Osteria Alivàru da Carlo Napoli

This is the best dinner in Palermo. I have been eating here every time I’ve come to Palermo — for the last 3 years. I bring my groups here and they always accommodate in the most generous and delicious ways. Their food is prepared with such intention and love— ingredients are the best— the flavors mind blowing. Eat here again and again. Thank you Carlo and family — your food is amazing.

We were in Palermo for four days and this was the best meal we had. We enjoyed the food immensely and were blown away by the reasonable prices. Service was a little slow, but honestly you should lean into that and take your time enjoying the excellent food. Our visit was on a Tuesday night in late February and the restaurant was busy (unexpected, and evidence of popularity) but not overly crowded. Everything we had was wonderful. Do yourself a favour and get the caponata, seriously.

The best meal I’ve ever had in Italy. The portions were so generous and the price super fair!! The ingredients were fresh and the place filled up quite quickly after opening so be sure to get there early!! If and when I’m back in the city, this will be a must-visit.

I was teaching a class in Palermo a week ago and brought a group to this restaurant as part of our welcome dinner for the experience. Several different people with different eating habits were accommodated for while we were treated to plate after plate of different appetizers and main courses– all beautifully laid out on the plates and served with care and intentionality. All of the servers were incredibly kind and friendly, helping us have a great experience. Many of the people were first time in Sicily, so they really got to understand the different kinds of flavors and preparations in this cuisine. They even brought us several different amaros to try at the end. It was truly spectacular - one of the best dining experiences I've had in Sicily. The chef came out and we chatted with him! What a nice man. I deeply recommend this place for excellent food and beautiful ambience.

Food was okay, but not mind blowing. The octopus was pretty chewy. Unfortunately my pasta had a little hair in it… we were sat outside basically in the parking lot, which makes for a certain ambiance. They didn’t have the whitefish and offered my friend the tuna which she said was not great. Asides from the hair, the pasta was actually decent so perhaps their pasta is better than the seafood.

I was for over 30 years in international chef and this is one of the finest small family run restaurants I have been to. The menu is not extensive but together with their daily specials offer plenty of choice. The restaurant was well appointed, clean and the staff were very welcoming and attentive. I have no hesitancy in recommending you this eatery.

Love this restaurant! The patio overlooking the square is so peaceful, the prices are amazing, and the food quality is so good—we went during tuna season and had the most perfectly cooked tuna. Go and order everything!

The best food I had on a recent trip to Palermo. Absolutely worth going out of your way for. Good portions and great prices. The pasta was amazing and I've never had a cannoli that good. The outside seating is next to a parking lot and space where people sometimes drive by so that wasn't amazing, though it was fine; just occasionally loud. Inside was pretty and looked great.