Taormina Isola Bella Cooking™

Join our Sicilian family and tie on your apron with Chef Mimo for your Sicily Cooking Vacations.  Say the word Taormina and images of Sicilian pasta, turquoise waters and nearby Mount Etna come to mind!  In the kitchen at our Sicily cooking classes, you’ll learn to make arancini, rice balls, pasta alla Norma and Sicilian cannoli.  Check into the beautiful hotel accommodations, enjoy a Prosecco welcome, and soak up the sea view from your terrace. Excellent food and wine of Taormina, along with charming locals, history and art, will have you wanting to extend your stay!!!

As featured in June 2016 – Click here to read more!

Taormina – Sicily

Taormina on the east coast of the island, half way between Messina and Catania, is one of the most beautiful places imaginable. Its origins date back to 734 BC, even before the Greeks founded the nearby town of Naxos.

Its beauty of land and sea have attracted travellers forever.  Stroll through the ancient historic centre and discover age-old monuments and ochre-glazed palazzos built by the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and French – all leaving their mark.

Taormina was a haven for writers, artists and intellectuals throughout time.  Let’s start with D.H. Lawrence, who wrote Lady Chatterly’s Lover, along with Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams, to name a few.  The town is featured in Goethe’s Italian Journey, and was home to Nobel Prize winner Halldor Laxness.

Stroll the many pedestrian walkways winding through town and pass artisan shops – olive oil, ceramics and crafts, along with bakeries showcasing colourful marzipans, and trattorias serving delectable food and wine.

Taormina’s most famous beauty is the ancient Greek Theatre, dating back to the 3rd century BC and remarkably well-preserved.  When the Greek Theatre was first constructed, it was used by the Greeks and then by the Romans as a musical theatre and arena for gladiator fights.  Today, it’s a venue for operas, concerts, ballets and the Taormina Art festival in the summertime.   A short walk from the property and you can experience the famous cable car that brings you to the waterfront and Isola Bella, a tiny green island connected to the mainland by a narrow sand pathway.

Taormina Cooking Class

Tie on your apron and join Chef Mimo who will lead you through Sicilian cooking classes, pasta making classes and a historic market tour.  Shop with the chef and experience the Sicilian outdoor market.  Learn how to select the perfect eggplant, not too big nor heavy, a true indication of seeds.  From farm-to-table fruit and vegetables to local fishermen who display their daily catch, there are ingredients for everyone.  Meat sellers and artisan cheese makers line up and sell their goods, along with farmers who sell their herbs, spices, and wine from Mount Etna.  At the end of the tour, Chef Mimo’s basket is filled with products that will be used in the hands-on cooking class.  Following the Taormina market tour, we return to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Chef Mimo leads you through making antipasti, fresh pasta making, a main course and dessert.  You’ll stuff creamy Sicilian ricotta into fresh zucchini flowers, then flash fry and sprinkle with sea salt.  Mix and roll out gnocchi, handmade ravioli stuffed with salty caciotta cheese, while sautéing eggplant and tomatoes.  Learn how to transform peppers, eggplant and zucchini into Caponata, or stuff artichokes with our secret Sicilian stuffing.  If you love fish, think sea bass enveloped in sea salt or calamari drowned in tomato sauce with capers and black olives.  If you love meat, Sicilians love to grill and stuff veal, beef and pork called involtini.  Sicilians are noted for their delicious desserts: handmade cannoli stuffed with whipped ricotta, Cassatta Siciliana, sweet ricotta and lemon zest cake made with organic cake flour and farm-fresh eggs.  This work of art tastes as good as it looks.

Following each cooking class, guests enjoy the foods that were prepared during the class including a wine pairing of 2 local Sicilian wines.

