If you're looking for a comprehensive cooking class that takes you from buying the food from the…read morelocal Bologna markets to cooking in a professional kitchen led by a professional chef and then enjoying it in a restaurant style setting, then this class is for you! My wife and I signed up for the 1-day (6 hour session) and had a great time learning about food history and cooking from the very knowledgeable Chef Stefano! What's great about this class is that Chef Stefano has an abundance of experience and knowledge about food and its history and shares it with you all while instructing you on how to make it while he observes you performing the cooking hands-on! We were very lucky in that we were the only ones signed up for that day's class (since it was low season) and so Chef Stefano was very kind to tailor the class to what we wanted to learn and cook. We met at the CIBO venue and while walking to the local market, Chef Stefano learned about what we wanted to learn from the class and thus bought the necessary food items to fulfill our requests. When we got back, Chef Stefano gave us great information about the history of Italian food and why there are various cooking styles within Italy based upon location and climate conditions. Chef also instructed us step by step on how to prepare the dishes/sauces and watched us as we prepped and cooked the food. All this was done while enjoying glasses of wine that were selected by the Chef's wine partner, Carl Silvestri. Carl suggested some wines based upon what we were making and shared with us a lot of insight about the origins of the wine and had some great stories about the various local wines! This, too, was a treat for us as it happened that Carl stopped by the CIBO venue that day. In the end, we were able to enjoy the various dishes that we learned to prepare that day - Tagliatelle Ragu, Eggplant Parmigiana, and Ravioli stuffed with Squash. These were dishes that we had wanted to learn so this will vary class by class. Overall, we had a great time and can't thank Chef Stefano and Carl enough for a wonderful cooking experience. If you're seeking a quality cooking class, look no further...this is the one for you!

Assolutamente posto meraviglioso.Lo consiglio a chiunque.Li merita propio 5 stelle come valutazioneread more

Bologna is the culinary capital of Italy. Sure, people come here to look at the churches and the…read moremuseums, but the real reason to come here is TO EAT! So naturally, my wife and I took a cooking class at La Vecchia Scuola Bolognese (The Old School in Bologna). We signed up for the pasta class. What fun! In 3 plus hours we created fantastic pasta from flour and eggs. We made tortelloni, tortellini (little tortelloni), tagliatelli and farfalle (butterflies or bow tie pasta). After 3 hours of working in the kitchen, mixing, rolling, shaping and laughing, we were escorted downstairs and ate the various pastas we made. Wonderful! If you're looking for a morning of fun and a true culinary experience, give this a try. We loved it. Please understand, this is not a restaurant, it is a school. You can eat there, but you have to create the food first. But it is a wonderful experience and well worth your time.

Carlos is such a lovely gentleman. He and his friend Lucia host a cooking class for a maximum of 6…read moreguests in Carlos' kitchen. It was a five hour event but the time flew! Me and hubby started off by making homemade pasta with Lucia by whisking eggs into a soft dough and then off the Carlos to show us how to make the bolognese sauce. We then learned how to make tagliatelle and ricotta spinach and parsley tortellinis. This was of course with a delicious light wine. We then had Carlos cooking the meat and he started out meal by serving some delicious meats with cheese and balsamic vinegar and a bottle of prosecco. We then went on to our mains which we MADE: tortellini and the bolognese with an amazing wine. We ended with tiramisu and prosecco filled strawberries yummmmm! It wasn't cheap but absolutely worth it - had no idea my hubby was so much better than me but I'll let him Cook from now on!!

We took the class that included a 2 hour market tour on a Saturday that provided personalized…read moreservice since it was just the two of us. Carlo took us to various shops for ingredients and it was a good way to get a guided tour of the historic district. Luciana was an excellent pasta making instructor. She and Carlo both combined background on technique with science of the various items we made and later enjoyed. Class included a cook book and apron. Carlo was very good about communicating before-hand and picked us up at our hotel to begin the market tour.

