La Vucciria

The Top International Market for Food and Drink, According to the Experts

"A centuries-old, sprawling market in Palermo’s medieval quarter where the first thing you notice is the scent of frying oil and rising clouds of steam; its tight alleys and small piazzas are packed with tourists and local nonni rubbing elbows amid a constant chorus of vendors shouting prices. Stalls brim with ripe tomatoes, colossal eggplants, fennel, peaches and native produce like tenerumi, while fishmongers sell pristine calamari, octopus and shrimp — and many visitors stop for freshly fried catch on the spot. Street-food highlights include arancini, sfincione and kiosks serving lemon granitas, and specialty items such as the prized little red prawns from Mazara del Vallo. The market feels both historic (operating for more than seven centuries) and relentlessly lively, transforming after dark into a raucous open‑air nightlife scene with aperitivo corners, late seafood, drummers and DJs until the early hours." - Laura Itzkowitz