What a fun experience!! I've always wanted to make pasta but ok, how though. lol Francesco walked table to table in the cooking class area and showed us how to prepare the dough, put it into the pasta sheeter and prepare each type of pasta we prefer to make. Naturally, I picked the large triangle one (i had too much (not enough?) wine so I can't recall the name) but it has tasty cheese in it so I busted out the lactose pills later. Well, the experience was fun, jokes and shenanigans galore in our party of 5 as we made the dough, cut and shaped it and in my case, filled it. When we were done, Francesco collected what we made, cooked it for us, added our desired sauce and voila! It arrived at our table in our own private room. The picture uploads are kinda out of order. Wine is first, dough in the bowl, dough in a sheet, dough cut and filled and cooked pesto dish. That wine was delicious btw. I wish I got our servers name so I could give her a shout out. read more

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I've done this class multiple times and learn something new each time I go. For the most recent class I took, I wanted to make a special pasta, but I think I should just stick to regular shapes like bow tie or linguine lol. The class starts by getting seared and picking your drink, so I chose a mocktail, which was refreshing. Then we wash our hands and then we knead our dough. Then the teacher demonstrates how to shape your pasta! After that, you get some focaccia to munch on while they prepare your pasta with the sauce you chose. At the end of your meal, you get some tiramisu! It's a fun date night, if you want something a bit different! read more

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My wife's birthday and she wanted to do something a little different. Came up with the idea to come here and take a little cooking class. We both love pasta so why not? So at 100% my fault I didnt anticipate how bad parking would be so I arrived pretty late. Everyone was already getting their dough ready when I arrived, and after a while the instructor came over to let us know what to do. He asked if we had ever made pasta, my wife said she had tried but not successfully, the instructor asked what happened she said it just didn't turn out right and the instructor kept trying to figure out where it went wrong. The instructor came off very cold, and the questioning felt more like an interrogation than friendly advice, I could see my wife was getting uncomfortable so I interjected that I had never made pasta. Without looking at me he quietly stated to my wife that she would be in charge of the table and he walked off. I really thought this would be a little more fun, and interactive but for the most part we were kind of left on our own and the instructor came by to give instruction very coldly. Once we finished with our pasta the young lady assisting came out and took our pastas to boil and we sat. The pasta was nothing special, didn't really inspire me to want to try and make some at home. Some bites were hard, like it could've stood a few more minutes in the water. Also both of our dishes had pesto stains on them Overall not as fun as it sounded, instructor left a lot of opportunity on the table to make this more fun. He was very cold with his instruction. The young lady assistant was very friendly. read more

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Such an awesome experience!!! Highly recommend! The cooking instructors were really friendly and gave each student table personal attention so there was no issue with falling behind or messing something up. I will definitely be back! It was a memorable date night for sure! And it tasted so good! They even have a small wine selection to offer throughout the evening. read more

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Couldn't pick a better bachelorette activity. Our bride and groom love to cook, so we booked a pasta making class for the bridal party. The six of us arrived at Mattarello Cooking Lab with a competitive spirit and a desire to consume endless noodles. If your main goal is to drink wine (with a small side of making pasta) I'd recommend going for an easy pasta shape. My stuffed ravioli was not the most visually appealing, but it was still incredibly tasty. At the end of the night, we gathered in their private room for a family-style dinner. We taste tested each others pasta creations and ordered a side of bruschetta to share. Everything was superb, would easily book this activity again. read more

I was invited for a collab for 2 to take a FREE pasta making class at "Mattarello Cooking" from an outside social media influencer marketing company. Thankful for this fabulous opportunity! Pasta + free wine & food, we couldn't be more grateful. Thankful for one of my besties, Michelle for coming along with me!! Our chef was actually from Italy & he was so very patient to go around all the tables to assist anyone who needed help with their pasta machine. This class was 2 hours long, but it was so much fun!! Thanks again Mattarello Cooking!! read more