We had an absolutely wonderful experience learning to make pasta with Luigi. We chose the shorter,…read morethree‑hour class, yet in that time we covered an impressive amount: Tiramisu, three different pasta shapes, and their accompanying sauces. What really stood out was that Luigi didn't just walk us through recipes, he explained the why behind each step. From properly whipping egg whites to kneading dough with the right touch, he made every technique feel approachable and meaningful. After the hands‑on portion, we enjoyed a delicious meal featuring everything we had made, paired thoughtfully with wine. The food was fantastic, but what truly made the experience special was Luigi himself. He's an excellent instructor; clear, patient, and genuinely engaging. His explanations were easy to follow, and he was just as enjoyable to talk with as he was to learn from. This class was a highlight of our trip, and we'd recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone looking for a memorable and authentic cooking experience.

I would give Luigi a "10" if I could…read more The cooking class that our party of 4 took with Luigi was the highlight of our 3-week trip to Italy. Luigi met us in downtown Bologna and guided us on a short, but very informative walking tour. Then we went to the fresh markets to see the foods and to purchase some of the food that we would cook during the class. Our group loved that experience. Then we went to Luigi's to begin the class. First we prepared the Tiramisu so it would have time to chill before time for dessert. We proceeded to make Bolognaise sauce and fresh pasta. The pasta was a little bit tricky. Everybody took a turn. I think I made too many Pope hats rather than the correct shape. That's OK, it still tasted good. Combine all of those foods with a salad and we had a delicious meal. In fact, we skipped dinner. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Luigi's cooking class. If I was going to Italy tomorrow I would include Bologna in our itinerary just so we could attend another class. I apologize for the tardiness of this review. It's been hanging over me ever since we returned. Now it's done. Thank you very much, Luigi.

My mom and I had a wonderful tour with Darren. The small group was fantastic and it gave the…read morefeeling of a group of friends exploring a new city. Darren was wonderful and provided excellent recommendations for other places to try in the city and was very knowledgeable. The food was fantastic and everything was well worth the tour price. It was about four hours and a perfect way to get to know the city!

Definitely, worth it!…read more Stumbled upon this tour, while doing some research for my trip. It had great reviews, so I was in. So I reached out to them on very short notice. The booking person, Andrea C. was so kind and went above and beyond to accomated our group so we could go the next day. Our total group size, upon arrival, was 10 total. We arrived at their requested meeting place, central location of the Basilica Petronia. Valentina was our tour guide, and she was so sweet. She gave us lots of fun facts and a little history, which I loved, along with each visit. They have several tours: Bologna Wine Tasting Tortellini Making Experience Cooking Class Sunset Food Tour Classic Tour We did the Classic tour. Includes yummy pasta tasting, with traditional broth, which tasted like a warm hug. We had several stops (dress comfortabld/sneakers), including traditional coffee shop, bread shop, and cheese shop, and farmers market. The group got along well, and enjoyed walking in and out of the cobble stone streets, and stopping to hear from Valentina. Great tour!

This is a 5 star experience through and through! Everything about this 1/2 day class is…read moreunbelievable. Host and cooking lead, Manuela is a gem. She is friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable but most of all knows how to take your trip to Italy to another level! She immerses you in a full on sensory experience to cooking. Smelling ingredients, touching and understanding textures, seeing the freshness of ingredients and the rich colors, and finally tasting the fruits of your labor. Mmmmm. We opted for a regional class that featured Sicilian recipes and it was fantastic! We made a four course meal. One of the freshest meals I've ever had. Our food was down right mouth watering! You must must must go here when visiting Florence for a truly rich cultural and culinary experience. Loved this day more than I can capture in a review.

OMG!! This review is long overdue!! We had the best time with Manuela and Simon. Was definitely…read moreone of the highlights of our trip!! Manuela was patient, informative, and humorous. Everything we made was explained very well, and best of all was delicious. I will forever remember this time, and look forward to utilizing the recipes back home. Highly recommend taking a class with them!!

