Sicilian Cooking Class in Palermo

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Palermo, Italy

4 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Discover the unique flavors and influences of Sicilian cuisine with a 5-hour, hands-on cooking class in Palermo. After shopping for fresh, seasonal ingredients at a local farmers’ market, head to a well-equipped home kitchen in an 18th-century building. Under the guidance of a chef instructor, learn to prepare an authentic 4-course meal of classic Sicilian dishes including dessert. Sit down to savor your freshly made creations paired with local wine.

Learn what makes Sicilian food unique from other Italian cuisine
Shop for seasonal ingredients at a farmers' market
Held in a gourmet home kitchen in a historic building
Savor the homemade meal along with Sicilian wine pairings

Sample Menu

Starter

Caponata

A stew vegetable salade, with eggplants, onions, capers and green olives and the typical taste ''agrodolce''

Main

Busiate al pesto trapanese

Busiate is a typical pasta shape from Trapani town, and we will prepare it with a local special Trapani pesto, different from the common green one.

What's Included

Cooking lesson
Lunch or Dinner (depending on the departure time)
Wine and food tasting

The listed price does not include the parking fee, payable at the time of tour check-in
Hotel pick-up and drop-off

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Via Volturno, 78, 90138 Palermo PA, Italy
H 10:30 nearby PORTA CARINI bar, at the entrance of Capo Market. Not Inside the market, but outside at the gate PORTA CARINI H 05:00 p.m. class: at the location in via Vittorio Emanuele, 492 (front Cathedral), second floor, name SANTONOCITO, push the ring bell lower on the right .

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Palazzo Asmundo - Museo

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
Not wheelchair accessible

Stroller accessible
May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
If you are a group of more than 20 people, we can do the class as well,In this case please send an email to ask
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Adam_M

My daughter and I had such a lovely experience with our host, Patrizia! She was warm and welcoming and full of energy. She taught us how to make beautiful tasty pasta, Sicilian pesto, caponata and a traditional dessert! The meal, wine and company was something we will never forget!

Reviews

5.0

based on 66 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Special tour that will be a memory never forgotten!

Adam_M, Sep 2025

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Adam! So nice meeting with you and your daughter! Thank you so much for having choosen to spend part to experience the sicilian cooking class with me. Best Patrizia

Palermo cooking class

AnaPaula_M, May 2025

We did Sicilian cooking class with Lidia, she was amazing. Very patient, explained & showed us techniques how to make arancini, Sicilian pasta & cannolis with great group & sense humour. Thank you for fun day!!!

Response from Host, May 2025

Hello! Who is Lidia? I see you forgot my name:-(( Anyway I am glad you remember about arancini and cannoli, so that's ok! Grazie from Patrizia!

Wonderful experience!

maria_M, Nov 2024

Patricia is amazing. You will not regret taking this class and spending a few hours with her. Our family enjoyed all we learned about Sicilian cooking but also talking about culture and people and traditions. The food was excellent as was the snacking along the way. I think we could have spent many more hours just chatting with her. A great Sicilian experience!

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thank you Maria, For you time and for your kindness, I feel blessed. Grazie Patrizia

Wonderful cooking experience of Sicilian cuisine

Ashish_M, Aug 2024

Since it was a holiday, Patrizia offered to conduct the class at her home in S Stefano Di Camastra, which is a hour train ride from Palermo. Patrizia has a beautiful home in the hills, with views of sea & mountains. She was kind to pick me from the train station. We made a unique pesto with almonds (instead of pine nuts), eggplant caponata & Involtini di carne (sliced beef rolls with fillling), all of which were amazing. Patrizia made the process of cooking very easy, and also showed how to retain the original taste & texture, which is essence of Sicilian cooking. She served locally made wine which was unique & paired well with the meal. Thanks to Patrizia for being a wonderful host, culinary instructor & conversationalist. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience & highly recommend.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Thank you so much, we had such a nice time cooking at the countryside! Thanks fir your visit!

Sicilian Cooking with Patrizia

robin_M, Jul 2024

Patrizia was an amazing instructor! So patient and so kind! We would go back everyday if we could!! If you have the chance, you should take her class and buy her cookbook!

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Robin thank you! You can come everyday! :-)

Sicilian cooks know best pasta❣️

Lyn_C, Jun 2024

Shopping in the market to learn how to select vegetables and fish for our class. The anti pasta the olives, bread and wine. The entire experience was exceptional

Response from Host, Jul 2024

Dear Lyn, You have been exceptional! Thanks Patrizia

A delightful stroll thru...

