Near Monreale, a place beloved of the Palermo aristocracy, it originally sold wines from the estate of a family of nobles, before becoming a trattoria. In 1962, the Cascino family, one of the most ancient of Sicilian master-chefs, now in its second generation, turned it into a restaurant. The arcades and the lovely beamed room of the original store, adorned with its vintage wine equipment, can still be admired. A gathering place for artists like Fracci, del Monaco, Nazzari, Gigli, and Tebaldi, it also gave hospitality to the Secretary-General of the UN, Kofi Annan. Sophisticated cuisine and the exclusive “Ali Pascià” semifreddo. 1929