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I had a group of 10 for my birthday do this class! It's was such a fun and interactive experience! You start by picking your pasta and sauce to make and then you make the pasta yourself. Once you've finished the pasta you give it to the chef and they prepare it in the sauce you've picked. It was so fun to do this with all my friends. You're allowed to bring your own wine so we had a few bottles that they gave us glasses for with no corkage fee! While you wait for the pasta dishes they give you apps. The pesto and focaccia bread was to die for, my friends still talk about it being some of the best they have ever had. As for our food, since we made the pasta ourselves I feel like it wasn't as good as it could have been with the price you pay. It was a little hard, and under cooked for the thickness (my fault) that the pasta was. The sauces were good but felt underwhelming. After the main dish they bring you a delicious dessert! 100% I recommend, I've even gone back a second time with one of my friends that did the birthday class with me because she loved it so much! It's pricey but the experience but very worth it for the memories! read more

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Camila was so funny and accommodating. Such a fun class and will have to come again:) read more

Mattarello Cooking Lab - Stuffed Pesto - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

If you want to upgrade your cooking skills, this is a place to get that jumpstart. I went with the pasta making class and Francesco was an awesome instructor. He made learning fun all why giving us tips on how to easily remember the whole process. Once I got my pasta rolled out and stuffed the ravioli, they provided us with a tomato sauce or pesto option. I went with the pesto and I want to learn how to make that too cause it was so delicious. I'll definitely be back to take another class. read more

Mattarello Cooking Lab - Ricotta stuffed ravioli w/ pesto - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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"Had a pasta-tively amazing time at @mattarellocooking @hillcrestsandiego with my friend @el_el_pe -- we kneaded this night of fun! Rolled with ravioli, got saucy with carbonara, and the dessert was un-fork-gettable! Big thanks to @sdrelishers for the delizioso rec -- you really spaghet us right!" read more

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Pasta! Pasta! Pasta! You don't have to be a tourist to enjoy a last minute date with your partner in San Diego! Learn to enjoy an authentic Italian experience by learning to make your pasta then finish with a stunning plate of pesto and bolognese ragú. Thanks Francesco for a fabulous afternoon! Buon appetito! read more

Mattarello Cooking Lab - Fettuccine - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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I never write bad reviews because I don't want to ruin someone's business, even if it not that great. But this was literally the worst customer service i've ever had. The server told us that our choice in pasta we wanted to make was boring and from then on I think she didn't like us and purposely ignored and avoided us the entire meal. She didn't offer us bread in the beginning or dessert at the end like she did for all the other people in class. We kind of just sat there hungry. I'm upset that I wasted that much money on this "class" for my husbands birthday when we could've just gone to a good restaurant. read more

My friend had her birthday here and it was so much fun! There were 8 of us so we had the reservation room. I didn't realize we were cooking with a bunch of strangers but it made it better! We shared a station with a couple and helped each other out. It was my first time making pasta so I was totally lost but the instructor was so helpful. You can choose which kinda pasta you want and then you'll be in charge of making your own noodles. After you finish your noodles, the kitchen cooks and creates your pasta dish for you. Everything was so filling and we even got side bread and dessert! read more

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My girlfriend and I spent eight long, difficult months apart. When we finally reunited on July 10th, 2026, we wanted to celebrate by doing something deeply special. Pasta has always been a staple in our relationship, a comforting dish we've shared, cherished, and built beautiful memories around. To mark this reunion, my girlfriend thoughtfully spent $104 to book us a two-hour class at Mattarello's Cooking, believing it would be a joyful, beginner-friendly experience. Instead, it became a deeply upsetting and unsettling nightmare that has entirely tainted our favorite dish. Our instructor, Camila, came off as polite at first, but that illusion shattered quickly. When the couple next to us excitedly suggested a noodle shape they wanted to make, Camila openly mocked them, calling their choice "basic and boring." A heavy, awkward silence settled over the room immediately, setting a hostile tone for the rest of the evening. The environment itself was completely chaotic. We felt entirely abandoned and not looked after at all. When it was our turn to actually make the pasta, the anxiety only grew. We had never made pasta from scratch before and were relying on her guidance. Instead of teaching us, Camila rushed by and scolded us, aggressively snapping, "Guys! What's going on, I thought you paid attention!" because we had supposedly done a step wrong. Seeing my girlfriend, who had been so excited to plan this, look completely embarrassed, rushed, and profoundly upset was heartbreaking. She actually felt guilty for booking it, which is the saddest part of all. We thought this was a beginner's class meant for learning, but we were treated like a nuisance. It only got worse from there. Shortly after, Camila returned just to tell us that our struggles were "making her look bad in front of her manager." The irony is that the manager was completely absent, never bothering to check in on anyone despite the chaotic, unmanaged environment. We were absolutely choked and speechless at the lack of basic empathy. To add final insult to injury, after enduring this stressful environment, the pasta the kitchen eventually cooked for us came out hard, chewy, and practically inedible. Since leaving, I've seen that many other people have shared similar unsettling experiences here. This was supposed to be a beautiful milestone after eight months of missing each other. Instead, Camila's hostility and Mattarello's chaotic environment ruined what should have been a romantic reunion, painting a sad, bitter image of a meal that used to mean so much to us. Thank you, Camila, for breaking our hearts a little bit on a day that meant the world to us. I absolutely do not recommend coming to Mattarello's Cooking unless you are an already-established expert who doesn't need any help, guidance, or basic human decency. Save your money, and more importantly, save your peace of mind. read more

