About Us • From the Menu • Selected Wines • A Few Recipes • Email

Welcome to Cucina Papoff!
  Our restaurant, situated in central Palermo, at 32 Via Isidoro La Lumia, is located inside a nineteenth-century building. only a few steps from Teatro Politeama. The restaurant has a high ceiling and arched stone walls, and before its most recent remodeling housed a bakery. In fact an Art Nouveau stained glass window has been recovered with the words "Give us today our daily bread." The name Papoff was chosen by the first owner, using his mother's maiden name, as she was born in Naples of aristocratic Russian parentage. It's easy to find us.
  Cucina Papoff has been in business for more thirty years, and today you can still find a range of recipies that with care and attention merge with rustic, traditional Sicilian cuisine, all served in a warm and accommodating atmosphere, perfect for both informal dinners and memorable milestones.
  Great attention has been given to the wine list, which is the result of an intensive search among Sicilian and national (Italian) wineries, offering the very best quality for the price.
  We're open every day except Sunday for dinner from 7:30 to 11 PM (and closed for the month of August). We occasionally open for lunch exclusively by reservation. Otherwise, reservations are recommended at cucinapapoff@libero.it.

From the Menu
Appetizers/Starters:
Stuffed Swordfish and Tuna
Tiny Herring and Marinaded Shrimp
First Courses:
Maccu (Cream Soup of Dried Fava Beans with Wild Fennel)
Pasta with Herring and Wild Fennel
Gnocchi with Gorgonzola and Pistachios
Linguini with Red Mullet
Pasta with Broccoli Sauce
Entrées:
Stuffed Squid
Herring and Tomato Balls
Stuffed Beef Strips
Fillet Mignon in Red Wine Sauce
Sword Fish Chunks in Citron and Caper Sauce

Selected Wines
Our extensive wine list features dozens of Sicilian varietals as well as international mainstays such as Chardonnay. Among the Sicilian wines, we particularly recommend some of the "native" whites and (among the reds) Sicily's hearty Nero d'Avola to accompany the typically Sicilian dishes we serve. Naturally, the quality of the best wines varies by vintage - even in sunny Sicily - but the following have been remarkably consistent over the last few years.

Whites
Maria Costanza, by Milazzo, varietal based on Inzolia (a Sicilian grape) and Chardonnay
Terre della Baronia Bianco, by Milazzo, varietal based on two Sicilian grapes, Inzolia and Catarratto
Chiaranda del Merlo, by Donnafugata, varietal based on Ansonica (a Sicilian grape) and Chardonnay
La Fuga, by Donnafugata, Chardonnay
Etna Bianco (Etna White), by Murgo, varietal based on two Sicilian grapes, Caricante and Catarratto

Reds
Diana, by Baglio Hopps, Nero d'Avola (a Sicilian grape) and Cabernet Sauvignon
Triskele, by Corvo, Nero d'Avola
La Segreta, by Planeta, Nero d'Avola and Merlot
San Rocco, by Principi di Butera, Nero d'Avola and Merlot
Camastra, by Regaleali, Nero d'Avola and Merlot

A Few Recipes
The choices seem endless, but for your consideration we've chosen three recipes from our menu. For success, we recommend you use the freshest ingredients available.

Gnocchi with Gorgonzola (Italian blue cheese) and Pistachios
Serves six.
Ingredients:480 grams of gnocchi, 200 grams of Gorgonzola, 30 grams of butter, 250 grams of whole milk, about a cup of shelled pistachios.
Preparation: Boil the gnocchi until hot and tender, but not too soft. In a small pan melt butter with milk, bringing to a slow boil. Add Gorgonzola. Pour sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with pistachios.

Swordfish and Citron Kebabs
Serves several people.
Ingredients: Five pieces of fresh swordfish for each wooden skewer, four citron slices for each kebab, capers (in water), white wine, lemon juice, salt, pepper.
Preparation: Place the fish and citron (alternating fish and fruit slices) on a skewer. Grill the kebabs, steaming with white wine. When they're almost completely cooked, add capers, lemon juice and pepper to taste. Grill some more before serving warm.

Fettuccine with Sword Fish
Serves four people.
Ingredients: 400 grams of fresh fettuccine or similar pasta, 250 grams of fresh swordfish cut into small cubes, two small cloves of garlic diced, white wine, two sprigs of fresh mint leaves chopped, two large ripe (fresh) tomatoes chopped into small pieces, about two cups of fried zucchine and eggplant (aubergines) diced, olive oil.
Preparation: Boil pasta. Brown the garlic and swordfish together and steam in white wine. Add mint and tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for a few more minutes. Mix this sauce with the pasta, sprinkling the eggpland and zucchine pieces over it.

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