At Casa Di Cilla
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Sicily, Italy
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Overview
There’s no better gift to bring back from Sicily than the gift of local cuisine. Improve your culinary skills and cultural nous on this authentic small-group experience led by a passionate chef in his own home. Shop at a local market in the morning. Then learn the rich multicultural stories behind every dish you prepare as you cook up four different dishes then sit down to them at lunch.
- The small group size ensures personal attention from the chef
- Cook like a local—in a local home, at a local kitchen, from local recipes
- Explore the dynamic Capo Street Market with an expert to assist
- Meet like-minded travelers as you cook together and sit down to lunch
Sample Menu
Main
pasta first
Starter
typical Sicilian
Main
second course of fish or meat
Dessert
cannolo or typical Sicilian dessert
Starter
bruschetta or Panelle or Sicilian cheese white and red wine
What's Included
- LunchComplete menu from appetizer to dessert cooked together with wine and water at the meal
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Via Volturno, 78, 90134 Palermo PA, Italy
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Start time.10:00 am
What To Expect
1
Capo Street Market
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Marco was so much fun. A professional chef, he was very helpful with lots of tips to improve your culinary skills. The food we made was fabulous, very Sicilian and totally delicious. I would highly recommend this experience.
Reviews
5.0
based on 393 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Marco is generous with sharing his culinary secrets and I enjoyed the market tour. Watching him interact live with the vendors. He also asks for our preference instead of following a strict menu of dishes. Very flexible. Suggest you have a bit of breakfast as lunch is served at about 1400h
This experience was amazing! Marco was such a generous host and helpful teacher. We had a wonderful time at the market, cooking, eating, and of course drinking wine. I recommend this experience for anyone that wants an authentic experience and delicious meal. Marco’s house was also a nice temperature during the August heat and it was a very comfortable environment.
We met Chef Marco at Mercado del Capo where we talked about what we wanted to cook and eat. We watched as he bought our ingredients - fresh basil, eggplant, olives, parsley, strawberries and more. His cooking studio was a short walk from the market and our cooking class began in earnest. I am vegetarian and my husband is a carnivore, and this experience was extraordinary for both of us. Our lunch menu included fresh pasta, pesto, Sicilian caponata, eggplant rolls, veal, delicious wine, and a dessert made with strawberries and cream. We spent 3+ hours learning and cooking (and hope to replicate this meal at home) and then enjoyed a beautiful lunch in Chef Marco’s dining room. All of the flavors were outstanding, and Marco was a patient teacher, fantastic cook, and took the time to teach us some tricks of the trade. We highly recommend this cooking experience for anyone who likes to cook/eat.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
The day was fun for me too, you were two special guests and I will carry you in my heart for a long time. Grazie 😘
We had a fantastic morning with Marco, who taught us a lot about Sicilian cuisine. The meal we cooked together was absolutely incredible!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
wowwwwww
grazie mille
vi portero' nel cuore per molto tempo
Be prepared to learn about Sicilian cooking from a knowledgeable chef and to make friends along the way. Laidback homey environment.
Marco was so much fun. A professional chef, he was very helpful with lots of tips to improve your culinary skills. The food we made was fabulous, very Sicilian and totally delicious. I would highly recommend this experience.
A must do experience. Marco was a alot of of fun-great personality, and excellent story teller. . He entertained us w his wit and knowledge of food. Don't miss this....
Excellent cooking experience! We had s lot of fun, learned something, enjoyed the market visit, the cooking, the food and most of all the very friendly way of our chef Marco and really felt it was a perfect experience!
Marco was the best host/chef. He made cooking fun and exciting. One of the highlights of our trip! Would not hesitate to book this class during your stay.
A wonderful day spent with Marco and other like minded travellers cooking a menu of traditional Sicilian dishes. We had the most wonderful time.
We loved our cooking class with Marco! Don't miss this experience. Shopping at the market with Marco gave us a locals perspective on how to select from the abundance of offerings and create a spontaneous meal. Then we went to his apartment and cooked a spectacular meal. Everyone in our group participated and it all came together so well under Marco's expert and patient guidance. I can't believe I can now make canoli's from scratch! Delicious, Delicious, Delicous!
Marco's cooking class was a highlight of our two week trip in Sicily! We loved starting at the local market, picking out the menu, and shopping for the ingredients. Marco is an amazing chef that taught us valuable knife skills and a hilarious person that kept the kitchen full of laughter. Grazie mille Marco!!!
This cooking class was definitely a highlight of our trip. We were on a 7 day cruise that stopped in Palermo and by chance saw this cooking class on Viator. I must admit I was a little apprehensive since it mentioned going back to the chef’s house to cook the meal. It was an amazing experience and I would do it over again if I could. We met Marco at the market along with 2 other couples.The market was a 15 minute walk from the Port. We found Marco very easily. He introduced us to the other couples and asked us about our food preferences and gave us a few options for our menu. Then we all walked through the market while he purchased the fresh ingredients for today’s menu. The market itself was an experience with all the vendors and fresh food all the while Marco was talking to us about the vendors, food etc. We made the short walk back to Chef Marco’s beautiful & immaculate clean apartment. We had a truly wonderful afternoon learning how to prep and cook our meal with our new friends. Chef Marco was incredibly patient and funny so we were all enjoying ourselves as we learned to make this delicious menu. We made ravioli, stuffed swordfish and a mackerel dish. Lunch was so good and we had so much fun making it. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for a fun alternative activity while visiting Palermo.
I loved every minute of our cooking class. From the interesting market, to meeting new people and learning tips and techniques from accomplished chefs is a highlight of my trip.