We really enjoyed the amazing pasta making class here at Mattarello! It's a group class, but each small group gets your own table and station to work on the pasta. We sat down and ordered some drinks. They also let us order the pasta that we want to eat tonight which will be the one we are making. I didn't know making pasta can be easy! Once the pasta is made, they cooked it for us as our freshly made pasta dinner. It's so awesome! We didn't know they are also serving appetizers and desserts. Overall, it was a perfect date night for us. We really enjoyed the excellent service and the amazing evening. read more

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I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Mattarello from the welcome to the wonderful hands on instructions and delish apps/desserts. Definitely a must try!! read more

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I booked a night cooking class and was very disappointed. I did not feel like the quality was anywhere near the 80 dollar price tag. The red sauce that came with our ravioli was bitter, highly acidic, and had noticeable burned bits in it. It was reminiscent of a cheap jar of marinara that had been left on the stove for vastly too long. This left our handmade ravioli a great disappointment after we spent all the effort making it and getting excited to eat it. The dessert was some kind of trifle, but with only a thin layer of either chocolate or granola depending on the cup. This was ruined by strange textured lumps inside of the creme that seemed to be curdled creme. Also, despite one being called chocolate and one being "almond" they both just were cups of flavorless creme. The whole restaurant was also extremely dirty. The cooking stations for the classes were still covered in dough from the previous classes. The instructor kept coughing in his hand then immediately touching the participant's pasta. We watched them "clean" our stations after we were done, and they just wiped them with a dry cloth and called it a day, not one of the pasta rollers was wiped down. We could also see into the kitchen and could see that there was no regard for organization or cleanliness. Trash bags, toilet paper, and other non kitchen related goods were immediately next to food prep stations, or directly on prep counters. Some of the pasta cutting materials were just placed on cardboard boxes and seemed to be used and put right back without washing. Now I'm disappointed, down 160 bucks, and my stomach hurts from that burnt sauce. Go elsewhere. read more

We had a work event here for 24 of us and it was a blast. Each of us got to pick our pasta and sauce. They also had vegan options which I loved.'it was so much fun to drink wine and make some pasta with your work friends. After you are done making pasta they cook it for you. Their tiramisu was delicious. Highly recommend for a group event. read more

It was an enjoyable experience overall, but there were a few things that could have been better. I liked how the instructor was knowledgeable and funny. He cracked jokes through out and mentioned a lot of helpful tips. There was a good amount of room for two people on a table. I went with my partner, and we were taught how to knead the dough and shape our pastas. The mixture we used was forgiving to let us make mistakes and try again - there was also plenty of time for us to go at our own pace. Everything else was proportioned and the instructor cooked the rest. The hands-on portion was fun, and the pasta we made turned out okay. The entree options are limited as the ravioli only has a cheese option and only pesto was offered as a sauce. The pasta itself seemed harder to chew (almost undercooked) but that may be due to the type of dough and how we kneaded. It definitely boosted our confidence in pasta making for the future - so it's a good class for complete beginners. However, it was a pricey experience that I wish could have more options or exploration. Also, you need to find street parking. read more