Taormina Accommodations

4-Star Luxury Villa with Sea View and Swimming Pool

Check into true Sicilian splendor at this elegant boutique Villa property with sweeping Sea Views spanning the Ionian Sea. Each room has been carefully decorated with Mediterranean decor with designer touches from the bedding and drapes to the Sicilian tiles that line the floor and bath; modern, comfortable beds are dressed with Italian linens and include private ensuite baths.  The private villa property is conveniently located in the center of Taormina and just a short walk away from the piazza.  A large swimming pool is set in a garden of jasmine and cascading bougainvillea – with lounge chairs and umbrellas – overlooking Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea.  Lunch and cocktails from the lounge bar, such as Prosecco and Aperol Spritz, are served daily.  The rooftop terrace restaurant with picturesque views serves breakfast every morning, including Sicilian homemade cakes, jams, pastries, cheeses, ham and salumi, artisan bread, and homemade frittatas, along with cappuccinos, espresso, and a variety of fruit juices. By night, the rooftop restaurant serves candlelit dinners featuring Sicilian fare. The property also offers a full-service gym.  

4-Star Villa with Sea View and Swimming Pool

This Sicilian Villa with Sea View and Swimming Pool is a stunning property with a sweeping view overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Once home to an aristocratic family from Taormina, this villa is perfect for you. Its dramatic location set atop a rock promontory overlooking the sea is steps away from the historic center close to shops and restaurants at Corso Umberto and a short walk to the Teatro Antico di Taormina ruins. The Villa has been tastefully decorated with Sicilian art decor in cool colors and Sicilian ceramics. Each room offers comfortable bedding and Italian linens to make your stay relaxing. Modern amenities include a private ensuite bathroom, free wifi, television, air conditioning, and a minibar. Breakfast is served each morning with Sicilian cakes, bread, homemade jam, fruit, and yogurt, along with cappuccino, coffee and tea. In warm weather, one can also enjoy breakfast on the terrace. Daily maid service is provided for your convenience. Sunbathe by the outdoor pool with panoramic sea views, sip an aperitif at the bar, or enjoy a light bite at the bistro bar

B & B with Swimming Pool and Sea View

Set in the heart of the historic center, the Luxury B&B with Sea View and Swimming Pool is the perfect choice during your Sicily stay.  Cool Mediterranean colors, tile floors, and Sicilian ceramics adorn the property.  Comfortable bedding dressed with Italian linens, and bright rooms with private ensuite bathrooms ensure total comfort during your stay.  Daily breakfast includes Sicilian bread, cakes, and pastry with cappuccino, coffee, and tea.  A swimming pool and sweeping sea views are the finishing touches for a quaint and charming property set in the heart of Taormina.

3-Star Deluxe with Sea and Garden View

This traditional Sicilian property is located in the heart of Taormina on the glamorous Corso Umberto. The property offers a rooftop terrace with breathtaking views of the Ionian Sea and majestic Mt. Etna. Spacious rooms with comfortable bedding and bedding and Italian linens are decorated in warm hues.  Amenities include a private ensuite bathroom, television, free wifi, and air conditioning, to name a few.  The property’s convenient location is steps away from artisan shops and restaurants.  Breakfast is served daily and includes Sicilian confections, fresh fruit, cappuccino, tea, and coffee.  The hotel offers a shuttle to and from the beach for your convenience.

Click for Property Photo Gallery

Itinerary ~ 3 Days, 2 Nights

Day 1: Check In, Food Lover’s Tour Of Taormina & Chef’s Welcome Dinner

• Arrival and check in.  Rest and refresh.

• Later in the afternoon, meet your English-speaking guide for a Taormina Food Lover’s  Tour with food tastings along the way.  Learn about the rich history of the city as well as its cuisine, while seeing all its major landmarks and sampling local bites along the way.

• Welcome dinner including a Chef’s tasting menu featuring Sicilian fare.  Wine is not included.

Day 2: Market Visit & Cooking Class

• Breakfast is served.
• Meet Chef Mimo in the morning for your outdoor market tour.  Shop with the chef and learn how to select fruit and vegetables and produce for an authentic farm-to-table experience.
• Return to the kitchen for your hands-on cooking class preparing a full-course meal.
• Following the cooking class, everyone enjoys the foods that were prepared in the cooking class with local wine included.
• The rest of the day is free and on your own.

Day 3: Departure & Arrivederci!

• Breakfast is served.
• Following breakfast, check out and departure.