Catania: Market Tour and Cooking Class with Chef Riccardo

Catania’s food market is your first kitchen: you shop for the day’s ingredients with Sicilian chef Riccardo, then head to his home to cook and eat together. I like that the menu can respond to the group’s tastes, and that the market visit can extend beyond produce to stops such as a bakery, butcher, cheese maker, or wine shop.

I also like the small-group format, capped at eight, and the chance to learn from a chef who has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and brings a personal connection to Sicilian food. One consideration: the meal at the pool with a sea view depends on the weather, and the relaxed pace can make the outing longer than the stated 4.5 hours.

What makes this cooking day special

• You shop before you cook: Choose ingredients with Riccardo at a traditional Catania market, rather than starting with a fixed menu.
• The menu changes with the season: Expect three courses, with the dishes shaped by available ingredients and the group’s preferences.
• Wine is part of the outing: Visit a local cantine to taste and choose Sicilian wine to pair with lunch.
• Local producers add context: The day may include a stop with a farmer for fresh cheese or other local products.
• The meal is shared at Riccardo’s home: If weather allows, lunch moves beside the pool, with a panoramic sea view.
• It is personal by design: Riccardo and his wife, Sally, host a group of no more than eight, and the experience includes cooking, eating, and conversation.

Start at Sikelia, then follow the market

The meeting point is the coffee shop Sikelia. From there, Riccardo leads you into Catania’s traditional market, where the cooking lesson begins well before anyone picks up a knife. You are choosing ingredients for a meal, not simply walking past stalls on a sightseeing tour.

That distinction matters. With Riccardo, the market becomes a way to understand what will shape the day’s menu. The selection depends on the season and the group’s tastes, so you may have a say in what ends up on the table. If a fish stall or a particular ingredient catches your eye, speak up. The meal is not presented as a set menu that you merely watch someone prepare.

The market is also a good place to see how Sicilian cooking starts with what is fresh and local. The exact stalls and purchases can vary, but the experience may include stops at a bakery or butcher as well as the market itself. One account of the outing describes a fish-market visit, and cheese tasting before the group settled on dishes. Treat those as possibilities, not a promise that every stop will happen on every date.

I’d come ready to be curious and flexible. The point is not to shop for a specific recipe you already know, but to see how a chef makes choices with what is available. If you have a strong preference, or a dish you especially hope to learn, tell Riccardo while the menu is taking shape. The more useful your input, the more relevant the class may feel.

Meet the people behind the meal

Riccardo was born and raised in Sicily. He has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, appeared on television and in cooking shows, and spent more than 12 years living in China and Singapore while promoting Italian food. That mix gives him a useful perspective: he knows professional kitchens, but the class is focused on Sicilian home cooking rather than restaurant showmanship.

Sally joins him as a host, and the emphasis is on making the day feel social and relaxed. The warmth of the hosts is one of the experience’s clearest strengths. People who feel unsure in a kitchen, including those who have not cooked much, can expect to be included in preparing the dishes rather than left to watch from the sidelines.

The setting is personal, too. You are invited into the couple’s home, and some accounts describe meeting their family there. That can make the afternoon feel less like a class with a hard boundary between instructor and customer, and more like being welcomed into someone’s everyday life. If you prefer a formal, highly structured cooking lesson, this friendly, shared-table approach may feel informal. If you value conversation and hospitality, it is likely to be a plus.

Taste wine and local produce along the way

The itinerary includes a visit to a local cantine, where you taste wine and choose a bottle to pair with the meal. The word cantine here refers to a wine stop, not a restaurant booking. Wine is part of the day’s food experience, rather than an add-on to arrange separately.

There may also be a visit to a local farmer for fresh cheese or other km0 products, meaning ingredients sourced locally. These stops help connect the dishes to the people who make or grow the food. They also give you a chance to taste before deciding what to bring back to the kitchen.

The exact mix of stops can depend on the menu and what is available. That flexibility is an advantage if you like a day that responds to the season, but it also means you should not count on a particular cheese, wine, or producer visit. If you have dietary needs, contact the host in advance. Riccardo can adjust the menu for dietary requirements, but it is sensible to explain clearly what you can and cannot eat before the day begins.

Cook a three-course Sicilian meal from scratch

Back at Riccardo’s home, the group prepares a three-course meal using the ingredients gathered during the outing. The menu changes with the season, so there is no single standard set of dishes to expect. The class is described as authentic Sicilian cooking from scratch, with practical tips from Riccardo as you work.

The value is in the link between shopping and cooking. You have seen the ingredients selected, tasted some of them, and then get to handle them in the kitchen. That makes it easier to understand how a dish comes together than it would be in a demonstration where every ingredient has been prepared in advance.

Riccardo’s professional background is an asset, but you are not signing up for a test of technique. The experience is meant for people cooking together, and the group is small enough to keep the lesson personal. You can expect instruction and hands-on preparation, while also sharing the work and conversation with the other participants.

