The first time someone introduced me to this place, they explained that focaccia here is not the one most people know outside Palermo. This is our local version, the one used to serve meusa. To put it simply, Palermo focaccia is a soft bread roll for sandwiches (forgive the oversimplification).
Antica Focacceria San Francesco was the first place where Palermo street food found its home inside a restaurant. Around 150 years ago, a court chef received part of the palace belonging to his patrons as a reward for his service. There he opened the city’s first restaurant dedicated to traditional Palermo cuisine, where locals could gather. Over time, those locals were joined by famous names such as Giuseppe Garibaldi, Ruggero Settimo, Vincenzo Florio and Ernesto Basile — politicians, entrepreneurs and artists. But I think the explanation was much simpler: the restaurant was simply famous.
Even if you are not planning to eat, I still recommend stepping inside and looking around. You’ll find old photographs on the walls, and although the interior has been restored, it still preserves the atmosphere of its era. They also say that the Focacceria has managed to preserve its original historic kitchen to this day. I rarely eat there myself, but I still stop by from time to time just to enjoy the view. The sign, the stained-glass windows, the doors, the interior — to me, they all feel like the living breath of old Palermo.