Taranto seafood cooking class: Traditional techniques & dine

Cook Taranto's sea specialties and sit down to eat them the same evening

A three-hour cooking class in Taranto where you learn to prepare traditional seafood dishes using techniques passed down through generations, then enjoy an exclusive dinner featuring the dishes you've cooked, paired with local wines. The class covers raw preparations, pasta courses, peppered mussels, and grillones: the local method for grilling octopus, cuttlefish and squid. A guide leads the instruction in English, Spanish or Italian.

The experience

What makes this different from a standard cooking lesson is the dinner that follows. You're not just learning techniques in a kitchen. You're preparing the exact dishes you'll eat hours later, with wines chosen to match what you've made. The menu moves through Taranto's seafood repertoire: raw hairy mussels, cockles and sea truffle; peppered mussels; pasta with the daily catch from San Vito; grillones, the mixed grill of octopus, calamari, cuttlefish, prawns and mullet; and gelatones to finish. The grillones recipe carries particular weight here. It's the one Taranto grandmothers guard, involving techniques for grilling that aren't written down anywhere else.

The class runs three hours total, with instruction in English, Spanish or Italian depending on the group. You'll work with fresh, high-quality ingredients selected for the day, learning the authentic methods that define the local food culture rather than shortcuts or modern substitutions. The business emphasizes immersion over performance: this is how Taranto cooks at home and in its restaurants, not a demonstration you watch from a distance.

After you've finished cooking and cleaned up, you sit down to the dinner you've prepared. The wines are local selections matched to enhance each dish's flavors. It's the completion of the experience: proof that what you learned works, and a chance to taste your own work the way it's meant to be eaten.

What’s included

• Cooking instruction in traditional Taranto seafood techniques.
• all ingredients for the dishes you prepare.
• exclusive dinner featuring the courses you've cooked.
• local wines paired with each dish.
• live guide in English, Spanish or Italian.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 19:30

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (30 to 70 years) · Youth (13 to 29 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (under 3)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Griglialones

Is this one for you?The guide leads instruction in English, Spanish or Italian, so you'll follow comfortably in whichever language suits your group. This works for anyone who wants hands-on cooking instruction paired with a real meal, regardless of prior kitchen experience.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 29 years); Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (under 3).

What seafood dishes do you actually learn to cook in this class?

The menu covers raw Taranto specialties like hairy mussels, cockles and sea truffle; peppered mussels; pasta with seafood from San Vito; grillones, a mixed grill of octopus, calamari, cuttlefish, prawns and mullet using the traditional local technique; and gelatones for dessert. The grillones recipe is the signature. It's the method Taranto grandmothers have handed down for grilling the catch.

Do you eat the food you cook, or is it just a lesson?

You eat everything you've prepared. After the cooking portion ends, you sit down to an exclusive dinner featuring the dishes from the class, accompanied by local wines selected to pair with each course.

How long does the whole experience take?

The class runs three hours, which includes both the cooking instruction and the dinner afterward.

Is this suitable if I have mobility concerns or dietary restrictions?

The space is wheelchair accessible, with all areas and surfaces accessible for mobility devices. For dietary needs or other questions about how the class can accommodate you, contact the operator directly before booking.