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Host: Cinzia

Florence, Italy

USD
$108-$178 per person

Handmade Tuscan pasta making class with an expert

Host offerings
  • House
  • Professional cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Cinzia

Cinzia is a kind and gentle host who first learned to cook watching her mother and grandmother cook in the kitchen. She went on to study professionally at a cooking and pastry school in Italy. Cooking to Cinzia is love and life. To feed people is to give love, energy and life to people. She transfers her energy into the ingredients of the food she prepares. Cinzia enjoys sharing her passion for her ingredients and traditions and leaving a piece of her culture with travelers. A mother of three, Cinzia works in analytics during the day to sustain her family, and fuels her passion for food by cooking in the evening. She started a cooking school and enjoys hosting special dinners and events from her small and simple but welcoming home. Cinzia also has an interest in medieval and Renaissance Italian recipes and is passionate about sharing the history of food and food culture in Florence with guests.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (4-8 guests) Cinzia will welcome you with a glass of prosecco and a Tuscan appetizer. You will then enjoy an authentic seasonal Tuscan meal at the dining table or on the patio. Your meal may include dishes such as brushette or coccoli fritti with salvio fritti or stracchino cheese for an appetizer, a pasta (flat, stuffed or gnocchi) and a main of pollo alla cacciatore or zucchini ripiene (zucchini stuffed with meat) accompanied by wine. Your meal will conclude with a seasonal dessert like tiramisu, panna cotta or cantucci con vin santo.

Please note that prosecco and wine are included in the cost of your meal.

Cooking experience: (3-10 guests) Begin your Florence cooking class on Cinzia's patio by picking fresh herbs such as sage, basil or rosemary from her patio herb garden, weather permitting. Next, watch as Cinzia prepares a Tuscan appetizer for you to enjoy. Cinzia varies her menu depending on the season so in the spring you might enjoy coccoli fritti (deep-fried bread dough) eaten with stracchino or pecorino cheese and in the summertime, bruschette with fresh tomatoes. Roll up your sleeves and learn to make regional Italian handmade pasta from recipes passed down through generations of Cinzia’s family. Your hands-on Italian cooking class will last about three hours. You will learn to cook three dishes from scratch including a side or dessert. Choose between a cooking menu that includes either three handmade pastas or a pasta and meat main course. You will also learn to create a seasonal side vegetable or dessert with both menus. If you choose the pasta menu, you will learn to cook three different types of pasta (a cut pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelli, a stuffed pasta like ravioli or tortellini and a gnocchi) cooked with three different sauces that you will also learn to create. If you choose to make a pasta and meat instead, you will learn to make one pasta and a meat dish such as pollo alla cacciatore (chicken cacciatore), filetto in crosta de carne (a pork and herb stuffed loaf) or zucchine ripiene (minced meat stuffed zucchini). You will end your meal with a traditional Italian dessert you’ve created such as a tiramisu, cantucci, panna cotta or brutti ma buoni (ugly but good!) biscuit and hazelnut dessert. Enjoy learning about the tricks and techniques involved in cooking Italian family recipes before you sit down at the table to share the meal you helped prepare with Cinzia.

NOTE: If you are a group of 7 or more guests, Cinzia hosts at her friend's home in Florence that can accommodate larger groups. Cinzia's home kitchen can only accommodate a maximum of 6 guests.

Market visit: (3-6 guests) Meet your host Cinzia at the Loggia del Bigallo for this food shopping tour to explore her favorite food stores to shop at. You will be visiting a historic neighborhood on foot with a local as you walk by the beautiful sites of Florence. Start your tour with a cup of coffee at one of her favorite cafes before you visit La Pegna, a high-end, historical supermarket known for its specialty, high-quality products, pastas and spices. You can ask Cinzia about the best brands to buy. Then walk down Via dei Cerchi and visit a small family-owned grocery store to pick up fresh vegetables for your cooking class. Depending on the day and menu, you may make a few additional stops at either a wine shop, bread maker, chocolate or cheese shop. Pick up some cheese from Cinzia’s favorite cheese shop and enjoy a small gelato treat before walking to a coffee shop as Cinzia brings her car around from the parking lot to take you to her house where your cooking class takes place. Your market tour will last about 1 hour and you will cover less than 2 miles on foot. Please note that unlike a typical single market tour, this is a tour of several shops that sell high-quality Italian food and produce.

