Home > Florence > Small-Group Italian Cooking Class with Florence Market Tour in Florence
USD $91.00
Small-Group Italian Cooking Class with Florence Market Tour in Florence
Florence, Italy
Learn the art of Tuscan cooking on this 5.5-hour market visit and cooking class in Florence. Led by local chefs, visit Florence’s Central Market to choose fresh ingredients and then prepare a classic Tuscan lunch in the cooking school kitchen. Create dishes such as ‘bruschetta’ (tomato-topped grilled bread) and homemade pasta and dessert watched by your chefs, and savor your meal with your fellow cooks and two glasses of Chianti wine before receiving a diploma and recipe booklet. Numbers are limited to 25 for this small-group class to ensure a personalized experience.
Make your own way to the start point in central Florence and meet the rest of your like-minded small group and the expert local chefs taking your class.
Then, walk to Florence’s nearby Central Market. Located in a cast-iron 19th-century building, this bustling stall-fest all is a paradise for food-lovers.
Head inside with your chefs and trawl the stands for fresh ingredients. Meet the farmers and other vendors selling everything from fresh meats to local delicacies, and learn how to identify and barter for the best produce.
Then, armed with your goodies, walk to the nearby cooking school, where a typically home-like Tuscan kitchen with elegant, marble-topped islands awaits.
Listen intently as your chefs talk you through the lunch menu for the day. Dishes will vary slightly according to the season and ingredients available, but you can typically expect to prepare bruschetta, different pastas such as tagliatelle or ravioli made from scratch, plus fresh pasta sauces and a dessert.
Pull on your apron and set to work under the watchful eye of your chefs, who will offer helpful guidance along the way. During breaks, enjoy tastings of the ingredients bought at the market, and then, once your meal is ready, take a seat in the dining area.
As you relax over your meal, discuss your efforts with your chefs and fellow cooks, and sip on two glasses of Chianti wine — the perfect complement to your food.
Afterward, receive a recipe booklet so you can recreate your dishes at home and a graduation diploma — both perfect souvenirs.
My wife said the only thing she really needed to do in Florence was take a cooking class. This fit the bill perfectly. Kevin and Jon were our instructors and hosts and gave us a great experience in making homemade pasta, ravioli, tiramisu and a cookbook to go with it. Everything could be easily duplicated at home which was a great part. At the end we all ate our just-prepared lunch and it was terrific! Highly recommended.
Review by: Janet W, July 2018
This experience was so much fun. We began with a tour of Central Market to see the local produce and then went to the cooking school to learn how to make pasta and tiramisu from scratch. Pasta making by hand is HARD LABOR, but there were laughs galore, and the results when we got to eat what we had made were delicious!
Review by: Jenny H, April 2018
What an excellent experience! Martina and Luca where brilliant hosts! They are very knowledgable, well organised and not a dull minute we had. Loved every bit of it- from the market , pasta, bolognese, wine, local nicknacks in-between and to finish off with tiramisu! Absolute delicious! Highly highly recommended!
Review by: Moreno.natalia916, April 2018
I have never done a cooking class before and was worried that I would make something that I could never replicate at home, but that was not the case. The dishes we made we easy and DELICIOUS. I would most definitely commend this class to others who want to learn how to make past from scratch.
Review by: Mark K, April 2018
Martina our chef was so personable and charming. We booked this class on a Sunday morning for our Daughter's birthday and it became a private cooking class. This was one of the best experiences we had while we were in Florence and we were so glad it was the first thing we did because we learned so much about Tuscan cooking and wine that came in handy during the remainder of our stay. We loved, loved, loved it! Truly a 5 star experience thanks to Martina!
Review by: amolson0114, March 2018
Fun class and delicious food!
Review by: NikkiMensforth, March 2018
Super fun and hilarious class. It was a rather big class actually, about 10 of us in a very nice cooking school workshop, lots of free-flowing wine and fun environment curated by the chefs. The chefs tailored the recipes we were learning to make on the day based on the people in the class. We had a few vegetarians and some people who had food allergies so they taught us how to make two versions of the sauces for vegetarians and meat eaters, so we were all happy. I thought they did it in such a clever way, having two pots going at once for each dish we were learning so there wouldnt be veg v meat issues ect.
Review by: Rebecca C, March 2018
This class was so much fun! Marco and Giuseppe were great instructors. The food was awesome, overall a really great day.
Review by: Joumana M, January 2018
It is was an amazing experience! We had so much fun and we tasted so yummy stuff! _br/_ We thank David, our teacher, from heart for making our day too joyeful and full of info in the same time!
Review by: chrisclarkcpp, January 2018
We really enjoyed this class. The instructor was great and the food turned our to be really good, even though we were a bunch of novices.
Review by: Kathryn C, December 2017
Really enjoyed my cooking class. Something like this has been on my bucket list for a long long time. Our chef was very helpful and funny. We only had twelve in our group so I can see if it were much bigger how the kitchen might have become very crowded indeed. The food was delicious and I can't wait to recreate at home!