I would highly recommend this cooking class in Palermo. Plan on it taking most of your day and you probably only have to plan on something late to eat later that evening.
My only disappointment was, we forgot to make the zucchini flowers!
Marco was incredible. His energy and enthusiasm makes the day that much better. Going through the markets to get your ingredients before cooking was really cool. Absolutely recommend.
Truly one of the best experiences of our trip to Sicily! Let’s start with the host, Marco. An exceptional and qualified chef, Marco was warm and full of energy upon the first greeting. He was sure to ask us about our cooking experience and what we would like to try to make. Marco was easy to talk to you and seemed genuinely interested in his pupils’ lives. He is very funny! I joked with him and let him know I wouldn’t have a problem with him joking back and giving me a hard time. He had the perfect balance of stern lessons and techniques while cooking, but also knew when to lighten up and be warm.
Now the food! We made pesto stuffed ravioli in a tomato compote sauce, swordfish pies and a Sicilian stable, caponata. All were exceptional and we had a tough time choosing which was our favorite. We particularly liked that he chose to help us make the swordfish pies with a North African influence (mint, raisins, orange, lemon). We are many meals over the course of several weeks throughout Italy, but this one was simply the best.
We will take this experience home and try to recreate it, but will miss Marco’s charm and energy the next time we try. Bellisimo!
It was such a wholesome experience being able to select our own produce before cooking. What a special opportunity to learn from such a passionate chef like Marco and to be welcomed into his home
Marco was an amusing and attentive host. He was quick to share his knowledge and joy of cooking with the group. He asked us what we wanted to prepare and then we spent part of the morning in the market collecting our ingredients. Once we returned to his kitchen it was all hands on for preparing the meal. There was plenty of wine and great conversation as we made pasta a la norma, lasagna, stuffed swordfish rolls and cannoli's. Everything handmade. Our time at Marco's was the highlight of our trip to Palermo.
Marco was amazing!!! He was funny and just a joy to cook with him. The trip to the market and making my favorite dish ravioli was fantastic!!! If anyone would like to do a cooking class you must book with Marco at Casa Di Cilla!! It absolutely was my favorite experience in Sicily.
The market tour with Marco was so fun. His relationship with the vendors was beautiful to see. His flat is so charming and his cooking area was clean, organized and was amazing. We had a small group that day and it was perfect. We had amazing pasta, caponata and cannolis. We laughed so much and had an absolute blast with him!
We stopped in Palermo, Sicily, as a part of our summer cruise vacation and knew immediately we needed to look for a cooking experience. Marco absolutely exceeded all of our expectations for this tour, making it one of the absolute highlights of our vacation! We were lucky enough to have Marco all to ourselves! We toured the market, trying all sorts of fresh fruits, authentic Italian treats and picking out fresh ingredients for our meal. Our children - age 7 and 10 - were delighted to be included as chefs for the day. Marco convinced our super picky daughter to try new things (eggplant!) and helped us to make the tastiest stuffed calamari, eggplant rolls and simple but DIVINE pasta sauce! We enjoyed our time and meal spent with Marco! We would go back and do it all again without hesitation! We love the Marco experience!
We loved our experience cooking with Marco! He is an amazing chef and was great at getting everyone involved in a task including my 14yo son who normally won’t help me in the kitchen! The food was delicious and it got my kids to try things they wouldn’t at home. Highly recommend for families!
This was a wonderful excursion! A highlight of our stay in Palermo and all of Sicily. Marco was a fantastic host, chef, cooking instructor and all around person! The food was delicious, and shopping in the market for the ingredients was fun. Marco is very personable and engaging. Just remember: "Don't cut your pasta!" Apparently, that is a crime! So much fun. Can't recommend enough, even if you don't love cooking. You do love eating, don't you?
This was the best experience we had on our Sicily trip! Not only did we get to have fun together cooking, but we got to learn a little history of the recipes we made, and the food we made was the best we had on our 2 week trip through Sicily. We started at the market and instead of just walking through blindly, you get to engage with the sellers while you work to find ingredients for the recipes you decide on. After that insightful experience, you go back and feel like you are hanging out with an old friend at their house. You all make the recipes from start to finish and then gather around the table for an amazing lunch. The recipes that Marco directed the group to make tasted phenomenal. If Marco opened a restaurant I would go daily. I cannot recommend this experience enough.
Awesome time … Highly recommend
The whole experience from Markets to cooking to nice lunch was great ..
Marco is one of a kind. Excellent chef/teacher and an even better host. Would highly recommend his cooking class for anyone visiting Palermo. He turns cooking “disasters” into works of art.
Marco created a time of learning and pure joy in this class. We shopped the market and selected fresh swordfish as well as loads of vibrant produce. Cooking together in Marcos’ home was a time filled with laughter and real hands on cooking. Marco gave us nuggets of useful cooking tips as well. The meal was fabulous but most of all it was a meaningful time shared with people from all around the world in a warm community environment. Gracie Mille Marco!
Marco was an excellent host! We learnt a lot in a very fun way! This was a fantastic experience that i would recommend to anyone with an interest in food and culture!
Came here with my family to learn Sicilian food. Not only we learnt but also shared some great memories with Marco and other joiners from UK and US. We all enjoyed the market shopping, cooking and most importantly, eating!!
Worth every penny. I would 100% recommend this to my friends.
Fun guy and knowledgable chef , I learned a lot from him.
Got to experiencthe capo market and participate in a hands-on cooking
Member Pricing
From
$123.57
per personWas $130.07(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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