Live Palermo’s Skyline, Creative Cuisine, and Cutting-Edge Mixology
There is a place in Palermo where cuisine meets the view, and the view becomes part of the dish.
It’s called OVER, the rooftop restaurant of Hotel Plaza Opéra: a contemporary and elegant space where clean geometries and refined materials blend with natural light and a panorama embracing Monte Pellegrino and the Politeama Theatre. The atmosphere is that of an open, international urban refuge, where beauty is suggested rather than displayed, and where the hospitality is sober, precise, and authentic.
The heart of OVER lies in its cuisine, developed around an original concept: circular taste. This philosophy starts from the ingredient itself, respecting every part, promoting seasonality, avoiding waste, and creating flavors that originate from nature and return to it in balance. Nothing is left to chance, yet nothing feels forced. Every dish is crafted with complete attention to the raw material: peels become broth, stalks turn into sauces, and forgotten parts find their rightful place. The result is a cuisine that is clean, honest, light, yet profound.
Among the starters, the beef tartare with fresh daikon and wasabi powder stands out, where the texture of the meat blends with the crispness of the vegetable and the spicy, fleeting note of wasabi. It’s a well-balanced appetizer that opens the palate and prepares it for the journey ahead. Following this is one of the signature dishes on the menu: the square spaghetti cacio e pepe with sea urchins. A dialogue between Roman comfort food and the intense minerality of Sicilian sea urchin, in a velvety sauce that never fails to surprise.
The dual soul of the cuisine is fully expressed at the sushi counter: a second kitchen, autonomous yet perfectly integrated, offering rolls, nigiri, and sashimi crafted with Japanese technique but local ingredients and sensibilities. The fish is always the protagonist, enhanced by delicate touches that root it in place: an edible flower, a grating of Sicilian citrus, a spicy note.
The pairing of cuisine and mixology is an integral part of the OVER experience. The cocktail menu features signature drinks designed to engage in dialogue with the dishes, rather than overpower them. Among them, the Peppery—a refined blend of Martin Miller gin, Cointreau, lime, three-pepper syrup, rose water, and aromatic foam—stands out for its freshness and structure: ideal with marine notes, raw dishes, but also vegetable-based plates. Classic cocktails are also present, reinterpreted with technique and personality, along with thoughtfully crafted non-alcoholic options.
The design of OVER is part of the story. White, black, brass, and natural light are the dominant elements. The geometric flooring sets the rhythm of the space, while the opening roof allows the restaurant to change its face with the seasons or even the time of day. The seating is discrete, the tables essential, and each object carefully selected with artisanal care. No element dominates; everything serves the experience, like a stage set ready to welcome every story.
The perfect ending? A dessert that embodies everything OVER stands for: lightness, technique, balance, and surprise. The arlette with limoncello chiboust cream and raspberry reduction is crisp, citrusy, and radiant. A clean finish that leaves room for conversation and memory.
OVER is not simply a restaurant with a view. It is a vantage point on the city, its flavors, and its possibilities. An experience that unites technique and storytelling, aesthetics and thought, in an unexpected yet perfectly balanced harmony.
