Giardini Naxos: Sicilian Cooking Class & Seaview Lunch

Summary

Cook fresh Sicilian dishes by the sea with Chef Mimmo in Giardini Naxos

You’ll cook side-by-side with Chef Mimmo in Giardini Naxos, learning hands-on how to shape pasta and prepare classic Sicilian dishes just steps from the sea. Taste local wines, cheeses, and homemade cannoli as sunlight pours in from Taormina Bay. Expect laughter, flour everywhere, and real flavors you’ll remember long after you leave Sicily.

What’s the experience like?

“You’re using too much flour!” Chef Mimmo grinned at me, shaking his head as I tried to roll out my pasta dough. We were just steps from the beach in Giardini Naxos, and honestly, I could smell the sea through the open windows — salty and bright, mixing with the basil on my fingers. The kitchen felt more like someone’s home than a class. There was this gentle clatter of plates and laughter bouncing off the walls. Mimmo poured us each a glass of local white (crisp, slightly peachy), and we nibbled on focaccia and cheese while he told stories about his grandmother’s caponata recipe — apparently she never measured anything either.

I didn’t expect to actually make six types of fresh pasta myself (my orecchiette looked more like tiny hats than ears), but Mimmo was patient. He showed us how to twist and pinch the dough just right — “like this, see?” — and when I got it wrong he just shrugged and said that’s how new recipes are born. We tasted slices of salami so peppery it almost tingled, and I tried to say “caponata” in Italian; Li laughed at my accent. The fish alla ghiotta was simmering on the stove, filling the room with this sweet-sour tomato smell mixed with olives and capers from the Aeolian Islands. Outside, you could see Taormina across the bay — sunlight flickering on water. It all felt slow, easy.

Sitting down for lunch together after cooking felt like being invited into someone’s family for Sunday dinner. We ate what we’d made — messy plates of pasta with tomato sauce that tasted brighter than any jar back home — plus that fish dish I still think about sometimes when I catch a whiff of olives or lemon zest. The cannoli were tiny but packed with ricotta (I may have eaten two), washed down with cold limoncello that left my tongue tingling. At some point Mimmo handed us certificates; I laughed because mine had flour fingerprints on it already.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Cooking class and Sicilian lunch

• Meet Chef Mimmo at Ahoy Bistrò Siciliano
• Enjoy wine tasting with focaccia and cold cuts
• Wear apron and prepare three Sicilian dishes
• Make six types of fresh pasta by hand
• Cook fish alla ghiotta with tomatoes and capers
• Eat Sicilian lunch by the sea
• Taste small Sicilian Cannoli with Limoncello

Top questions

Where does the Sicilian cooking class take place?

The class is held at Ahoy Bistrò Siciliano in Giardini Naxos, facing the sea near Taormina.

Is lunch included in this cooking class?

Yes, after cooking you’ll enjoy a full Sicilian lunch with what you prepared.

What dishes do we learn to make during the class?

You’ll prepare caponata siciliana, six types of fresh pasta, fish alla ghiotta or Messinese fish rolls, plus small cannoli for dessert.

Are drinks included during the experience?

Yes—wine tasting is included along with mineral water, coffee or tea, and limoncello at dessert.

Is this Sicilian cooking class suitable for kids or people using wheelchairs?

Yes—all areas are wheelchair accessible and infant seats or strollers are welcome.

How long does this day trip from Taormina or nearby towns take?

The experience takes several hours including cooking time and lunch; plan for half a day.

Do I need any prior cooking experience?

No experience needed—Chef Mimmo guides everyone step by step.

What’s included

Your day includes hands-on Sicilian cooking lessons with Chef Mimmo right by Giardini Naxos beach, all ingredients provided (including local produce like Bronte pistachios), wine tasting paired with focaccia and cheeses, a full homemade lunch featuring your own pasta and fish dishes, mineral water throughout, coffee or tea break, small traditional cannoli with limoncello for dessert—and even an apron plus certificate to take home as proof (flour smudges optional).