Baglio Occhipinti

Very cosy and picturesque place with rural atmosphere. The house is renovated by the owner who is an architect. They grow spices and vegetables in their garden.

We had a wonderful 3 night stay at Baglio Occhipinti. The baglio is a beautiful stone farm house with a collection of suites, our room has access to the main courtyard and a separate semi-private garden entrance. The room was simple but luxurious, and the AC worked great to escape the Sicilian heat. By far the highlight of our stay was the impeccable service and incredible daily tasting menu. 6 courses of beautiful locally sourced produce, and a large collection of wines which were wonderfully explained to us by the sommelier Sara. Although we were less lucky with the weather in late September, we still found time to sit by the gorgeous natural pool which is surrounded by citrus trees. We felt very at home during our stay and found the baglio to be a great base to explore the sights of southern Sicily (Agrigento and Syracuse are both about a 1.5hour drive away). Grazie Sara, Chiara and the rest of the team for giving us a beautiful stay.

The place is beautiful. The staff is amazing, especially Sara! And we recommend booking a massage with Gianni and Luisa to complete the great experience! Also recommend visiting Ortigia and Noto if you have time!

I was planning to do the wedding and stay for small group of my guests in Baglio Occhipinti. Went there in December to discuss in person the details and changed my mind completely. The place was closed at this time but they opened it for us. Even we wanted to book all of the rooms and space, they didn’t want us to go to main suite. Spent there 3 hours with discussion without even a glass of water nor coffee. I don’t call that a Sicilian hospitality. Even they supposed to present the offer within discussed timeline, they were late again for a month. Place is nice but area around, tables and garden need to be better maintained. Huge disappointment.

A total getaway in the country. Fausta and her team do an awesome job in making you feel at home.

My partner and I were so excited to stay at Baglio Occhipinti but I’m sorry to say that our experience fell very short of what we were expecting. The scenery and setting is undoubtedly gorgeous, and I am fully supportive of the Baglio’s ethos and all it is trying to achieve with respect to relaxation, regenerative farming and respect for the Sicilian tradition. Our key complaints fall into two principal areas: 1) the level of service; and 2) the food offering. Firstly, and perhaps this down to the beginning of the season and the aftermath of the pandemic, the staff are not adequately trained or experienced enough in delivering a luxury service for their guests. There is a distinct lack of polish in the meal services. Although I would very easily dismiss such flaws if this was packaged as a wholesome, rustic agroturismo-type experience - unfortunately the prices you are paying here demand a certain standard that was simply not met. With the exception of the sommelier (who was fantastic), communication skills were somewhat lacking. We were served a bottle of warm white wine one evening, the next evening the staff member had not registered our attendance for dinner despite our email confirmation some days before. Generally (and with the exception of the sommelier) there was very little camaraderie with the waiting staff, creating a slightly stuffy and uncomfortable atmosphere. Each morning (after a three night stay) the weather was warm and the sun was shining beautifully, yet we were told (in Italian) it was not possible for us to sit outside because they hadn’t had time to make up the tables. What is the point in staying in such a beautiful agricultural setting if we have to sit indoors when the sun in shining? Another example: we spent one day by the pool, and having requested a drink from one of the serving staff, we received the drinks over one hour later, and after having reminded the staff member twice that we we were still waiting. She apologised profusely, but she was covering both the reception desk as well as the catering needs of two sets of guests that had recently arrived, and there was nobody else around to help her. Our second issue related to the food on offer. In our opinion, the four course tasting menu for dinner was aspiring to a standard that it simply could not achieve. We were so enthusiastic to sample all the homegrown and other local produce, but rather than being presented passionately and with a generous helping of flavour, the food was very average: mostly bordering on bland and served in timid, tired-looking portions. What is, unfortunately, worse, is the lack of flexibility with the meal services. Breakfast was included in the price of the room, but was served as an overwhelming four course menu. For an establishment that is so focussed on sustainability and minimising waste, I am astonished that this volume of food is served to every guest as a default, and without asking them whether they would like some or all of: bread and jams, pastries, cake, fruit, eggs/meat. The kitchen would be much better off introducing some element of choice for such a small number of guests. We also ordered a cappuccino one morning which was milky and weak and quite frankly was worse quality than what they serve in terrible mainstream coffee chains such as Starbucks (which is a phrase that will rile any Italian I’m sure). Given that we were given four courses at breakfast and four courses at dinner, my partner and I simply couldn’t face a three course lunch at the Baglio. It was certainly overkill. We saw that there were some lighter options available, but only after 2.30pm. And in any event, they were so expensive. Given the family-oriented ethos at the Baglio, we would have expected some degree of flexibility or casualness at lunchtime at the very least, serving a simple hunk of bread and some cheese/meats and some salad. Instead, we drove to the nearest supermarket and felt forced to eat our make shift sandwiches in secret before returning to the poolside. It is such a shame.

This beautiful property made for magical stay and it can not be recommended enough. The rooms are modern, light and very well designed with hints of the old restored architecture. Dining here is a very special experience. The food is traditional Sicilian and much of what is served is grown in their garden. The bread is baked fresh daily as is the almond milk. The wine at Baglio Occhipinti is spectacular and the sommeliers are very knowledgeable. Each member of staff went above and beyond expectations to make our stay comfortable and much credit goes to the very hard working team. Nothing was every too much trouble. The gardens are peaceful and the swimming natural swimming pool is a great way to unwind. We participated in a cooking class and learnt so much . This is a wonderful farm stay and we can not wait to return. It is a MUST VISIT!

My husband and I have never been to a place like Baglio Occhipinti before. It was like living in a dream. We wanted a vacation where we could relax from our busy lives, and this could not have been a better place to do it. The entire team pays attention to even the littlest details to make your experience wonderful, and tailored specifically to each guest’s needs. The food was truly some of the best culinary experiences we have ever had. We certainly hope to return, and highly recommend to all. (I am already talking about it with my parents and friends :))