My wife and I took Dennis' pasta class, and it was outstanding! If you're looking for a big,…read morerestaurant-style lab, look elsewhere. But if you're after a small-group (just four people), hands-on session in a real Italian home--led by a professional who's passionate, experienced, and masterful at pasta--this is it! Dennis was thorough and patient, walking us through every step and fine-tuning our technique. His tip on seasoning and tasting the filling really stood out: a clear, practical way of describing what to look for that I'd never heard framed quite like that--even in culinary school. I already knew the process, but the way he explained it was just perfect--a real takeaway moment. You can feel his decades of expertise in every detail. I'd read a few critical reviews on other platforms mentioning limited participation or tight space. With only four of us, everyone had plenty of chances to be as hands-on as they wanted. The workstations were generous--I never felt cramped while kneading, rolling, or folding. And the setting? A cozy home kitchen in the heart of the city--exactly as described. That intimacy is what made it special, authentic, and exactly the experience I was hoping for. We didn't cook the pasta or butter-sage sauce ourselves, which is standard for pasta classes I've taken in Italy--and it works perfectly. It gave us time to relax, chat, and watch Dennis nail the texture (he even double-checked our preferences) before plating. Bonus: our group got into a hilarious, unanimous riff about a certain "inspirational" chef. Lots of laughs all around. Professional, authentic, and personal--couldn't recommend it more!

We had such a unique, enjoyable, and informative class with Dennis!! He's very friendly and made…read morepasta making so much fun! We learned how to make five different pastas (3 with fillings that we also made, and 2 without), and then he cooked and served it to us in his lovely kitchen. We left with very full bellies and even fuller hearts. I can't wait to go home and make my own pasta. I highly suggest booking his class, you won't regret it!!! Thanks also for the bottles of wine :)

Come for the cooking, stay for the show! Chef Monti is not only a great teacher, he's also…read morehysterical. His jokes are terrible, politically incorrect and laugh-out-loud funny! The classroom is very intimate and from the first minute you are working hands-on: measuring, weighing, slicing, chopping, kneading, etc. I took the pizza, focaccia and bread class, and although I've been making bread for 20 years, I learned many new tricks--including how to toss pizza dough and more importantly, how to catch it again! His approach is very easy to follow and his methods stress "how things should feel" rather than relying on slavish devotion to recipes. The school is attached to a working restaurant in the Carignano Hotel in the outskirts of Lucca. He offers six, four-hour courses and many people stay in the hotel and make these cooking classes a destination vacation. I was very entertained.

In a large and lovely kitchen I learned how to make several sauces, pasta, and a little dessert…read more The class was extremely planned and well put together. I was amazed at how easily Chef Paolo taught us- he is a natural chef and teacher. We will be back for more classes soon!

I definitely recommend this. It was something fun to do with our big group. The instructor was…read morefunny. Honestly it was some of the best pasta we had the whole trip. They also give you the recipes to take home with you which I loved!

We did a class here that our travel agent had booked during our trip back in May. It was such a…read moregreat experience. We had a lot of fun. It was a great group of people and an awesome instructor! After all your hard work you sit down and share some wine and food with the rest of the class. Very enjoyable experience. Would definitely recommend you make this part of your trip.

I've been to Italy many times before and I have never been so welcomed before as I did whilst…read moreattending a trip organized by italygate. Every details is cured to perfection... They are very detail oriented, yet cozy and flexible. No request is too big or too small for them! We visited the Acetaio Leonardi, the Caseificio Caretti and lastly, we visited Maranello for a dream car rental. The tour was personalized with detailed explanations of everything and we also got to eat in a beautiful emilian restaurant as the locals do.

From the owner: Italygate is an incoming tour operator that offers travel packages and daily excursions in Italy…read more We create and suggest exclusive tours for travelers  who love to socialize with the locals  and melt with natural environment, for people who always seek high quality service, unique emotions and attention to details. Our strength lies in personal attention and high quality services. We provide individual and complete travel solutions to our customers and we attend them, during their stay in Italy, with our detailed knowledge  of the destination.