COOKING CLASS in Taormina at Chef Massimo HOUSE!!

Recommended by 100% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Taormina, Italy

Great choice

20+ bookings last month.

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

Why travelers loved this

5.0

· Donna_W ·

May 2026

Massimo is a highly knowledgeable and wonderful chef. He walked our group to markets and educated us on all types of produce. His class was in beautiful Taromina overlooking the ocean. We learned to cook 5 different dishes that were so flavorful and delicious. My husband and I has a great experience! We highly recommend Massimo's cooking class.

· Audun_H ·

Apr 2026

Great experience from start to finish! We learned about selecting ingredients at the market and then how to prepare some classic and delicious recipes. We were seven people in total, and it felt like a family cooking a traditional Sunday lunch in Sicily - with the added bonus of having a staff to clean, serve and make sure everything went well. Highly recommended both as educational and fun!

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Overview

The best way to connect with any local culture is through food, and nowhere is this more true than Sicily. With this cooking class, shop for ingredients at the market in Taormina like a local before learning how to prepare a variety of traditional Sicilian dishes with Chef Massimo in his restaurant kitchen. Enjoy the fruits of our labors over lunch afterwards, served with two local wines.

Take a deep dive into Sicilian cuisine with a hands-on cooking class
Shop for fresh, seasonal ingredients at the Taormina market
Make traditional appetizers and first and second courses with a chef
Sample the dishes you’ve prepared over lunch, paired with local wines

Sample Menu

Main

Catch of the day in the Messina style

with the freshest fish that we will find together on the market, we will cook together a typical local recipe !!

Starter

flowers of zucchini stuffed with ricotta

Starter

stuffed artichokes

Main

fresh pasta

What's Included

Lunch
kitchen
All Fees and Taxes
Bottled water
Alcoholic Beverages
Meals
apron
Recipes in English

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Vico Zecca, 98039 Taormina ME, Italy
under the Arch of Porta Messina Taormina

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.9:30 am

What To Expect

Porta Messina

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible

Near public transportation
Infant seats available
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 15 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

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Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Beth_G

A must cooking experience! Massimo is a wealth of knowledge in the marketplace as well as kitchen with a sense of humor to keep you engaged and interacting with fellow chefs!! Not only will you learn new techniques but also mistakes we've all made about blending and modifying your cooking style. Oh, and you will have fun as well! Don't miss out on this adventure!

Reviews

5.0

based on 605 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Motto Bene!

Victoria_B, Jul 2026

Our cooking class with Massimo in Taormina was one of the highlights of our trip. He made the experience so much fun while sharing an incredible amount of knowledge about Sicilian food and culture. The class was hands-on, relaxed, and perfect for cooks of any skill level. We also met wonderful people from all over, which made the experience even more memorable. If you’re visiting Taormina, I can’t recommend this class enough.

One of the highlights of...

Ashley_B, Jun 2026

One of the highlights of our trip to Sicily! Chef Massimo made the experience both fun and informative. The market tour was really interesting learning about picking flavorful and fresh produce. We made traditional Sicilian dishes like Caponata and sun dried tomato pasta. The views from his house are also amazing. Highly recommend!

Fabulous cooking experience

Janine_M, Jun 2026

We had a fantastic cooking experience with Chef Massimo that our whole family will never forget. Even our two very fussy teenagers had their eyes opened to new foods and flavors. Being involved in every step of the process—from selecting fresh local produce, to preparing and cooking the dishes, and finally enjoying the meal together—made the experience truly special. The setting was equally unforgettable: a beautiful house with breathtaking views that made the day even more memorable. This was a wonderful introduction to Sicilian cuisine and culture, and an opportunity not to be missed. Thank you, Chef Massimo, for such an authentic and enjoyable Sicilian cooking experience. We all loved it!

Perfect and authentic cooking experience!

Chelsea_P, Jun 2026

This was the perfect cooking class for my husband and I! Massimo is both fun and educational, and the location is amazing - the most beautiful view. The setup and operations are also fantastic. The prep, cleanup, and quick turnaround to each dish you cook made is so easy, not to mention the food was delicious. We already have plans to replicate some of these recipes! Thanks Massimo, high recommend!

Amazing

Jennifer_B, Jun 2026

One of the best authentic experiences I had in Italy. I truly learned so much, plus had a great time doing it. The food was amazing, the house is charming and Chef Massimo if very knowledgeable.

Unique, fun experience!

Kathleen_S, Jun 2026

There are a lot of steps to get to the chef’s home but he will call for and pay a taxi to take you directly there after the walk about in the market. There were 16 folks who all spoke English.We had a great time during the meal.

La dolce vita!

John_W, May 2026

The perfect local culinary experience for Taormina. A central meeting point, local market tour then short walk down to Massimo’s villa via the local butcher Alberto. Massimo is a professional chef and former restauranteur so has the insider knowledge for local culinary nuances. His English is perfect, and his explanations excellent. His house is set up professionally for the class with views along the bay. The terrace arrangement for eating family style makes for a convivial social setting. Relaxed and fun using high quality local fresh ingredients. Also catered seamlessly for dietary requirements and the wine was local and generous in nature. A caponata even Montalbano would be proud of. Grazie!

Great Experience with Massimo!

Donna_W, May 2026

If you are looking for...

Susan_D, May 2026

If you are looking for something a little different to do having seen most of the tourist attractions I would recommend going on this cooking experience. The chef was charming and knowledgeable and there was never a dull moment. We were taken to a local market to buy ingredients and then back to a house with amazing views of the bay to cook traditional Sicilian food. Made our own pasta, and a fish dish along with sauces side dishes and starters. Learnt loads and ended up being served our delicious food on a beautifully laid table outside. There was plenty of wine and lovely company. Turned out to be one of the highlights of our holiday!