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came here for an event and had gotten there right on time but everyone was already settled. nobody really told us where to go or what to do so we just went to a table with space. we chose the pasta off of their menu and got some drinks as we got to our station. the process was super easy and fun! the instructor does take some time to make his way around but it was nice to talk to people and see what pasta shapes everyone was making. i wish there was a bit more learning in the class but overall very i thorough. i really enjoyed the amaretto tiramisu they had!! but i noticed other tables got appetizers but we didn't so that was a bummer bc it looked so good read more

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Came for the bread class and was taught so much and the bread we made I have to say was AMAZING The owner himself taught us and what knowledge I'm telling you If you get a chance to do this class DO IT ... we also made pasta here and it came with desert and a drink what a romantic night read more

Incredible dinner. Service was wonderful! Food was authentic. We tried everything on the menu and we loved it all. read more

Mattarello Cooking Lab - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

So so overpriced for what u get. 50 per person to make your noodles with little to no direction. Dont even get me started on the girl that was in charge i swear she was high asf. Then get to choose from all but 2 sauces... dont go here read more

Mina and Francesco were great hosts and instructors. Measured ingredients were set up for us before arrival, and each group of 2-3 had their own station and pasta roller. Mina took optional orders for wine and mocktails while waiting for others to arrive. We learned the most listening to Francesco's stories of his food-related travels and asking him questions about pasta while he took turns teaching each station how to make the dough and giving us feedback. We were given many options for style of pasta to make, including filled ravioli. I opted to make ravioli with the square cutter, and Francesco showed me how to make little "purses" filled with cheese. Of the 3 sauce options, I chose pesto. Once the pasta was all made, we sat down to wait for it to be cooked and enjoyed the drinks we ordered earlier. The presentation made us ooh and ahh when it came out (see photo), as it was fun to see our creations turned into dishes for us to enjoy. Although pasta is simple to make, it's nice to have hands-on instruction from friendly Italian chefs, and I am inspired to practice making fresh pasta by hand at home now. read more

Mattarello Cooking Lab - Rigatoni with ragu bolognese and ravioli with pesto - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Nice place with great service. The menu is limited to pastas and the wine list is very limited. The wine menu was very limited (3 options for red wine). The focaccia was awesome (see photos). The menu is limited to the pastas they make. The dishes were good but this place des not have a full menu (no pizza, no lasagna, no fish, nor steak, nor chicken dishes). This place is cooking place. All dishes are limited to pasta. My ragú was ok. This is more of a place to go for a pasta cooking class. read more

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We were looking for an on-site cooking class in the afternoon for a bachelorette and didn't find that many options until we came across Mattarello Cooking Lab. Contacted Mattarello via email for a few questions and they were very responsive - we decided to book for our group of 14 for the pasta making course for about $49 per person before tax and gratuity. On the day of the class, we arrived about 10 minutes early and the stations were already all set up. We had 2 people per station - the flour was already pre-measured in a bowl so all it took was cracking one egg and kneading the dough. The instructor came around to confirm if the dough was ready to be rolled and shaped into the desired pasta shape of your choice. I selected the bowtie pasta which was pretty neat - I'd say this was one of the easier pastas to make compared to a few others I saw. Unfortunately, this is as far as the class goes as there are staff members who will cook the pasta and bring it to your table with the selected sauce (red or pesto). Our food was brought out slowly and by order of who completed theirs first. For most of the pastas, we thought it was a bit too al dente and tough, especially for those who had thicker pasta shapes. The pesto was quite delicious as it tasted very fresh and light. Can't speak to the parking situation as we took a ride share but it seemed to be street parking. Overall time was about 2 hours from cooking to dining. read more

