My family (two adults and two girls, ages 14 and 11) spent a week in Venice in January. We reached…read moreout to Chef Isa a couple of weeks prior to our trip and booked a custom, four-hour cooking class. It was the ABSOLUTE HIGHLIGHT of our trip! (And not just for us -- the girls have been telling everyone about their favorite experience in Italy!) Chef Isa and her husband Stefano treated us like family and honored guests in addition to students at their school. Communications prior to our arrival were really clear and ensured that we knew exactly what to expect and how to get to the location. They also got us excited, as we were able to choose options for our class -- pasta sauce and gelato flavor. :) When we arrived, we were welcomed warmly, and we really appreciated how they set up their space. We felt like we had everything we needed at our fingertips. Our custom course included making pasta and sauce, saltimbocca, and gelato. There was also a bonus! They taught us focaccia style pizza! Plus, they had a lovely meat and cheese tray, wine, and soda for all of us. We definitely left feeling full, between the extras they provided and the food we prepared and ate along the way. When we returned to the US, our daughters immediately starting asking when we could use our new skills, so we have already spent time making pasta from scratch, and we are up to three kinds of gelato. (Chef Isa sent a cookbook after our event with a ton of family gelato recipes. I personally recommend the limoncello flavor!) We cannot say enough positive about our experiences with Chef Isa and Stefano. We definitely want to do this again the next time we are in Venice!

We had a fantastic experience with Mama Isa and Stefano - so much fun and we learned a lot about…read morethe history of food, regional / cultural differences, new cheese and wine, and of course, how to make the best ravioli and gelato! We really appreciated how accessible the class was so that we could see ourselves making these recipes at home. Mama Isa was very flexible and accommodating with our schedule (booking the night before) and dietary needs (vegetarian), which we really appreciated. They were incredible hosts and we felt like we were part of their family for the day. We would 100% recommend Mama Isa's class and would definitely take more classes with Mama Isa if/when we visit again in the future!

Two weeks in Italy and the absolute highlight was our day with Chef Michele. I had seen the…read moreamazing reviews so it was an easy decision to make a deposit. We booked the experience about 4 or 5 months in advance of our visit and glad we did. He books up early and for good reason! The booking was for my husband and I (and I love to cook) and our two kids aged 11 and 8. We opted to meet him at the market where we shopped together for ingredients for our meal - we visited a butcher, the fish market and the fruit and vegetable market. We also visited a spice shop together. He let us decide which two pastas we'd make and it was largely based on what we found in the vegetable market that morning in addition to our personal preferences. We ultimately decided on: - Squash and Porcini Gnocchi - Linguine Bolognese - Bruschetta - Chocolate/Vanilla swirled Gelato As we walked to his home (about 10-15 mins away) after shopping, he pointed out his favorite sandwich and gelato shops, taught us about cicchetti and where to find it, and so much more. We made mental notes and the next day returned to his favorite places for great snacks and bites and gelato! The day totally exceeded our expectations. It was a great cooking class, my kids loved all the hands-on time making pastas or learning to make gelato, and the end result was an incredible meal! He has a very seamless way of teaching you, but also allowing you to relax and watch to fully enjoy the day. But it was so much more than cooking - Chef Michele is very warm and personable - he is a father and was good with our kids. He is full of fascinating information about Italy and Venice. His home is gorgeous and full of so much history. We talked about his experiences over 30+ years as a professional chef, his family, and our shared enjoyment of food, history, travel. It was an amazing experience. Our kids still say it is the best part of their two-week trip to Italy (and they enjoyed a lot of fun stuff in those two weeks). Only downside to the class is that now my family has expectations that I'll be able to recreate what Chef Michele taught us! I hope I can!

Michele offers many different options. Whichever one you choose you won't be disappointed. This was…read moreone of the most memorable parts of our trip. We would have never seen the markets or understood the history and culture associated with their locations etc if it weren't for Michele. He took us to his home, taught us how to prepare authentic food and we ate it. Beyond an incredible experience. You must book with him! I emailed him options. He is so kind, genuine, and talented to say the least.

Had a great time at Maria's Cookery Course. The grounds were well maintained and staff very…read morehospitable. We took the train from Venice and not only did we have a great time , it was a perfect change of venue. If you would love a quiet place to sit on the porch, drink vino, and cook often, this is your place. For me personally the one day was enough, I suffer from the go go go syndrome.

This is one of the most incredible experiences you could ask for. If you are a foodie or just enjoy…read moreamazing food and incredible history, you need to book a class with Lucas! He has scheduled classes as well as private classes. I've done both and it fabulous to be with friends, cook, and eat delicious food. It's also equally enjoyable to meet travelers and make new acquaintances. His place is located in the old wall of the Vicenza Castle. The art on his dining room ceiling dates back to the 700's. Your senses come alive when you arrive and start to walk up the old stairs to his flat. Lucas will walk you through several courses and if it's a private class he is able to cater to your dietary needs. Recently we made an incredible meal. We started with his Lentil soup with chestnuts. It was mouth watering divine. I went home and recreated that night. While the soup was cooking we started the pasta, desert, and fish. We boiled pealed pears in a wine sauce, made homemade pasta, and enjoyed a salmon filet covered in our choice of veggies and mussels and cooked in parchment paper. He served the pairs with gelato and cream. It is an out-of-this-world experience! Plan for a minimum of 4 hours and approximately 35euro per person. You won't regret the experience. He will also provide a bottle of wine, but it's fun to bring a wine to share.

This is a great way to spend a day in Italy! Lucas is a great chef and teacher, and makes it fun to…read morecraft an incredibly delicious meal from scratch. This was one of our favorite things from our vacation. Do it!

Date of tour: May 28, 2025…read more Love, love, love Anna and this tour! When it comes to a food tour, the guide is as important (if not more) as the stops on the tour and the food that is featured. A great guide makes or breaks a tour and Anna did a wonderful job. She has clearly cultivated a relationship with these vendors and takes the time to talk about the backgrounds of the food, of the restaurants and bars, creating a rich, vibrant story. Our tour happened to be entirely comprised of Americans, though given it's an English tour, that should not be all that surprising. It was a wonderful group of people that we enjoyed spending nearly three hours with--that's also important but certainly out of the hands of the tour and more just luck of the draw! The description on the Viator website didn't quite match the tour, but Anna did such a great job that I have no complaints there. We really got a great sense of Venezia from the tour and it was so sad to part ways with the group when it was time to say goodbye. Highlights on the tour: Meat croquette, calamari, shrimp pasta, and the mac and cheese balls. Definitely look for this Eat Like a Local Tour in Venice, you won't regret it!

I had an amazing time on on the Eat Like a Local tour. I learned so much about how Italians eat,…read moreand the difference between local food and tourist traps. I tried wines I hadn't heard of, cafe corecto, pastry, gelato, many different types of cicchetti, and the best prosciutto and balsamic. Martina was an amazing guide! I felt very welcome doing this tour as a solo traveler.

The chef and his American wife are great and the food and restaurant are 1st class. We have eaten…read morehere many times and it is the best I have had in Italy. They care so much about the ingredients and grow a lot of them on site. The cooking classes are fun and educational.

Everything! Teresa is wonderful, welcoming and warm. She teaches in a fun and engaging way.read more