I've known Barbara for years. Awesome chef/cook/teacher/host and wonderful person, too!! You're going to love meeting and working with her!!! read more

I purchased a cooking class at Viva Cucina for my family of five, hoping to give all of us an alternative to the usual boring restaurant food, ordering in, etc., and get us cooking for ourselves. We had a wonderful experience with Barbara. She is a dedicated "foodie," clearly loves the process of cooking and is a great host. Her love for cooking is contagious! We were all swept up in her positive vibe and enthusiasm. We chose the Filet Mignon as our main course along with garlic mashed potatoes, carrots, etc. and Bananas Foster for dessert. Really delicious! It was a great lesson in the science and art of cooking that we are putting to good use at home and will come in handy especially when preparing meals for the holidays. Top notch! read more

Chef Barbara was absolutely amazing! She accommodated us on a Monday and she was so fun to learn from! She has great tips to cook and we picked the filet mignon ... absolutely delicious! Worth every penny! read more

For our office's Christmas party we decided to try something new and take a cooking class together. One of my coworkers has taken several classes with Barbara and suggested we all give it a try. She was gracious enough to accommodate the 7 of us and we had a blast. Her home, where the business is located, was festively decorated and she laid out some cheese and crackers for us as we were gathering. She provides aprons and hair ties and then gave us a run down of what we'd be preparing. Breaking off in to teams, we each tackled part of the meal (main course, veggies and dessert.) Along the way, Barbara is there to coach you on the meal prep and help time everything being cooked. In addition to some fun team building, I learned a few valuable tips on properly roasting veggies and making some killer "smashed" potatoes. The meal came out delicious and the best part was the table was set for us and all the clean up done by her and her assistant for the day. Once we all sat down together to share the meal we created as a team, we marveled at how much fun it was and how many great cooking tips we learned. Barbara was an amazing teacher and gracious host. Our office is small and close knit, so sometimes we can be a crazy handful. She rolled with our silly selves and truly seemed to enjoy spending time with us. What makes the Viva Cucina experience amazing is not just the food and education but the hospitality and kindness of the owners. Highly recommend checking it out for a couples or team outing, read more

My team came here for a second year in a row, and our experience this time around could definitely have been better. The amount we paid didn't align with the overall experience. We were a group of 9 (including 3 vegetarians) making filet mignon and bananas foster. There was a pre-made option of stuffed bell peppers for the non-meat eaters. The way the class itself was handled was fine. Everyone was divvied up into either a entree, side dish or dessert group and had a chance to contribute to the overall meal. The only reason I'm giving 3/5 stars is because I feel like the portion sizes, side dish options and quality of products could have been better. We were essentially paying about $100/head and got carrots and canned corn for side dishes. The portions for the filet mignon were also very stingy. Our first serving was about 3 oz or less and not everyone had a chance to get seconds because the instructors also dined with us (this was totally fine). However, when I offered to cut the leftover meat as the instructors dined I was told to cut smaller pieces so there was enough to go around (although there was plenty left over). I've been to numerous cooking classes so have a pretty good baseline of what a good cooking class should be like and this one falls below the average. We probably won't be back. read more

My girlfriend and myself have been talking about taking a cooking class together for quite some time. We never could find any that we really loved and had amazing reviews and sounded delicious. Also, we were concerned that a rudimentary class would be great for her, but I'm only slightly more advanced. (I do the cooking at home.) While looking again for classes and with my girlfriend's birthday coming up, I figured this was a great time and class for us. It was absolutely awesome. The kitchen was awesome and very fun to cook in. Barbara has lots of techniques both "head chef" and "mom's way of doing things" and teaches both. Viva Cucina has a great menu for the 1 on 1 lessons (actually teaching up to 6 on 1 in a private setting). It was perfect for my girlfriend and I. Once we had cooked the dinner (risotto and red pepper stuffed chicken) Barbara and her husband joined us for dinner, some wine (bring your own, she doesn't mind, but doesn't serve) and some awesome conversation. We talked about almost everything! We ended up going over the 3 hour class time by quite a bit, but never felt rushed to leave. Oh, and the best part of all... no cleanup. Barbara and her husband take care of it! Barbara has also been talking about doing more wine pairing nights and I told her when she does, I'll get a group/party together and we'd do it in a heartbeat. Her prices are very fair for the lesson and food. And I will absolutely be going back to learn how to make her Molten Lava Chocolate Cake. Thanks for the lesson Barbara! read more

FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE! My husband booked us a cooking class for a date night and it was absolutely one of the most wonderful times we've ever had. I learned about cooking, food, good cookware, and more. I wasn't quite sure what to expect at first, but from the moment we arrived, we felt so at home. Barbara might be the nicest person on the planet and is also a wonderful teacher. She is so knowledgeable and professional; we had a great conversation about food science (I work in science and so this was such a bonus!) Her kitchen is amazing! There is so much space and is well arranged for preparing and enjoying food. Speaking of the food! We prepared the Beef Wellington together and roasted carrots and they were delicious. I now have a very impressive dish that I feel confident about making to serve on special occasions (and maybe just when I want something amazing)! My husband and I plan on booking another class again soon. Thank you! =) read more

We had some friends get together to cook, laugh, and eat! I must say we did a great job with excellent teachers. We'll have to try this again in the near future! read more

Viva Cucina - Had a great time with friends while cooking a great meal! We will certainly try this again! - Cooking Schools Near Me - San Ramon, California

See all

Loved the foods Barbara and Todd!!! Such a great menu and loved the wine pairings. Cheers! Susie and Kevin (Danville, CA) read more

My bf and I have been talking about taking a hands-on cooking class. We didn't find many out there. When we did find one, they were already booked months in advance. The other day, I stumbled upon Viva Cucina online and she happened to be available this past Sunday evening. I decided to surprise my bf with the class, hoping the time wouldn't interfere with Sunday football. Barbara is the owner and the class was held at her house in Danville. Her place is gorgeous and her kitchen is a dream. We made a mushroom stuffed porkloin with roasted vegetables and polenta cups. Everything was delicious! It was great because the class was just for the two of us. I chose the menu from an extensive list of options. I told Barbara that we wanted to work on our chopping skills, so she suggested menu items that would allow us to incorporate more of it. We did all the cooking with instruction from Barbara. We asked all the questions we wanted. The class was designed at our pace and level. At the start of the class, my bf was thinking the class would be too basic but Barbara quickly caught on to our cooking skill level and adjusted accordingly. We are thinking of hosting an event with friends and inviting Barbara over to teach a class. She will come to your house or venue of choice and bring all her own equipment and clean up afterwards. The cost of the hands on class was not expensive at all compared to others I have seen. I would definitely recommend Viva Cucina. Barabara was great! read more

My 13 year old son and myself had the privilege to cook yummy desserts with Barbara on a 1:2 private lesson. She spent a lot of time educating my son on all the cooking tips for making bread pudding, strudel and molten lava cakes. Her kitchen was extremely inviting and a perfect place to learn. No detail was missed!!!! My son can't wait to return for the "Sauce" class and start creating savory dishes with Barbara. I highly recommend Barbara and Viva Cucina. The recipes are easy to make and ones that we will definitely make again and again. Cooking with Batbara is a treat. Thanks again for a great evening. Hope to see you again soon. read more

My husband and I received a gift certificate for one on one cooking class at Viva Cucina as our Christmas gift. We had no idea what to expect other than the website description of the types of classes and the choices of food you can learn to cook. The website cannot begin to describe the warm, friendly, and enjoyable experience you will have because of Barbara. We chose to learn and prepare filet mignon and stacked potatoes. Barbara also added roasted carrots for us to prepare and served a chocolate flourless cake for desert that she had made previously. The food and flavors were incredible. We both appreciated that Barbara created an enviroment where we felt very comfortable to ask questions. The information was presented in a straight forward and uncomplicated manner that makes it easy to pick up on the techniques and lessons being taught. However, the best part of the evening was spending the evening with Barbara and her husband. They are very warm and gracious hosts who in a very short time make you feel like a welcomed old friend who has come to visit. The night was the whole package....great food, great company, and a great environment to learn some new things about cooking food. read more

Kudos to Viva Cucina and to owner/culinary instructor Barbara Kelly. What a fun and unique way to learn personalized, practical cooking techniques in a lovely, homey, social setting! There were three of us at our hands-on Viva Cucina cooking class last December. With the support of her two able assistants, Barbara had planned a very well-considered selection of customized recipes for us to learn. Donning our Viva Cucina aprons, we actively participated in all aspects of preparing, coordinating, cooking, plating and serving a gracious, uncomplicated dinner for eight, including a tasty rib eye roast, the best mashed potatoes (Yukon gold) ever, delicious roasted corn on the cob, and a crowd-pleasing apple strudel. After, we adjourned to the lovely Viva Cucina dining room to savor our culinary accomplishments over wine and lively conversation - a memorable event with very special people. Barbara Kelly is truly talented and knowledgeable, accommodating and personable. read more

I can't thank you enough for the great cooking skills I learned in my one-one cooking class, and had a warm and wonderful evening as well! I am most impressed with the knowledge you have behind all your tips and tricks. I never really thought about the science of cooking, but your examples will keep it top of mind for me. You are informative and entertaining all at the same time, can't beat that. Oh did I mention it was FUN, FUN, FUN! read more