Balata (from the Arabic Balath) is the stone that paves the streets of the historic center of Palermo, the name of the marble used by the butchers and fishmongers of the historical markets to work; a Balàta di furnu is the stone used for closing the wood-burning oven of the ancient bakers. Balata is a stone slab of Billiemi extracted from the quarries of the mountains of Palermo, used for over 1,000 years, found in monumental works such as Quatto Canti, inside Casa Professa, in the churches and in the courts of the noble palaces and in the narrow alleys inhabited by the people.

Balata is a metaphor for Palermo, its millennial history, its streets, its markets, its ancient professions, the charm of one of the largest historic centers in Europe.

Balata is a place that aims to offer a Sicilian experience made of the flavors, smells and colors of the great culinary culture of Palermo, stratified over the centuries and that, still today gives original suggestions by meeting with new ingredients and contaminations.