenthesis on touristification to help first-time visitors avoid the traps and get the right advice from the start. If you ever pay more than €1.50 for an arancina or for an sicilian rotisserie, just remember that, in my opinion, in 90% of cases, that extra cost doesn't come with any better quality or a larger size and is simply unwarranted.
When it comes to arancine or an rotisserie (street food), it's true that Palermo has some real gems like the previously mentioned Bar Turistico with a price of €2.20 and Pasticceria Oscar 1965 at €2.00. But honestly, as a "Palermitano Doc", I believe that paying more than €2.20 for an arancina is nothing short of a rip-off.
To back up my claim, consider that until a few years ago, no matter where you went – be it a bar, rosticceria, or pastry shop – the price for quality Sicilian street food was pretty much the same, varying only by a few cents.
So, learn to say: 'No thanks, it's too much'. In italian: 'No grazie, è troppo caro'.
Since Palermo was “discovered” as a tourist destination, the prices of street food like "arancine" and even some pizzas and ice creams have tripled in just a few years and in some cases, both the quality and quantity actually decreased, especially in the areas most frequented by tourists. Now, from what little I know about marketing, you can only justify a price increase if you improve the quality of the product or increase the size of the portions or if you're living under the illusion that Palermo has suddenly and magically turned into a international jet-set destination like Monte Carlo or Porto Cervo. But guess what? Neither happened.
I don’t know exactly what’s behind this madness, maybe just a little misunderstanding by some shopkeeper that heard, from some local politician, that Palermo was on its way to becoming the next Dubai #palermocomedubai and dreaming of attracting Arab sheiks, fantasizing about the Sultan of Brunei or His Majesty, King Joffy Joffer, Sovereign of Zamunda walking into their shop to buy an "arancina" or a gelato for three times its price.
But guess what? I haven't seen any of these kings and sheikhs around Palermo yet — have you? Palermo, thankfully, is not Dubai and Mondello is not Monte Carlo.
Thankfully, some virtuous merchants such as Rosticceria la Romanella and Gelateria La Vela and many others, have not fallen into the trap of touristification and have maintained honest and local prices with an excellent quality.
One last note to the shop owners of “Palermo come Dubai”: just a friendly reminder — Palermitans are not fools. We have kitchens at home that would make a Michelin-starred chef jealous. We can do it all ourselves: desserts, bread, pizza, arancine, rotisserie, street food, gelato... Cooking well is part of our centuries-old culture. So if any of us still walk into your overpriced shops, consider it a small miracle.
Of course, everyone’s free to keep walking the path of “fleece the tourist” and dressing up any nonsense and charging whatever he pleases for six months a year — and then spend the other six months running desperate discount promos on TikTok.
To help foreigners visiting our beautiful land recognize the unfortunate side shown by a small number of Sicilians who don’t reflect the true spirit of our people, I borrow the following dialogue from Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard, between Don Fabrizio, Prince of Salina, and Cavalier Chevalley of Monterzuolo:
... They come to teach us good manners, but they cannot, for we are gods. I believe they did not understand, but they laughed and left.
Thus I reply to you as well, dear Chevalley: Sicilians will never wish to improve simply because they believe themselves to be perfect; their vanity is stronger than their misery. Every intrusion by outsiders—be it due to their origins or, in the case of Sicilians, their independent spirit—disrupts their quest for complete perfection and risks unsettling their complacent expectation of nothingness; having been trampled on by a dozen different peoples, they believe they possess an imperial past that entitles them to sumptuous funerals.
Do you truly, Chevalley, think you are the first to hope to channel Sicily into the flow of universal history? Who can say how many Muslim imams, how many knights of King Roger, how many scribes of the Swabians, how many Angevin barons, how many jurists of the Catholic have conceived this same beautiful madness; and how many Spanish viceroys, how many reforming officials of Charles III—and who else? Sicily has chosen to sleep, despite all their entreaties; for why should she have listened if she is rich, if she is wise, if she is honest, if she is admired and envied by all, if she is perfect, in a word ? ...
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, The Leopard
Taste the True Soul of Palermo Before You Leave
Before you leave Palermo, make sure you experience its most iconic and unforgettable food traditions. From seafood pasta masterpieces to world-famous street food and historic Sicilian desserts, every bite tells a story. Here’s a must-try list for an authentic Palermo food experience you’ll remember forever.
In Italy, food is serious business — almost like a religion. Don't be surprised if every conversation somehow turns into a discussion about what to eat next!
- Spaghetti or Linguine Vulcano at Cotto da Mare (Palermo - 24,00€) or at Ricci e Capricci (Aspra - 15,00€) — Dive into the deep, intense flavors of this unique pasta dish: spaghetti infused with cuttlefish ink and crowned with fresh sea urchin pulp. With every bite, you’ll taste the true essence of the Mediterranean Sea. The cuttlefish ink is carefully added raw during the final toss — not cooked — to preserve its natural sweetness and avoid bitterness. The luscious sea urchin pulp is gently stirred into the pasta during the final toss and then elegantly placed on top, creating a stunning visual that resembles molten lava flowing from a volcano. A bold and unforgettable culinary experience that captures the soul of Sicily.
- Arancine from Bar Oscar — Taste the best arancine in (Palermo - 2,00€), crispy on the outside and perfectly creamy inside. A legendary street food experience you simply can’t miss — Pasticceria Oscar 1965 Map.
- Sicilian Cassata from Bar San Michele — Indulge in the ultimate traditional Sicilian dessert, rich with ricotta cheese, candied fruits, and marzipan. An explosion of color and flavor in every bite — Bar San Michele Map.
- Watermelon Jelly Tart (Gelo di Mellone) from Pane e Caffè — A refreshing and delicate slice of summer, this traditional dessert is a hidden gem among Palermo’s sweet treats — Pane e Caffè Map.
- Trionfo di Gola at La Dolceria di Santa Caterina — End your food journey with this majestic baroque cake, a true triumph of flavors and textures that will leave you speechless — La Dolceria di Santa Caterina Map.
These authentic Sicilian dishes are not just food — they are part of Palermo’s heart and history. Make them part of your journey too!