Pasticceria Palazzolo

Cassata and cannoli set the terms at this Cinisi counter, and the rest of the case follows them: frutta martorana, almond and pistachio dolcetti, buccellati, gelato and the large leavened cakes. Palazzolo has baked here since 1920 and is now in its fourth generation.

A Sicilian pastry house in Cinisi

The house began with a soldier coming home from the First World War and has stayed in the family ever since, through to the present leadership of maestro Santi Palazzolo, who is also vice president of the Accademia Maestri Pasticceri Italiani. The Cinisi address is the flagship: a large shop that doubles as caffetteria and lounge bar, supported by a production laboratory in nearby Terrasini and joined by a showroom at Palermo Airport. The identity is broader than a café counter but still firmly pastry-led, and the stated ambition is simple enough, to carry Sicily everywhere through artisan products, traditional recipes and close attention to raw materials.

Shop, café and lounge bar in one room

The Cinisi venue works as three things at once, and which one you use depends on the errand: sitting at the caffetteria, buying sweets to take away, or choosing packaged pastry as a gift. Behind that counter sit a team of thirty and a modern laboratory feeding the wider Palazzolo output, which is why the place feels production-led as much as café-led. The strongest reason to stay is still the display of Sicilian sweets: cassate, cannoli, frutta martorana, almond pastries, pistachio sweets, buccellati, baked biscuits, gelato, cakes, mousse and large leavened cakes, arranged so the classics are impossible to miss.

Order cassata first, then cannoli or marron glacé

Start with cassata, the emblematic order and the clearest link between Palazzolo and classic Sicilian pastry. Cannoli belong in the same first round, since the range is explicitly rooted in traditional Sicilian confectionery. Frutta martorana adds the marzipan side of that tradition, while dolcetti alle mandorle, dolcetti al pistacchio, biscotti da forno and buccellati show how far the dry and giftable selection stretches. Marron glacé is another named specialty, very soft under its glaze. At holidays, look toward the grandi lievitati: Colomba al pistacchio siciliano, Colomba Siciliana and the classic Colomba, with a savoury panettone salato alongside. Santi Palazzolo’s rule is to use the best raw materials available, while the pastry chefs keep the traditional recipes moving daily and experiment with pairings and design on the side.