Notes: Cinzia has been trained in vegetarian, celiac and macrobiotic cooking and is happy to accommodate your special dietary requests. However, please inform her when making your booking as she plans your menu in advance.
NOTE: If you are a group of 7 or more guests, Cinzia hosts at her friend's home in Florence that can accommodate larger groups. Cinzia's home kitchen can only accommodate a maximum of 6 guests.

Languages spoken: English, Italian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Coccoli fritti with stracchino or prosciutto
  • Choice between three handmade pastas or one pasta and a main
  • Seasonal vegetables such as stewed artichokes or roasted carrots or salad
  • Tiramisu, cantucci, panna cotta or brutti ma buoni

Traveler reviews

5.0 (19)
Outstanding host makes for an outstanding experience. Thank you Cienza for teaching us your craft and sharing a wonderful meal and evening.
- Joseph June 10, 2023
the host cenzia was great and very informative plus the food was excellent. she was very attentive to our questions and presented in a way that was helpful to understand.
- michael March 13, 2023
the host cenzia was great and very informative plus the food was excellent. she was very attentive to our questions and presented in a way that was helpful to understand.
- michael March 13, 2023
We had a fantastic experience cooking with Cinzia! Buying the food at the local markets and preparing at her home were our most memorable experiences of the trip. Thank you so much!
- Steven December 27, 2022
So fun! Cinzia taught us about the traditional Tuscan method of making pasta. First, we prepared a protein pasta dough. Next we let the dough rest while we prepared a potato and spinach gnocchi. Then we prepared tagliatelle with a classic tomato garlic sauce, pecorino stuffed ravioli with pear and shallot sauce and gorgonzola cream sauce for the gnocchi. For dessert, we prepared a coffee mousse. My family had a lot of fun. For planning purposes, I had difficulty getting a taxi to Cinzia's and back to the hotel so I would recommend making arrangements for transportation in advance. Her home is roughly a 15 minute drive from the Piazza del Duomo.
- Dana July 25, 2022
Cinzia is a delight! I would highly, highly recommend booking this experience with her. Our boys loved making their own pasta, and we had so much fun putting all the ingredients and courses together. Cinzia was a terrific host, and I would love to book her again to come to our flat if we have a full kitchen.
- Katherine November 27, 2021
Such a lovely evening! My dad and I took Cinzia’s cooking class and it was the highlight of our time in Florence. The patio was beautiful and we learned skills we will definitely use when returning back to the US. Overall, it felt like we were having a fun night in a friend’s home and we can’t wait to make our own pasta at home! Thank you Cinzia!
- Angela August 29, 2021
Cinzia was very welcoming and helpful. We made a lot of delicious pasta (plus dessert!) and left feeling like we could do it again ourselves!
- Samantha August 17, 2021
Wow! What a fun way to immerse yourself into the Tuscan culture with a pasta class at Cinzia’s home. This experience is one of our favorite memories from our 2 week trip to Italy. Cinzia provided an appetizer and wine while she explained the menu and walked through how to prepare each dish. Then she demonstrated each step and allowed us to prepare three different menu items plus a dessert. The pasta was SO good. Cinzia was very hospitable and so much fun to visit with. We enjoyed getting to know her, her family history, and learn some of her cooking secrets. She provided the recipes that we made so we can enjoy them for years to come. Highly recommend this experience!
- Kristine August 11, 2021
I booked this experience for my clients who were looking for some authentic cooking experiences and they had a blast. 5 Adults cooking, drinking and being merry. Great way to start the adventure in Florence.
- official-BHGH November 01, 2019
What an amazing experience my Husband and I had with Cinzia in Florence. Starting in the shadows of the Duomo, we walked through the streets to a local coffee shop to enjoy an espresso and discuss what we would like to have on our menu for the evening. As we ventured through Florence to the various markets for bread, cheese, veggies and meat, Cinzia took the time to stop and discuss the many historical landmarks. We continued to visit the local shops and markets she used in the days following, as they had some of the best food and drinks we had during our week in Florence. Upon leaving the heart of the city, Cinzia drove us to the local B & B where the cooking class took place. A private, cozy kitchen awaited and the cooking began. Using herbs we hand cut from the garden below, Cinzia took us step by step, cut by cut through a traditional Italian dinner experience. We cannot recommend enough the entire experience from start to finish. Better yet, Cinzia will send you the recipes so you can repeat once home with your family and friends.
- caroandbrettmason September 22, 2019
We had never done anything like this before and are so glad that we did. It was a great experience and we had a wonderful evening with Cinzia, our "Tutor/Chef". The food we prepared under her close supervision and instruction was excellent as well. We will look for similar adventures during our travels in the future.
- pkjk1957 September 18, 2019
I very rarely leave reviews, but was really blown away by this experience. It’s a must do for anyone who wants to experience the art of pasta making and cooking in Italy. Our host Cinzia was incredibly nice, highly knowledgeable and a great teacher and chef. We learned about local/ traditional ingredients and techniques, made 3 different types of pasta and a dessert and were so stuffed that we couldn’t finish it all. Overall, this was one of the most memorable parts of our trip.
