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[title]Ciro is an Italian restaurant in Palermo that focuses on the flavors of Puglia, a region in southern Italy known for its simple, home-style cooking. The menu combines pasta, brunch, specialty coffee and a selection of generous desserts. We went to try it and tell you what we ate and what the experience was like.
Ciro is one of those restaurants where there always seems to be a good reason to sit down for a meal: an abundant brunch, an XL slice of cake, a specialty coffee or a plate of pasta. The Italian-inspired offering, with a few nods to Argentine cuisine, runs throughout the day and combines a coffee shop, bakery, brunch, lunch, dinner and gelato. We visited its Palermo location and explored an extensive menu, with options for different times of day.
Ciro was born in 2021, when it opened its first location in Puerto Madero with a focus on gelato and coffee. Three years later, its second location opened in Palermo, and the concept grew into an all-day restaurant. Its Italian inspiration is rooted in its origins: Molfetta, a coastal town in the province of Bari, in Puglia, where the project's creators are from.
A brunch worth keeping an eye on
There's one item on the menu that deserves a special mention: the brunch. It's one of Ciro's highlights and arrives at the table as a generous spread, with a wide variety of sweet and savory preparations.
It includes cannoli, a scone filled with aged Sardinian cheese, a whole-wheat caprese sandwich, mortadella focaccia with pesto and stracciatella, a cornetto with natural ham and cheese, an alfajor of your choice, sfogliatella with pastry cream, a slice of cake, natural yogurt with granola, honey and berries, and churros. To drink, it comes with two coffees or lemonades, plus complimentary glasses of Freixenet sparkling wine.
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We went for the savory dishes
For lunch, we chose the rib-eye steak with rustic potatoes, one of the meat options on the menu. The selection also includes milanesas, pasta, lasagna, provoleta, pan pizza and various dishes designed for sharing.
We also tried the Italian tostones, a preparation that leans more toward the breakfast and brunch side of the menu. The crispy base comes topped with a generous amount of avocado, sun-dried tomatoes and black olives, a simple combination with plenty of flavor.
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We stayed for dessert
Between cakes, Italian pastries and gelato, the sweet selection plays an important role at Ciro. There are XL slices of cake designed for sharing, with varieties including pistachio, carrot cake, Matilda, chocotorta, Red Velvet and Nutella Ferrero. Italian pastry classics such as sfogliatella, cannoli and cornettos are also on the menu.
The other star is the artisanal gelato, made with an Italian recipe at the restaurant's own production facility. The selection includes flavors such as pistachio, Ciro chocolate, mascarpone with berries, dulce de leche and sambayón, along with options that change according to the season. It can be ordered in a cup or cone, and is also featured in creations such as the cannoli, affogato and pistachio cookie cup.
It's also worth checking out what's coming from the bar
There's one detail that particularly catches the eye: some of the coffees are served in edible cups. It's one of those touches that gives the coffee shop a more playful side, especially if you're looking to order something sweet to go with your drink.
The coffee selection uses 100% Arabica beans from Brazil, sourced from Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais, and the menu ranges from espresso, ristretto and macchiato to cappuccino, flat white and matcha latte. Coffees are also served with a mini brownie.
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A little piece of Puglia in Palermo
The décor complements the food without attempting to recreate Italy literally. At the Palermo location, sand, blue and gold tones dominate, alongside wooden furniture, Mediterranean-inspired flooring and works by artist Amancio Torras. On the façade, a scooter and a drinks-and-flower cart complete the venue's visual identity.
The result is a bright space with large windows and wooden tables, equally suited to a meal or to lingering over a coffee. It's also pet-friendly and offers Wi-Fi, two details that make the range of possible plans even broader.
After our visit, Ciro comes across as a versatile restaurant: you can go for a long brunch, sit down for lunch, order a slice of cake to share or simply stop by for coffee and pastries. The Italian influence comes through in the ingredients, names and some of the preparations, but the menu also moves comfortably toward dishes more familiar to the Buenos Aires palate.
Ultimately, Ciro offers a relaxed take on Italian cuisine, with an extensive menu that takes you from coffee and something sweet to a full meal, with the flavors and inspiration of Puglia serving as the common thread.
Ciro
Guatemala 4798, Palermo.
Pierina Dealessi 1350, Puerto Madero.
Palermo: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday from 8am to midnight; Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8am to 1am.