Ice cream in Palermo

The best ice cream in Palermo

Looking for a cold treat?

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April 2022
In Sicily you can eat ice-cream even for breakfast. Here are the best places if you're looking for a cold treat in Palermo.

“We have fantastic products from Sicily, so we use very little sugar. This means the flavors come through in an incomparable way. Sicily has plenty of sun, ripe fruit and also wonderful nuts and almonds full of flavor,” says Antonio Cappadonia with a smile, the ice cream king of Palermo and Sicily, who has won countless awards over the years. You understand why as soon as you taste his ice cream. Magically delicious and almost addictive.

They even eat ice cream for breakfast in Sicily

“The ice cream is served in a round brioche, that has a little top in the middle. The top is called o´tuppoin Sicilian. You remove it and use it to eat the ice cream instead of a spoon,” says Cappadonia.

He adds that you can eat ice cream and brioche at any time of the day or night and that he himself never gets tired of it. 

“Lemon ice cream is one of my favorites. Making lemon ice cream is like making a really good tomato sauce. It sounds easy but it’s the opposite. You have to use genuine products and find exactly the right balance between sweet and sour,” he says, in all seriousness.

Cappadonia only uses seasonal raw materials and milk from organic farms. For example, he uses five different types of lemon that ripen at different times of the year. He opened his first ice cream parlor in 1987 and now has several dotted around Palermo. There are always at least 20 flavors to choose from. 

“So, there are flavors to suit everyone and you mustn’t miss out on an ice cream breakfast in Palermo,” a laughing Cappadonia says.

Lattepà
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Chocolate and pistachio

Lattepà

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Via Vittorio Emanuele, 89
Palermo
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A hole in the wall on Via Emanuele in Palermo. If dark chocolate is your favorite flavor, you should come here. All the ice cream is home-made and on late summer evenings it’s fun to sit outside at one of the small tables and people-watch.

Gelati & Granite by Cannoli & Co
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Limited choice but of the highest quality

Gelati & Granite by Cannoli & Co

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Via Maqueda, 266
Palermo
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Wonderful ice cream, a limited choice but all of the highest quality. A real favorite is ice cream made with pistachio nuts from Raffadali. They also serve delicious cannoli here, filled with delightfully sweet ricotta.

Terzo Cerchio Gelateria
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Indulge in divine flavors

Terzo Cerchio Gelateria

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Corso Camillo Finocchiaro Aprile, 89
Palermo
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Terzo Cerchio refers to the third circle of Dante's hell where gluttony is punished, but this ice cream parlor is rather heaven on earth. You will have to revisit several times to try all the divine flavors. We especially recommend Pistacchiosa and Nocchiosa.

Dolce Capo
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Equally tasty and beautiful ice cream

Dolce Capo

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Via dei Candelai, 95
Palermo
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In the historic district of Monte di Pietà there is a lot of beauty to look at, and the gelato displays at Dolce Capo are no exception. Each variety of ice cream behind the counter is artistically decorated with fruits, berries and squiggly patterns that make it even more difficult to make that vital flavor choice. But no matter what you choose, you won't be disappointed.

Cappadonia Gelati
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Palermo's ice cream king

Cappadonia Gelati

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Via Vittorio Emanuele, 401
Palermo
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Don’t miss the ice cream king of Palermo when you’re in Palermo. Antonio Cappadonia and his ice cream which is served in a round brioche is a must try.

Text by Åsa Johansson