Review by: Jessica M, November 2017
David our chef was an excellent host of our small group of 6. However as we booked the tour for a public holiday we were unable to do the market tour as it was closed. We had an excellent day making pasta and drinking wine. Highly recommend for another interested in learning the art of making pasta!
Review by: Anita G, October 2017
Extremely easy to communicate with. Amazing Experience
Review by: Pat B, October 2017
This tour was amazing!
Review by: susan A, October 2017
as a self proclaimed foodie I was delighted to see that the Chef were prepaired to teach rather than just demonstrate. Our group actively participated as the behest of the Chef's urging and all had a great time. the food was actually quite good. Good teachers.
Review by: Lesley B, October 2017
Chefs were entertaining and knowledgeable. I enjoyed the cooking session and eating the finished products after :
Review by: Gary R, October 2017
Loads of fun and great food too!!!
Review by: Deborah L, October 2017
The guys were awesome!!! Learn so much in a short period of time and it was easy. Best cooking class ever, definitely a must. _br/_ I promise you will not be disappointed. I would do it over again in a heart beat!
Review by: anthony s, October 2017
This was amazing !!! just do yourself a favour spend a few more dollars and upgrade to the master class smaller group_br/_ of people , ours had 7 in total. Our instructor Javier was great . If you only do one thing make sure its this class
Review by: cprobert88, October 2017
Great experience. Interesting tour of the market, followed by foolproof step by step instructions in the cookery class. Instructors were fantastic - patient, knowledge and friendly.
Review by: Nancy J, October 2017
It was great to walk through the Central Market with Martina. She is passionate about the food and knowledgable about the history. She was also very good about explaining things to people._br/_ In the class, I wish there are more recipes they teach. In our five hour class, we only made sauce for the pastas and hand made pasta. Then a Tiramisu. There was a lot of down time. Feel the class was managed with a tight budget. It would be great for people to learn at least one appetizer.
Review by: JON T, October 2017
Toured Firenze's largest food market. Guide bought fresh meat for our class. We went less than a block to our kitchen, where we made pasta, cheese filled ravioli, meat sauce ragu, and tiramisu. It was cooked and enjoyed with wine, cheese, and bruschetta. You will meet nice people, learn to cook like an Italian, and have a great lunch that you helped prepare.
Review by: art, October 2017
great instructors...lots of fun and good eats!
Review by: Robinson's, October 2017
Terrific experience. Beautiful drive to villa. Our chef, Marco, was knowledgeable, helpful and easy to work with. Highly recommend this to anyone interested Italian food
Review by: John V, October 2017
My grandson and I loved this cooking class. We started off shopping in the market and choosing the ingredients for our cookery lesson. The amazing variety of goods and the explanations about what we were seeing was really interesting. The atmosphere of the market and the wonderful aromas were amazing. We enjoyed the cooking experience immensely. The chefs were passionate about what they were doing and conveyed their passion to our small number of trainee 'chefs'. It was simple cuisine but truly full of flavour. The tasting of various aged Parmesan cheeses and balsamic vinegars was great as was the introduction to first class truffles. The five hours flew past and we thoroughly enjoyed out culinary efforts. This was a real highlight of our trip._br/_ John
Review by: Robinson's, October 2017
Terrific experience. Beautiful drive to villa. Our chef, Marco was knowledgeable, helpful and easy to work with. Food was terrible with nice wine. Highly recommend to anyone interested in Italian food
Review by: Joanypl, September 2017
This was wonderful. We were actually upgraded to the VIP Master Class. There were 7 of us altogether my husband, grown son, and myself, 2 ladies from San Francisco, and 2 young ladies from Australia. Guisippee, the chef was funny, knowledgeable, and so very nice. We first stopped at a caffè for a complimentary breakfast of cappuccino, tea, or espresso, and a choice of a pastry or small panino. We then stopped at a vegetable and fruit market and were able to each choose a fruit to snack on. After that we stopped at La Bottega Dell' Olio and were treated to several tastings of olive oils and balsamic vinegars. It was a very special store. We then walked across to the other side of the river to OLIO Restaurant for our cooking lesson. We had a private room for our lesson. We made biscotti, gnocchi with pesto sauce, and eggplant parmigiana. About half way through the restuarant set up a table of cheese, proscioutto, bread, and wine for us. What a delicious snack. We then proceeded to complete our meal of course accompanied by a delicious wine. Even my husband who is not that interested in cooking enjoyed the experience. This really was the highlight of our visit to Florence. The David was wonderful, the Uffizi Gallery grand, buy the cooking course the best. Guiseppi made it relaxed and fun. He was not perturbed when my husband added way too much flour to his biscotti. He just helped him start again.
Review by: Anthony P, September 2017
Great tour..I would definitely recommend this tour ..the guides and chef were very knowledgeable. The food was delicious.
Review by: Jonathan H, September 2017
This was such a fun class! The instructors are halarious and make cooking simple and easy.
Review by: Annamarie B, September 2017
Our class was small. The chef meet us at the appointed time and took us to the market and explained the foods and wines of the local area. We then learned how to cook tiramisu and pasta. It was delicious. Class was very hands on. We all enjoyed the class.