- N0123456 September 06, 2019
Stopping food and cooking workshop. We had a very nice time with Cinzia in Florence! She took us around to visit authentic foodstores in the middel of the historica centre of Florence. Shegave us beautifull stories about the old citycenter and its stores. Then we went to her lovely cookstudio and cooked a wonderfull meal with beautifull ingredients. Thanks Cinzia for this amazing event! Ciao, Rosan, Jan and Marleen
- Marleengrol April 22, 2019
My husband and I enjoyed every moment of this market tour and class, from our shopping through our pasta lesson through dinner conversation. Cinzia is a great instructor and a lovely, warm host. As a pastry professional, I had a great time talking with her about ingredients, cooking for those with allergies and special diets (she's an expert, trust me), and real Tuscan cooking. She had great tips to share that I will use in my own home cooking, and introduced my husband and I to such an easy way of making fresh pasta that we have no excuse not to do it in the future. I will add that if you cook and love cooking, it's really worth it to take a private class - you get the kind of hands-on experience and attention you simply cannot get in a group.
- JennyBell-reviews April 07, 2019
The tour is very personable and Cinzia allows you to customize it by having your group choose what dishes to prepare. After our family decided our dishes, she took us to several markets and explained the history behind each of the markets as well as information about the ingredients she was purchasing for the meal. She even provided some interesting history of Florence and some of its’ buildings along the way. We were in Italy to celebrate a family birthday and Cinzia sweetly added a birthday candle to the tiramisu to help us with the celebration. She was an excellent instructor and very patient with us learning to cook an authentic Italian meal. If you are looking for a more personable experience where you can freely ask any question of the chef, this is the tour you want.
- Vacation792008 October 24, 2018
My friend and I both really enjoyed our personalized market tour and cooking class with Cinzia. We booked through traveling spoon. We knew that it was limited to small groups (up to 6), and we were surprised when we learned it would be just the two of us with her. She pointed out later that she actually prefers to take one group or family only and will not put multiple small groups together. We met her in Piazza Del Duomo and spent a leisurely hour walking to shops and vendors where she gave us options for what meals and ingredients we could cook with later on (2 pastas with salad and appetizers and dessert-which is what we chose-vs. one pasta with a meat and veggies and dessert) and where we also stopped for a sweet pastry treat and then gelato (there was the option for a wine stop, but we preferred the ice cream). (Costs for all the groceries and treats were included, so we didn’t pay any extra during our market tour). We then walked with her to her car where she drove us a short 15 minutes to her friends bed-and-breakfast, where we used the kitchen and dining room for the evening ourselves.With Cinzia’s help, we learned how to make a multicourse authentic Italian meal (and made nearly all of it ourselves, including the pasta and sauces all from scratch). Our menu was as follows: appetizers (bread, fresh figs with salami, coccoli (fried bread balls) with soft cheese, and fried sage (super delicious!); 1st pasta (ricotta-filled ravioli with simple garlic tomato sauce); 2nd pasta (tagliatelle with garlic zucchini sauce); mixed green salad with grapes and pecorino slices; dessert (panna cotta with fresh raspberry reduction).Our time was very relaxing and enjoyable. Cinzia is very nice and knowledgeable and made us feel right at home. She gave all sorts of great cooking tips along the way, including simple basic tricks in the kitchen. We had great conversations at the table together as we enjoyed our creations. Only thing is you will likely need to take a taxi back to where you’re staying at the end of the night, but this was very fast (she called for us and one was there in 3 minutes) and relatively cheap (apprx €10 to get back to the Duomo).Though our time together was about 6 hours total, we wished it could’ve been longer! For anyone looking for the best, personalized cooking experience in Florence, look no further!
- Aileen A October 18, 2018
We absolutely enjoyed the night at the Bed&Breakfast with Cinzia. We ad such a lovely and friendly welcome with some appetizers and some good wine. With fresh ingredients and basil from the garden, we made the most delicious meal, a gorgeous eggplant dip, a safran risotto and the highlight: some self made pici pasta with tomato sauce. The desert was an amazing panna cotta with almond milk. And it was all vegan! We couldn't have a better first travelling spoon experience, thank you!
- eileenw401 September 10, 2018
My husband and I enjoyed our time with Cinzia touring several little shops for fresh ingredients and gelato before heading to our class. She is very knowledgeable about the city of Florence, and we learned a lot from her about some of the more recent history of the city and the stores. Cooking with Cinzia was a lot of fun! She catered to our vegetarian diet, and we prepared tagliatelle and ravioli from scratch. We also had a delicious eggplant, mozzarella, and fresh pesto dish, as well as a scrumptious panna cotta. The private setting made it more enjoyable than being in a big group with people you don’t know. Definitely recommend trying this private tour and cooking class with Cinzia!
- joanamaresa July 16, 2018
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Cinzia

