About the tour
Giving Bayside locals a taste of l’esperienza Italiana since 1993
The Real Esperienza Italiana
Join me for next tour September 2024
This itinerary has been put together to showcase the best of Sicily. Share in our carefully researched experiences centered around food and culture, our tours include gorgeous beaches, live volcanoes, ancient Greek cities, spectacular seafood and exceptional wines.
Cultural Immersion
Stay at our Villa offering superb private rooms and en-suites. Be our dining guest with spectacular views of Sicily and southern Italy. Immerse yourself in Sicilian culture with private cooking classes in our Villa featuring fresh produce purchased locally.
Our tours include magnificent views and food and wine tasting luncheons. Come with Sam’s team as they purchase fresh produce from the local market and then immerse yourself in cooking classes.
Local, Sicilian Dining
Start your night with an aperol spritz. Be a part of the culinary experience as you help to source fresh produce. Learn our culture thru cooking and eating in restaurants boasting spectacular views.
Visit ancient towns, see active volcanoes, enjoy markets and centuries of ancient history! Our tour is personally guided by Sam Fazio and his team, promising a once in a lifetime authentic Italian experience.
Our story
When the restaurant opened, we cooked dishes that were based on our heritage. Which were dishes typical of coastal Sicily where our parents came from and what we had eaten as we grew up. At that time Northern Italian cuisine was more the norm for Melbourne’s Italian restaurants, so we were taking a different approach. We were also one of only two restaurants cooking pizzas in a wood fired oven.
I’m pleased to say that while we have opened up our menu to incorporate dishes from other regions of Italy, the use of fresh, seasonal ingredients cooked simply to bring out their full flavours continues to underpin our approach in the kitchen. As for the wood fired oven, there is simply no other option as far as we’re concerned.
We’ve grown of course. Early on we increased our seating capacity which meant more staff, we acquired a liquor licence, branched out into cooking classes and catering, produced a cookbook and now, our latest venture, hosting food-based tours to Italy.
While Fazio has been witness to much change in Hampton, we have stayed in the same place serving great food to Bayside locals and, as our reputation has spread, to our fair share of not so locals as well. We welcome them all.
Family is the most important thing to Italians and I’m proud to say that we have always been a family business, with Frank and Tony and now with my son, Marcello, beside me in the kitchen. Because of that I find it very satisfying that a young couple can come through our door on a Friday night, their kids in tow, and say to me “I used to come here with my parents”.
Working with fresh ingredients, cooking delicious food, enjoying a glass of wine and seeing friendly faces come through the door, it’s what I love. I’m passionate about it and I’ll continue to do it for as long as I can!
Tour Dates
September, 2026 – 7 Days
Join your host Sam Fazio for 7 days of blissful immersion in the food, wine, and culture of Sicily. Staying at boutique clifftop residence Villa Cariddi, guests enjoy deluxe experiences including gorgeous beaches, ancient Greek cities, spectacular seafood and exceptional wines within the stunning Calabrian region.