Review by: Heather C, September 2017
Javier and Nickoli were amazing instructors! We had an excellent time with our group learning how to make two types of pasta, sauces, and tiramisu! Just amazing! You should definitely book this while in Florence!
Review by: rafield1969, September 2017
Soooo. Cool. David was awesome
Review by: nicnat00, September 2017
Great tour and very knowledgeable and informative guides and chefs. First you start off with 1hr tour and tasting on the local market. Then you head over to the Florence Food and Wine academy for your cooking class. This is mostly a hands on class, where you make your own pasta, tagliatelle and ravioli, and your individual serving of tiramisu. The sauces for the pasta are via demonstration. You will definitely not leave hungry!! You get a certificate at the end of the class along with all the recipes and more that were made.
Review by: Laura L, September 2017
By far the best thing we've done in Europe! We were worried we wouldn't have enough food to eat because we had to share with the others but we made sure to make plenty. Very nice you get to keep the recipes as well. Our chef made sure to get everyone involved and was an awesome teacher. If you do one thing, take this course!
Review by: Deborah M, August 2017
Wonderful hosts who helped us learn how to make pasta, tiramisu and a delicious meat sauce aka - ragu. Loved this experience! Thank you.
Review by: Tomoaki K, August 2017
The class was bigger than I expected. It was fun but it's hard to do any class when there are 24 other people trying to cook next to you.
Review by: kim_baldwin22, May 2017
This was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Martina and Jon provided expert (and when needed, patient) guidance. The food we made was simple but so delicious. Really looking forward to trying out the recipes we when we get home. Kim B, New Zealand
Review by: Maureen H, May 2017
Martina was a great cooking instructor. Everyone was engaged and enjoyed themselves. The final product plus wine was delicious. We highly recommend this tour. Walking through the market and learning about the foods of Tuscany was also a treat.
Review by: Lisa M B, April 2017
Had the best time with Javier our chef. Learned great tips and how to make our own pasta. Highly recommend this tour if your goin to Florence
Review by: Cara C, April 2017
We had a GREAT time! The tour the central market was great, we saw and learned a lot, but the actual class was terrific! We had great instructors who kept us laughing and learning the whole time! It was the highlight of our day and I cant wait to cook back at home! I would DEFINITLY recommend this class!
Review by: hamilton.aaron, April 2017
A memory we and kids will have forever! Amazing fun and food. Hands on. Alessio was excellent! We were party of 4 with a 5 and 7 year old. They did great and loved it. Highlight of our italy trip. Would repeat again. Provided a personal touch with the kids. If you are on the fence- book it!
Review by: Shannon C, March 2017
This was an excellent course that teaches you the basics without any special equipment. The class was very enjoyable and everyone seemed to have learned something new. It was so nice having a professional chef teach and oversee this class, so we know exactly what to aim for -- having our mistakes corrected in person so that we can repeat these great recipes again at home. Yes, it is well worth the time and the money! The sightseeing in Florence was great, but is all a blur. This class was an enjoyable break from the tourist circuit, and we were able to meet and chat with fellow travelers in a casual setting. Thank you, Davide!
Review by: kpatten, March 2017
Do it! Incredibly fun and informative. Great hosts.
Review by: Stephen V, February 2017
My wife and I had a wonderful time cooking on New Year's Eve with Davide! We did a tour of the market, learned to make multiple types of pasta and pasta sauces, made a delicious tiramisu, and learned about Italian food and culture. Our group was great, and we had so much fun learning how to cook new foods in a new place.
Review by: Rosie M, February 2017
A fantastic experience- in fact, so good we went back that evening for another class. Alex is an excellent chef, properly trained in Michelin star restaurants who is passionate about food, food preparation, and quality ingredients. He was fantastic with the kids and created a great experience for everyone in the class! On top of all that, it was a fantastic meal and best Tiramisu I have tasted and I have had a few!
Review by: Carrington C, January 2017
Alex was phenomenal! Our group was small with just my husband and I and another couple due to the holiday season and therefore the personal attention during the class and tour of the market was fantastic and the food was delicious!
Review by: Richard D, December 2016
Excellent instructors. The group of people were very nice, and the cooking class was informative, fun and delicious. I highly recommend it and would like to try more the next time I return to Firenze.
Review by: William W, December 2016
Very thorough, excellent lesson in creating pasta, sauces, and tiramisu. Chefs/teachers Alessio and Davide were excellent and I would absolutely recommend them to anyone. Both very knowledgeable and friendly, and they also knew a lot of local Tuscan history and how to support local business._br/_ Market visit was fun, but a little hard to hear, felt a little more like tourists than we liked. But I would still highly recommend this class.
Review by: Deena M, November 2016
Amazing chefs, amazing food, amazing class. We learned so much about Italian food and its history as well as how to cook it, obviously. The instructors were really fun and helpful -- it was well-run and they easily handled our small class of 15. Thanks so much guys!
Review by: D N, November 2016
This was SO MUCH fun! The chefs were hysterical, the food was SO delicious, and everything was so much fun to make! I can't wait to go back to Florence and take their other cooking classes, you must add this to your trip! I promise it will be an experience you will always remember!
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