Buatta Cucina Popolana

It is a small restaurant nestled in the heart of Palermo's historical center. I visited during the off-season, and despite many surrounding establishments being closed, Bautta was surprisingly busy. Upon entering, I noticed signs indicating that the restaurant had been featured in the Michelin Guide from at least 2019 to 2021, and possibly beyond. Interior: The interior is simple and unremarkable, earning a 3 out of 5 stars. It’s a basic setting without any special features. Service: The service was very good, receiving a solid 4 out of 5 stars. The staff was attentive, knowledgeable, and explained the dishes well, even in English. Cuisine: The food deserves a 5 out of 5. I highly recommend the traditional Sicilian appetizer platter for two, perfect for tourists wanting to try local specialties. I ordered sardines for my main course, and some of the friends had a meat dish with truffle. The sardines were delicious, and the meat dish was extraordinary, featuring an unusually large amount of truffle. Average Check: With a bottle of wine, the bill came to approximately 48 euros per person. I recommend the place, especially during the off-season.

Honestly we were disappointed with this place, and felt it was the worst we ate in Palermo during our stay. We ordered the 6 course chef's tasting menu with wine paring. Several courses felt unbalanced, had underwhelming flavor, or in my opinion were not cooked properly. Some courses were very good, and some were bad. Service - 4/5 - When we began the restaurant was nearly empty and I felt the courses were rushed. Once the restaurant was half full the service slowed a lot. Wine - 3.5/5 - Each of the 4 wines were good, but for €32, it was a bit pricey for what was received. 1 of the pairings was not good with the dish. Food - 2/5 Pre meal - 3.5/5 - we were served sfincione with marsala wine. An interesting combination and decent, although the pairing was not our favorite. 1st course - 2/5 - Imperial Garfish with carrots, greens, and orange sauce. An odd combination of flavors and a bit unbalanced. Not particularly delicious. 2nd course - 4/5 - Snails with Jerusalem artichoke. The flavor was good and the sauce of artichoke was nice. 3rd course - 5/5 - Tripe with carrots in broth. I liked this dish a lot. Great flavor. Very rich and simply delicious. 4th Course - 2/5 - Spaghetti with cuddle fish, and it's ink. Our spaghetti was very undercooked. I've had pasta in literally dozens of restaurants in Italy, and this was beyond al'dente to the point of just undercooked. Sticking to our teeth. Crunching. Not pleasant. A served asked if it was ok, and they did offer to remake it. It was better the second time 5th course - 1/5 - Cod with black lentils. Simple food can be wonderful, but honestly we felt this was just bland and uninspired. Unfortunately we also felt it was over cooked, and tough. We have had fabulous cod in Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece, and prepared at our home. This course was a let down. 6th course - 4/5 - trio of desserts including a small slice of cassata, and lemon granita. The cassata was delicious, light, and served with a sliver of candied orange which I really liked with it 5/5, but the lemon granita was unbalanced for my taste. So sour it was like a jolt of electricity with each bite. Not very enjoyable. 3/5. Perhaps some like this. Value for money - 1/5 At €55 per person for food and €32 per person for wine, over all I feel this was poor value for money. We also had stomach trouble the day after eating here. Sorry but we won't we back.

First, the positive: An effort was made to provide us with service in French, the food was excellent (except one dish that I talk about in the constructive section) and the wine suggested was excellent. Now, the constructive. We had a reservation; we failed to understand that if we wanted the tasting menu, we had to reserve it too. Our mistake. However no effort was made to help us pick dishes that would give a somewhat comparable experience; they also could have asked the chef (or pretend to ask the chef). Then, after being served our dishes, no one came to see us to inquire if they were ok; the spaghetti dish was undercooked. The service team was clearly overwhelmed and had little to no time for us. We had specified we were celebrating an anniversary, no mention (not looking for more than being wished happy anniversary). We were not offered dessert nor coffee. After 15 minutes waiting we realized we needed to go to the cashier to pay. Not a big deal, just an accumulation of irritants that would not be an issue by themselves, but they added up. Over this trip through Italy and Greece, we ate at several Michelin Bibs. Every time the experience was impeccable. This time, we walked out thinking we could have gone elsewhere and potentially get a better experience.

Really impressed. This was our final meal of a recent stay in Palermo and this really fit the occasion. Service was really good and the food (and delicious Sicilian wine) was very memorable. Particularly good was the street food tasting experience starter for 2, it gave a really good culinary tour of the island’s delights. The sausages were something special too!

I went with two friends, and we tried the tasting menu. Unfortunately, the food itself was underwhelming — the flavours felt unbalanced, and the sausages were so salty they were almost inedible. Overall, the food felt uninspired; we would have been better off picking something fresh from the farmers market. Service was attentive and friendly, definitely better than the food, and the ambience was fine but nothing remarkable. Regardless, the restaurant was busy and lively, with guests clearly having a good time

Absolutely outstanding experience at Buatta Palermo! From the first moment, the hospitality and atmosphere felt truly special elegant yet warm, perfectly reflecting Sicilian charm. Every dish was full of character and flavor, beautifully presented and prepared with real care. The tasting plate and traditional pasta were exceptional, and the freshness of the seafood was remarkable. Service was professional yet friendly, making us feel completely at home. A genuine taste of Sicily authentic, soulful, and unforgettable. Highly recommended to anyone visiting Palermo!

I absolutely do not recommend this place; in my opinion, it shouldn't be listed in any culinary guide. The prices are exorbitant for the poor quality of the food. The only thing we liked was the sfincione they served as an appetizer. We ordered the spaghetti nero di sepia and the aneilleti al ragù, which frankly tasted like children's menu food. There are many better places in Palermo, more local, and for much better prices.

All the awards call you to stop by and try their food, but honestly i don’t understand how they got to be in the Michelin Guide. The sfincione as a starter was pretty good and also the Caponata wasn’t bad at all. But the pasta… The annelleti and the nero di sepia were terrible, felt like children’s food… I don’t usually criticize like this but I felt like this time was needed. There are such amazing places in Palermo for half the price!