The Best

Walter_J, May 2026

A great way to get to know the culinary community of Taormina Chef Massimo entertaining guests with stories and food recipes

Top three international...

Robert_G, May 2026

Top three international ‘tour’ events we’ve done. We’ve done 7-8 different cooking classes around the world and Massimo’s is by far the best. Massimo and his team are TOP notch and I highly recommend taking his class.

Exceptional class, thank you!

Cyndi_B, May 2026

Great class from start to finish. The trip to the community market, and butcher shop were off the beaten path and interesting to experience where the locals shop. Chef Massimo’s home and kitchen were a beautiful setting to prepare the meal we enjoyed eating after the preparations. We’ve taken numerous cooking classes in different countries and this definitely excels in terms of information shared about the food, as well as in the number of dishes we prepared. The tomato salad and braised sea bass were our two favorites of the meal, can’t wait to try them at home. Would definitely recommend this class!

Great experience from...

Audun_H, Apr 2026

Highly recommend for all levels of chefs

Ronald_S, Mar 2026

A great learning experience when it comes to shopping for quality meats and produce. It was a fun group thanks to Massimo and we made friends with others in the group. Food was spectacular as well.

A must cooking...

Beth_G, Mar 2026

That’s Entertainment

John_L, Mar 2026

Loved, loved, loved Chef Massimo. He was extremely the educational and entertaining. Great group experience and deep dive into local food.

Magnificent Massimo

Steven_G, Mar 2026

It’s authentic Sicilian style cooking. Very simple and very easy to understand and Massimo is so passionate about his cooking and his wife and mother in law are there to really show you the family part of it.

Best Cooking Class!!!

Brad_W, Mar 2026

We had a killer time with this event and would highly recommend for anyone! Massimo was a great host, the venue is awesome, and the food was even better. Don't miss out!!!

Harmony cooking in Taormina

Melina_B, Mar 2026

The experience was so funny, tasty and harmony ! The chief Massimo is plenty of good mood, sense of humor and kindness. Thanks a lot for your tips and now we can’t wait to receive the receipes for inviting friends ;)

Incredible authentic and fun experience!

Tracy_c, Mar 2026

We had the most INCREDIBLE time! We learned so much. Everything from how to know which fruits and vegetables to purchase and which fish to purchase and why as well as how to spot the farm raised fish in comparison to wild caught and how to recognize these things on a local menu! We then learned all about traditional Sicilian cuisine and its origins and how to properly prepare these different dishes! The pasta making was wonderful and the sun dried tomato pesto we made was DELICIOUS! Massimo changes the menu for each class to make sure it’s all in season and local which is such a unique and thoughtful approach. He was so energized and personable we enjoyed every single second learning from him!

Highly recommend!!

David_V, Feb 2026

Massimo Is an excellent chef! He had a lot of patience and extremely knowledgeable on local produce and Sicilian foods. He made the experience fun and educational at the same time. Highly recommend.

Best food in Taormina with Chef Massimo

Sonya_B, Jan 2026

Chef Massimo was fantastic! Class was educational and lots of fun! We enjoyed the local fresh produce market and private butcher shop stops before cooking. Stunning home to cook in and view is amazing. The food we made was delicious and the best we had in Taormina! We highly recommend this experience!!!

You don’t need a nonna, all you need is Massimo!

amy_m, Jan 2026

Hands down the best travel tour we’ve ever had. Massimo is not only an amazing chef, but also an excellent teacher. We shopped for our produce and protein and were educated at every step of the way. Massimo’s kitchen is a sight to behold. Amazing views, gorgeous setting and we learned how to cook 3 appetizers, pasta and 2 main courses! So much fun, especially eating our hard work. A+++.

Buon Appetito!

Diane_D, Oct 2025

Massimo was The best! Shared great info re: buying fresh produce, meat and fish; great cooking instruction! Beautiful class, beautiful setting, excellent food and teaching! Grazie Assai!

Food was Excellent!

Kathleen_M, Oct 2025

We had so much fun at our cooking class. Massimo is very entertaining but all the while was teaching us so much selecting fresh food and preparing it. This is a must do tour!!

Great Cooking Lesson, Worth It!

Michael_S, Oct 2025

The views from the chef’s house is an amazingly beautiful setting. Everyone gets involved with the food prep and it’s more than slice this or fold that. It really is hands on. The end result was extraordinarily delicious 5-course meal we all enjoyed together at the end! His staff did all the cleanup behind us. After the class we walked downhill and rode the cable car back up to Umberto. The only downside was that the pre-class at the market was too much detail in the lecture, but the chef does know that he talks too much! We would prefer fewer details, but much of it was useful information.

Excellent!!

Jackie_V, Oct 2025

Massimo was the best . We learned so much from buying produce to making pasta and cooking whole fish .

Chef Massimo was...

Anonymous, Oct 2025

Chef Massimo was wonderful. So personable. He explained everything in detail and with such a love of cooking. We enjoyed this class very much and would highly recommend it. Not to mention the food was delicious! A wonderful experience!

Fun cooking class

mara_u, Oct 2025

This experience was a 10/10. Chef Massimo is passionate about Sicilian cuisine and his passion is infectious, this class truly felt like I was preparing a meal for the family with my Sicilian relative! I would definitely do it again! The food, wine, experience and the gorgeous views from the terrace and preparation room, were an excellent way to spend a day in Taormina. Thank you Massimo for a wonderful day. We can’t wait to cook the recipes at home.

Outstanding cooking class

David_A, Sep 2025

Outstanding day Massimo is very knowledgeable and entertaining The food we made was spectacular 3 staters, a pasta course and 2 main dishes with sides . The class greatly exceeded my expectations.