GUY_B, Oct 2023

A delightful stroll thru the market to purchase our meal ingredients, watched a fish monger carve the fish and watched our chef haggle for the fresher veggies. Patricia welcomed us into her home, and together we prepared a wonderful Sicilian feast. Felt like friends around the table chatting and enjoying delicious food. Definitely do this!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

grazie grazie grazie mille! come back because I wait for you! And our cooking will be your sicily memory

Fun Experience

Matthew_L, Sep 2023

Thank you Patrizia for the hospitality! This is a fun way to see the markets and learn how to make Sicilian food. Will definitely do this again

Response from Host, Jan 2024

wao Matthew, come back and stay at the countryhouse that is almost ready this summer. I wait for you there

Cooking Sicilian style

Margaret_K, Aug 2023

Fantastic experience. Market visit was lovely, beautiful to see. Patricia was a generous host, her house was gorgeous and the food was both easy to make and delicious to eat. Thoroughly recommend

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you dear Margaret, our purpose it to show a simple sicilian cooking but rich in taste and freshness. i am happy you got that. thank you again patrizia

Loved Palermo Cooking Class

Roger_A, Apr 2023

My wife and I totally enjoyed meeting our guide and instructor, Patricia. She was warm and welcoming into her Palermo home for a light hearted class on her terrace for Sicilian dishes.

Response from Host, Apr 2023

Dear Roger, Thank you for your "light hearted" words. Grazie, vi aspetto!

Great experience.

Nancy_I, Feb 2023

The wonderful chef who shopped for ingredients at the Market and taught me how to cook them. I was a solo traveler and Patrizia made me feeL right at home. A beautiful covered balcony where we cooked and drank Sicilian wine. I am preparing my own Sicilian meal in my home from her cookbook, Seriously Sicilian. I love it and it is a beautiful book. I highly recommend this adventure. ,

Response from Host, Mar 2023

Grazie mille! Your appreciation for our sicilian cooking class is a great gift and we are honoured about it. Thanks

AMAZING and authentic Cooking class. You have to do it!

Janet_A, Oct 2022

This was the most AMAZING experience i had in Italy. Worth every penny. Patrizia - born and raised in Palermo - taught us so much about Sicilian cooking and opened her home and her heart to us. From the aperitif and wine and cheese pairings - to the market trip and all the cooking we did from scratch - I learned SO MUCH - bought her cookbook and can’t wait to try all the recipes! Grazie Patrizia!

Response from Host, Oct 2022

I do thank you for all your nice words, a real big prize for my job, I am so happy when my guests like what I do! So thanks thanks a lot and come back!

Worthwhile

Kathy_P, Sep 2022

Very good experience with a good host. Very nice to get a feel for the local cuisine and cooking skills. Always enjoy meeting other travelers as well

Response from Host, Sep 2022

Grazie mille! So nice of you and i like you appreciate to meet other people to cook with. Because I love that!

Excellent food and company (and wine)

Georgia_O, Sep 2019

Although the initial trip through the market was lacking some involvement from the guests we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! STILL 5 STAR THOUGH as the food was AMAZING and we got to join in with the cooking and drink wine as we go along with cheese etc. sourced from their own farm, as are a lot of their ingredients. They are very warm and friendly and we had a really great time, thank you for having us! They also send through the recipe afterwards if you want them and have their own cookbook which I hope to buy once available as they are honestly excellent cooks.

Response from Host, Sep 2019

Dear Georgia, Thanks so much for your kind comment and mention about our book. We really appreciate that and we will let you know when it will be on line. Come back and visit Sicily again Sincerly Patrizia and Giuliana

Cooking class

Rhys_J, Jun 2019

A little overpriced, but had a great day. Food and knowledge was amazing. Used local ingredients and very convenient location

Response from Host, Jun 2019

Hi Rhys, thanks for the review, we had a great day too and It has been a big pleasure to have hosted you in our house for cooking together Patrizia

Amazing experience!

Laura_D, Jun 2019

We had the BEST time during the cooking class! I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. We got to shop at the local market to pick out fresh ingredients, then assist in all the prep work. We were also provided with local bread, olive oil, wine, and olives to snack on while we cooked. My husband and I made some new friends on our trip who joined us for the cooking class. Total there were 6 of us, and it was the perfect number of people. This class was probably the best thing we did during our vacation. We learned quite a few tips and tricks, plus the food we prepared was amazing. If we go back, we're definitely doing a class again with Sicilian Days! They also have a website for more cooking class options.

Response from Host, Jul 2019

HI! sorry for my delayed follow up but we habeen cooking all the time!! Thanks so so much for your great and generous comment, we appreciate it and we wish you were here to cook again together. Best Patrizia and Giuliana

Cooking class

teresa_k, Sep 2018

Patrizia was a great cooking hostess! She was very informative and had a great selection of food.The atmosphere was pretty amazing as well.

Great experience!

Christopher_S, Sep 2018

Great food and very nice host. We started in the market and then went back to an apartment to cook and drink wine. Our group had six people.

This was a family event and we all...

Aviad M, Aug 2017

This was a family event and we all had a great time. Our hosts were very friendly and accommodating to our special dietary needs. We prepared a wonderful meal together and really enjoyed the whole experience.