What I liked: 1. Love the ambience and the set up of the pasta stations. 2. I really enjoyed the options of what pasta you get to make. 3. It was awesome to eat your own creation of pasta. 4. The employees were really nice but What could be better: 1. I wish you could choose a sauce. They only had red sauce and it was super acidic and generic. 2. Would have loved for it to be a follow along class. It was just 2 people coming around telling you what to do. You didn't get to cook the pasta, understand the measurements, know how long the pasta cooks for etc I don't feel confident leaving knowing how to make pasta and that's really what I was hoping for. 3. For $50 for just noodles and sauce wasn't worth it. It would have been great to see bread on the table or enjoy an appetizer or even Parmesan cheese. The pasta was just so bland and took forever. read more

Mattarello Cooking Lab - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I don't even leave reviews, but this was one of the worst experiences I've had. If you're reading this, DONT BOOK IT. There's two people running the whole thing. It all seems like a DIY project. Terrible service, even worse food. Extremely overpriced. They genuinely made the pasta from a bottle of marinara sauce from Walmart. I can't decide who the bigger moron was, the girl or Francesco. They would make snarky comments as you would work on your pasta, and the entire process was rushed. I enjoyed a view of a homeless man outside my seat. This took the spot for the worst place I've dined at in San Diego as someone who was born and raised here. I also mentioned that I do not eat pork, which they had to remove from my bread. Following that, she decided to bring out my pasta WITH PORK ON TOP when less than 15 minutes earlier it was emphasized that I have a dietary restriction. They then offered to rinse my pasta with water and recook it which made it completely fall apart. If they were attentive to dietary restrictions to begin with, there would be no need to rinse and wash my pasta after cooking it. There's no care or attentiveness into any aspect and for the money you're paying, there should be expectations read more

Could not even give zero stars, so I gave one, as I did not try the food. We went to great lengths to go out on a date night for dinner (rare, for us parents). At 6:49pm, their website allowed us to make a dinner reservation for two at 7:30, but when we showed up the doors were locked! People were already dining inside. Turns out the place canceled our reservation (unbeknownst to us) and denied us our table. Their rationale is that they were closed for a special event. Why allow the reservation if you're not available? I checked my email, and saw the restaurant had sent an email at 7:24, cancelling our 7:30 reservation. Who does that? Seems to me, they need a mechanism on their website to disallow booking reservations if they cannot serve patrons at that time. We ended up going to a different Italian restaurant where that food was incredible. Not impressed with Mattarello! read more

Came here with a bachelorette party of of 9 for a pasta cooking class and had a great time! The class had about 17-20 students total with 2 instructors and lasted for 2 hours. You have the chance to mix the dough, roll it out into sheets, then fold/shape it into your preferred form of pasta. From there, the instructors take the fresh pasta to the back to cook and top it with the sauce of your choosing (either red or pesto). Overall, this class is interactive and suitable for many different levels depending on the complexity of the pasta you choose. I would highly recommend this as a fun activity to do with friends/family/for a date night/etc! read more

Mattarello Cooking Lab - handmade penne pasta with pesto - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

Mattarello Cooking Lab has long vacated their Gaslamp Quarter location and moved to a suite in the Hillcrest neighborhood. When I first visited this place, there were no customers inside so I had my pick of tables. The capacity was sufficient for about 20 diners plus a few more at the bar top. The setting resembled a cafe, and the music that was being played added to that type of atmosphere. Menu cards were available at each table. I chose the Meatballs with focaccia and mozzarella as an appetizer. The food came out in a bowl with five meatballs, three sticks of bread, and three oval slices of cheese. I liked the addition of the mozzarella chunks as it provided a cooling sensation to the palate. For an entree, I selected the Lasagnette with bolognese ragu. The portion size of this plate with smaller than I had expected for the price although the pasta quality was above average. The bigger issue which impacted my meal was the wait time for a simple noodle dish. Like the experiences from some of the other reviewers, the kitchen took much longer than it should have, especially when I was their only dine-in order at the time. The cooking classes offered by the business sound intriguing. A group of about 10 people were participating in a session while we were dining on another occasion. Between three and four stars was my rating for Mattarello Cooking Lab. read more

