At La Sirena in Filicudi, chef Giovanni Urbino leads a cuisine that grows through continuous exchange with the island’s producers and the guest chefs taking part in culinary residencies.
Filicudi is one of the most remote islands in the Aeolian archipelago: just under 300 residents in winter and around 3,000 tourists and holidaymakers in summer. Its accommodation facilities open in April and close in October.
In the village of Pecorini a Mare, you’ll find La Sirena, an iconic island restaurant that has successfully combined the heritage of its history with the innovations introduced by Sergio Casoli, its current owner.
Today, in fact, La Sirena is much more than a restaurant. Around it are a hotel, a beach club, a wine bar, and other activities. But its most surprising connection is with Studio Casoli, the art gallery that organizes exhibitions and artist residencies on the island and that, as we will see, has ended up influencing the cuisine as well.
Innovating without changing its identity
When Giovanni became head of the kitchen in 2024, the first step was not to innovate the menu, but to understand it.
He did so through a careful handover with the previous chef, who passed on the recipes that had been safeguarded for twenty-five years and to which customers are deeply attached.
The La Sirena menu could never be without dishes based on fresh fish and other local ingredients, such as Vermicelli alla Mandorla, made with the traditional uncooked pesto of almonds, basil, garlic, and cherry tomatoes.
At the same time, Giovanni immediately invested in building personal relationships with suppliers, most of them small local producers.
Every year, dialogue with the producers begins in October, when the restaurant closes: together, they decide which products to grow and which ingredients they will bring to the table the following summer.
This exchange has created a valuable connection:
“I’m from Messina, and the relationship I have with them is very precious to me: Mrs. Anna, for example, taught me some of the secrets of the island’s traditional recipes.”
They remain in contact throughout the year: well before the restaurant reopens, Giovanni prepares fish preserves and experiments with the new harvest.
La Sirena chooses to support the work of small producers through long-term relationships and fair financial compensation. In this way, the restaurant’s growth distributes value throughout Filicudi.
From art to cuisine: culinary residencies
At La Sirena, the culture of exchange does not stop at the island’s shores.
Thanks to its connection with Studio Casoli, a very original idea took shape: if the gallery hosts artists in residence so they can engage with Filicudi and draw inspiration from the island, why not do the same with chefs?
So, in July 2026, La Sirena welcomed its first guests: chef Harry McKenzie and the team from Tramps Bar in London. For several days, they experienced Filicudi up close, working alongside Giovanni not only in the kitchen, but also while fishing and meeting local producers.
The guests returned the favor with new ideas and recipes. Among them was a gazpacho created to showcase melons grown on the island: a concrete example of how local ingredients and traditions can engage with techniques and sensibilities from other countries.
The experience was so positive that it has already led to new collaborations, with other culinary residencies planned for the end of summer and next year.
For Giovanni, the value of these experiences does not lie in bringing a different cuisine to Filicudi, but in creating opportunities for genuine exchange.
It is an open project for anyone who shares the same curiosity and desire to learn from others. Chefs interested in experiencing a culinary residency at La Sirena can contact Giovanni Urbino through his LinkedIn profile.