Great instruction, great food, great...

skyeblue04, Jun 2017

Great instruction, great food, great company. I was in a small class there were only two students, but that made it even better because that meant we did more of the hands-on stuff and got to chat more. Ours was a fish-based meal, and I'm not much into fish, but it was delicious and really opened my eyes and taste-buds to new possibilities. I still have and use the recipes we made!

We had a fantastic experience with...

Hussain A, May 2017

We had a fantastic experience with Julie and Patrizia. This was more than just a cooking class. It was about learning about food and sharing it with lovely people. Thank you so much!

Patricia met us on time at the...

MaryPat C, May 2017

Patricia met us on time at the appointed place in central Palermo. From others we went to the local market to shop for the ingredients to use for our class. Once we arrived at chef's charming, well appointed apartment we got down to business. The instructions were made, the food was being prepared and the wine was being opened. We made four classic Sicilian dishes and each one was delicious. Then we sat down and enjoyed the fruits of our labor, with some more whine of course. This was a wonderful experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has an interest in cultural immersion. A truly fantastic day with a charming, talented chef.

The best day ever !!!A morning...

bernie_h, Apr 2017

The best day ever !!!A morning shopping and cooking what dreams are made of . Our hostess was a real darling ..Patricia..She welcomed us into her home and we had such an informative time delicious food wine and home made limencello...Just wonderful..Can't wait to return..Do it you won't be disappoi

Amazing experience!! Highly...

JoeandAmanda_R, Nov 2016

Amazing experience!! Highly recommend to all visiting Palermo, Sicily. Patricia was a wonderful host and chef from the meeting point in the square to the wonderful shopping experience through the market to the preparation and enjoyment of the wonderful meal we prepared together. I brought home the recipes and do fully intend to try to recreate at home. My husband has said of our 15 days in Europe, this was the most enjoyable day we shared.

Patricia was wonderful. I entered her...

Maria Tollefson, Oct 2016

Patricia was wonderful. I entered her home as a stranger and left with having made a new friend. The food was amazing. Cooking with her was a blast. The wine flowed the conversation and laughter was endless all night. Her helpful tips were great. I can't say enough good things about this outing. It was clearly one of the fondest memories of our trip to Palermo!

This was a really terrific...

Kim F, Aug 2016

This was a really terrific experience. Patrizia was warm, friendly and a great cooking teacher. She adapted the recipes for my diet. This is a great way to get to know Sicily and it's culture. I would definitely do it again.

I loved this class! My family and I...

Robin_Y, Jul 2016

I loved this class! My family and I spent 5 months in Palermo while my husband was working at the university there with a scholar exchange program. I decided to take a cooking class before we returned home, so I could learn how to cook some of my fav Sicilian dishes. I am really glad I choose this class. Patrizia and and her daughter Giuliana who is a chef are very talented cooks and really know their ingredients. They guided us thru the Capo and Vucciria Markets and knew just what vendors have the freshest ingredients. After gathering all of our ingredients, we went to a historic apartment near the beautiful Piazza San Domenico. There we were greeted with wine, beer, cheese, fresh bread, and Sicilian olives to start. We each had our own cutting board station at the large main table in the kitchen. I was impressed about how many dishes that we were able to prepare in such a short amount of time. We made eggplant caponata, spaghettone with a classic Sicilian tomato sauce featuring wild fennel, involtini rolls with fresh swordfish, and cassata al forno a baked cake with sheep's milk ricotta, candied fruits and chocolate chips. I loved everything that we prepared and thought that the eggplant caponata was the best I had ever had. After cooking, we sat down in the dining room while Patrizia and Giuliana plated all of the dishes and served wine pairings for each dish. I felt very much at home and it was a wonderful lunch. I had previously taken other classes in Italy at La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese and Gelato University in Bologna which I both highly recommend, but really liked this class for the variety of dishes and seeing whole meal evolve from shopping for ingredients to cooking to lunch. Probably the best compliment that I could give is that I have just returned home to Atlanta a few days ago and I have already made 2 of the dishes at home. Patrizia and Giuliana, thank you for such a wonderful memorable class! You are great hosts and very talented cooks.

I had a one-on-one evening with the...

GinaM_F, May 2016

I had a one-on-one evening with the chef! Lots of fun, very knowledgeable, and so tasty and relaxed!!!

It was the best tour we've been on...

Michael S, May 2016

It was the best tour we've been on in our four cruises, to date. Patricizia, the owner and chef made us feel at home immediately. It was like we were with dear friends making a wonderful dinner! Patricizia has a real passion for cooking and readily shares this with her guests. We have lived in Italy and shopped in the open air markets everyday but the other four people on the tour with us had not. They especially enjoyed going to the open air market in Palermo and shopping for the food we prepared. Most tours you go on allow you to see the new place but this one also allowed you to experience living in it! The different was incredible. We strongly recommend this to anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the Sicilian culture!

A great insight into Sicilian...

Emma O, Feb 2016

A great insight into Sicilian cooking from a very talented local cook in her own kitchen in central Palermo followed by a fantastic meal with the best of local wines. I highly recommend this cooking class!