The BEST place to go for a cooking class! It was so peaceful and it felt so nice to relax and cook. Miss Cinzia was the nicest lady, very sweet and loving in everything we did. This was such an experience and it could not ever be replaced.

This was one of the highlights of my wife and I’s Italy trip. Stefano and Mirella met us at the local market and explained local cuisine and culture. They then welcomed us into their beautiful home and garden where they taught us how to cook an authentic 4 course Italian meal. The meal, wine, and conversation were terrific. Stefano and Mirella were a joy to be around! We would recommend this to anyone visiting Florence who is looking for an authentic experience away from the big crowds! Thank you very much to Stefano and Mirella!

I had a divine experience with Fabio and his warm and welcoming wife! Fabio and I had discussed prior to my arrival what I wanted to prepare. He was a wonderful teacher and taught me and my partner so much about the Italian cuisine and the small but quite important elements to the Italian cuisine. The kitchen atmosphere and panoramic views were a delight and then dining on our completed dishes was truly a dream come true! Very Dolce Vita!!! Grazie for a true highlight culinary experience. I naturally can only highly recommend this experience. You will not be disappointed but inspired.

Cooking with Maria is exactly as described! What a delightful day in the Italian countryside. We started off in the local market where Maria guided us around as she shopped for the produce for our menu. It all happened in real time. She said they had zucchini flowers and asked if we were interested in frying some up and of course we were! That was on my bucket list to try so it was a big YES from us. We browsed the market and met people. We went to the spice counter, tried lots of different things and bought what we were interested in (I got olive oil, a lemon extract for salads and some perfume made in Italy). We then shopped at the meat booth and cheese booth. The cheese vendor let us try several different cheeses. They were amazing. There was a truffle cheese that was out of this world. We headed out the market and loaded into Maria’s car. It was me, my dad, and another couple who we got to be friends with. Maria only takes 4 people max so it’s an intimate fun setting. Maria was very accommodating. My dad sometimes needs a wheelchair and we were able to bring it with us in the car. The drive out to her house was beautiful. She gave us a tour of her home. We cooked, we ate, drank coffee, drank wine, made pasta, made tiramisu. She accommodated the other guest as well who was gluten free. We made so many dishes. We set the table and then all shared dinner together. The cooking class with the market is as advertised. We started at 10am and we were dropped off at 5pm. She was a wonderful host and made our Italy trip very memorable. She also emailed all the recipes afterwards. I would highly recommend this experience if you are looking for authenticity, intimacy, Italian countryside, and a relaxed cooking environment. Thank you Maria!

Martina is absolutely delightful, extremely knowledgeable, and we had the best time with her. We loved that the tour was in the Marcato Sant’Ambrogio, which was an authentic Florentine experience and less touristy than Marcato Centrale. Martina had great rapport with the market vendors, and the forno and trattoria owners, which made us feel extremely welcomed. Upon my request, we started with a stop at Sergio Pollini Lampredotto stand. While not for everyone, if you’re an adventurous eater, this is a must do! This is true Florence history in a sandwich and super delicious. From there we toured the market, bought some fresh produce, meats, cheeses, wine and figs and we ate at the market while having wonderful conversation with Martina. The next stop was a wonderful little trattoria where we tried two different types of freshly made pasta and tasted some excellent wine. We finished at a tasty gelato shop and then parted ways with a hug and an offer for Martina to call us when she comes to the US and we’ll give her a tour of one of the cities on her list!

By far the best thing we did in Italy! Learning about history and culture through food with Linda was an incredible experience. She is knowledgeable, fun, generous, and brilliant. Linda took me, my husband and my two adult children through the Florence market. We ate, we learned, we drank, and we laughed. We didn’t want it to end. Will not travel to Italy again without another experience with Linda. Cannot recommend highly enough!

AMAZING!!!! Would give this 10 stars if we could!! My wife & I thoroughly enjoyed our experience with Mirella and Stefano. It started with the both of them taking us on a tour of the Sant’Ambrogio food market, where they told us fascinating details about the market and vendors. This is where they picked up the ingredients for the menu we were to cook a bit later in the day. This market tour was a fascinating & entertaining way to start the experience! We then got to cooking, during which my wife and I could not stop smiling. It started with two different forms of bruschetta, both of which turned out DELICIOUS. Then, we made handmade tagliatelle pasta with Tuscan ragu. WOW, just wow. The next thing we prepared for the menu was chicken cacciatore. Sooooo wonderful, tender, and flavorful. Finally, we prepared homemade tiramisu. It was every bit as tasty & amazing as it sounds! Throughout the food prepping and cooking, Mirella & Stefano gave us the perfect combination of talking us through it, assisting hands-on if needed, and informing us about the fascinating history behind each dish. The time passed so quickly, as we were having the time of our lives! When it came time to eat, Stefano served us each course. The food all came out INCREDIBLE and it was amongst the best meals we had throughout our entire week in Florence! Stefano & Mirella’s kindness and courtesy made us feel like we were family. This was our first full day in Italy (our first experience in all of Europe, in fact!) and we can’t stop talking about this experience. We get so welcomed & appreciated by Stefano and Mirella. We would highly recommend this experience to just about anybody, regardless of culinary interest. For all of the fascinating things you’ll learn about Tuscan food & history, you’ll also feel like you just had an amazing get-together with new friends! Thank you, Stefano & Mirella. The next time we make it out to Florence, we will absolutely sign up for another class. Oh, and one more thing: Mirella handed us a printout of our entire menu, with detailed instructions of how to prepare each item! We’ve already recreated the bruschetta with Tuscan bread, sausage & stracchino cheese - DELICIOUS!!! Grazie mille, James & Christa

I'm a Signature travel advisor and booked a cooking class for my clients who said that "This was the highlight of their trip!"

Patrizia is AMAZING!! Great food, conversation, authentic experience! Patrizia is amazing. We are in love! She was so charming, smart, well spoken, opinionated (in a good way!), well educated on food / Italian culture / everything, and an absolute joy to be with. The meal was amazing and we really had a wonderful time. Also, her apartment is perfectly located in Florence.