The meal is the payoff. You eat what the group has made, with Sicilian wine chosen during the outing, and coffee is included. It is a satisfying format if you want to learn recipes you might try again at home. One participant particularly valued learning fish dishes that were tasty and simple enough to recreate. The exact recipe will depend on the day’s ingredients and menu, so ask Riccardo what you are making if a certain technique or dish matters most to you.

Lunch by the pool, weather permitting

When conditions allow, the meal is served beside the swimming pool at Riccardo’s villa, with a panoramic sea view. That setting gives the meal a leisurely, distinctly Sicilian feel: cooking ends, plates come to the table, and the group has time to eat and talk over wine.

Keep the weather caveat in mind. The poolside meal is a highlight when conditions cooperate, but it is not guaranteed. The food, company, and cooking class are the core of the experience; the view is a welcome bonus, not something to build your whole booking decision around.

The pool is a feature of the home, but swimming should not be assumed. The experience information describes lunch by the pool and one account mentions the chance for a dip, but it does not promise pool access or time for a swim. If swimming matters to you, ask the host before booking.

Allow time for a relaxed half-day

The activity is listed as 4.5 hours, with starting times depending on availability. The day includes a market visit, producer or wine stops, cooking, and a shared meal, so it has several parts and is not a quick class you can squeeze in between tightly scheduled sights.

Plan some flexibility around the end time. The meal and conversation can stretch the outing beyond the listed duration, particularly when the group is enjoying itself. If you have a cruise departure, train, or another fixed commitment, leave a generous buffer. One person who had to leave early to catch a ship regretted missing part of the meal, a good reminder that this works best when you can stay to the end.

The tour starts and finishes at Sikelia coffee shop. The activity information does not spell out how the group travels between the market and Riccardo’s home, so check with the host if you need to plan transport or have mobility concerns. The experience is described as wheelchair accessible, and the group is limited to eight participants.

Is $169.93 a fair price?

At $169.93 per person, this is a substantial spend for a half-day activity. But the price covers much more than a single cooking lesson: market shopping with a chef, ingredients, wine tasting, a local wine selection, the three-course meal, and coffee. It also buys a small-group experience in which the host’s home and personal approach are part of the day.

The strongest value is for someone who wants to understand Sicilian food through doing, tasting, and talking. You get a look at how ingredients are chosen, then a chance to cook with a chef who has both Sicilian roots and professional experience. The wine and local-producer stops add context, while the shared meal gives the afternoon a natural finish.

It is less compelling if you mainly want a quick sightseeing stop, a fixed recipe list, or a guaranteed poolside lunch. The exact dishes and stops vary, and the afternoon may run long. Consider the price worthwhile if you are happy to give the experience a meaningful part of your day and value the social side as much as the instruction.

Who should book this experience?

I’d recommend it to couples, solo visitors, and small groups who enjoy food and want a personal introduction to Sicilian cooking. It can suit a nervous beginner as well as someone who cooks at home, since the emphasis is on taking part and learning practical tips, not showing off. The small cap of eight helps keep the class sociable without turning it into a crowd.

It is also a good match if you like meeting local hosts and are comfortable being welcomed into a private home. The experience is as much about spending time with Riccardo and Sally as it is about following a recipe. If you prefer to keep your trip strictly on a schedule, or do not want a long, shared meal, choose a shorter class instead.

For dietary requests, contact the host in advance. The hosts speak English, Chinese, Italian, and Spanish. Booking offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity and a reserve-now, pay-later option, which can help if your plans are still shifting.

Should you book Chef Riccardo’s Catania class?

Book it if you want a generous, social food experience that moves from Catania’s market to a home kitchen and ends around a Sicilian meal. The combination of ingredient shopping, cooking with Riccardo, wine, and time with his family is the main reason to choose it over a standard cooking demonstration.

Skip it if you need a firm finish time, expect a guaranteed swim or sea-view lunch, or want to know the exact menu before you go. Otherwise, allow the afternoon to unfold, bring your appetite, and tell Riccardo about any dietary needs or cooking interests in advance.

FAQ

How long does the experience last?

The activity is listed as 4.5 hours. The market, shopping stops, cooking, and shared meal can make the day run longer, so leave room in your schedule.

Where do I meet the group?

Meet at the Sikelia coffee shop in Catania. The activity ends back at the same meeting point.

What will I cook?

You will prepare a seasonal three-course Sicilian meal from scratch. The menu changes according to the season and the group’s tastes, so exact dishes are not specified in advance.

Is wine included?

Yes. The experience includes wine tasting at a local cantine and Sicilian wine to pair with the meal.

Can the menu accommodate dietary requirements?

The host asks you to share special dietary requests in advance. Contact Riccardo before the activity so he can discuss your needs.

How many people are in the group?

The small group is limited to eight participants.

Is lunch by the pool guaranteed?

No. Lunch beside the pool with a panoramic sea view depends on the weather.