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**fun activity for date or with a friend. Bring your own wine if you'd like or buy a bottle a couple doors down** Came here for pasta making class with a friend for $75 per person. You sit down first and decide from the cooking menu which pasta you would like to make. After everyone is ready, you go to the cooking stations to make the pasta dough. The instructor was really nice and will walk around to help everyone. I had some minor issues and he definitely stepped in to fix it. After that's done, you sit back down and they take the pasta to the back to cook and dress up. They served us focaccia bread as an appetizer, my own pasta that I made for meal, and tiramisu and almondmisu for dessert. Overall fun experience and not that hard to make. I would recommend it anyone near by. Big tip: try not to overwork the dough like my friend and I did. It produces too much gluten and the pasta comes out a bit tougher to chew. read more

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This was hands down the worst restaurant experience I've ever had. From the moment we walked in, the waiter/owner/cook (all the same person) greeted us with attitude and an overwhelmingly unwelcoming demeanor. He spoke to us as if serving us was some kind of favor, and that same disrespect carried into the so-called pasta "class." You're essentially given an egg and a lump of dough to entertain yourself with. He only offers two sauces, none of which are listed anywhere beforehand. When I asked for a carbonara sauce, he refused multiple times rudely, insisting it "takes too long" and even telling me I would be served last if I asked again. And he made sure I was. The whole thing felt like a complete rip-off. Terrible service, terrible attitude, terrible vibes. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone, and I would absolutely never give this business another dollar. read more

Highly recommend! Francisco was great and patient to teach us what is probably very simple to him but new to us. Really like the small atmosphere and personal class. Pasta was amazing and we immediately bought our own pasta cutter after the class. Recommend for any date or friend in town. Great experience read more

Mattarello Cooking Lab - Home made pasta - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

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Bring your own alcoholic drink! I purchased this via airbnb experience and I'm not sure if there's any price difference. There was no communication from them before this event so we went and didn't know what to expect. We got there early and they poured the wine that we brought. Made us choose the pasta we wanted to make, there were variety to choose from. Staff there were attentive overall. showed up each steps on how to make whatever pasta we wanted to make. It was a lot of fun and it was super easy for kids too. It's def. not a cooking lesson, it's more of here are the ingredients, and just mix, knead, and shape. Not much more to it. They take back the pasta you made, and they come back with the sauce you wanted. They also brought out appetizers, and desserts! SO GOOD!! It was a fun experience but Idk if I would do it again. read more

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Today we went with our kids. What an AMAZING experience. First we were a bit late. The owner was so understanding. We had a wonderful time and made 4 different types of pasta. The owner/instructor was knowledgeable, courteous, genuine and extremely helpful. The kids loved it and so did we. We had delicious pasta that we made and it was a unique learning experience. The food for dinner looks amazing as well and we will be back. read more

Fun for all skill levels! Did this class with my mother and boyfriend and we all had so much fun. You are able to pick the shape you want to make, then the chef prepares your pasta. We opted for the pesto and It did not diss appoint. I would go again! Tip: give your self some extra time for parking read more

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Very fun bread making course! Instructor was insightful and funny and sourdough bread we made was really good. Great for a couple of group. read more

Mattarello Cooking Lab - Sourdough bread - Italian Near Me - San Diego, California

I had a blast learning how to make fresh ravioli at Mattarello in San Diego with my girls! We made a delicious egg pasta with AP and Semolina flours and practiced cutting and filling ravioli. I made spinach and ricotta ravioli! Then the staff cooked our pasta while we enjoyed appetizers. We got to eat our creations and then finished the night off with some tiramisu!! Definitely a fun group activity or date night idea! Tip- check-in on Yelp for a free treat!! read more

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Had an amazing time here. Private class and the Owner Francesco was so kind, informative and taught with a great sense of humor. Please try this for yourself and don't read into some of the negative reviews. This is very close tasting to Italy. The owners are from Italy so it better be outstanding. I appreciated that he gave us different skill options for our group. I've made pasta before so I choose a more difficult pasta to make as a challenge. The flavors were delicious! The focaccia bread was ridiculously amazing. I could have just ate that and called it a day. With our wine it was an amazing experience. My pasta was done perfectly and would definitely come back again. Bathroom was clean, music was uplifting and the service was wonderful. Our waitress was informative, kind and funny! The dessert was top notch! I could have ate another small jar! I look forward to coming back and taking another pasta class or bread class. read more

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