$108-$178 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • No waiting! Booking confirmed instantly
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
Not offered $108 $108
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $160 $120
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $178 $138
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
Not offered $108 $108
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $160 $120
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $178 $138
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
7:30pm-9:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
4:30pm-9:30pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
3:30pm-9:30pm

Meet Cinzia

Cinzia is a kind and gentle host who first learned to cook watching her mother and grandmother cook in the kitchen. She went on to study professionally at a cooking and pastry school in Italy. Cooking to Cinzia is love and life. To feed people is to give love, energy and life to people. She transfers her energy into the ingredients of the food she prepares. Cinzia enjoys sharing her passion for her ingredients and traditions and leaving a piece of her culture with travelers. A mother of three, Cinzia works in analytics during the day to sustain her family, and fuels her passion for food by cooking in the evening. She started a cooking school and enjoys hosting special dinners and events from her small and simple but welcoming home. Cinzia also has an interest in medieval and Renaissance Italian recipes and is passionate about sharing the history of food and food culture in Florence with guests.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (4-8 guests) Cinzia will welcome you with a glass of prosecco and a Tuscan appetizer. You will then enjoy an authentic seasonal Tuscan meal at the dining table or on the patio. Your meal may include dishes such as brushette or coccoli fritti with salvio fritti or stracchino cheese for an appetizer, a pasta (flat, stuffed or gnocchi) and a main of pollo alla cacciatore or zucchini ripiene (zucchini stuffed with meat) accompanied by wine. Your meal will conclude with a seasonal dessert like tiramisu, panna cotta or cantucci con vin santo.

Please note that prosecco and wine are included in the cost of your meal.

Cooking experience: (3-10 guests) Begin your Florence cooking class on Cinzia's patio by picking fresh herbs such as sage, basil or rosemary from her patio herb garden, weather permitting. Next, watch as Cinzia prepares a Tuscan appetizer for you to enjoy. Cinzia varies her menu depending on the season so in the spring you might enjoy coccoli fritti (deep-fried bread dough) eaten with stracchino or pecorino cheese and in the summertime, bruschette with fresh tomatoes. Roll up your sleeves and learn to make regional Italian handmade pasta from recipes passed down through generations of Cinzia’s family. Your hands-on Italian cooking class will last about three hours. You will learn to cook three dishes from scratch including a side or dessert. Choose between a cooking menu that includes either three handmade pastas or a pasta and meat main course. You will also learn to create a seasonal side vegetable or dessert with both menus. If you choose the pasta menu, you will learn to cook three different types of pasta (a cut pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelli, a stuffed pasta like ravioli or tortellini and a gnocchi) cooked with three different sauces that you will also learn to create. If you choose to make a pasta and meat instead, you will learn to make one pasta and a meat dish such as pollo alla cacciatore (chicken cacciatore), filetto in crosta de carne (a pork and herb stuffed loaf) or zucchine ripiene (minced meat stuffed zucchini). You will end your meal with a traditional Italian dessert you’ve created such as a tiramisu, cantucci, panna cotta or brutti ma buoni (ugly but good!) biscuit and hazelnut dessert. Enjoy learning about the tricks and techniques involved in cooking Italian family recipes before you sit down at the table to share the meal you helped prepare with Cinzia.

NOTE: If you are a group of 7 or more guests, Cinzia hosts at her friend's home in Florence that can accommodate larger groups. Cinzia's home kitchen can only accommodate a maximum of 6 guests.

Market visit: (3-6 guests) Meet your host Cinzia at the Loggia del Bigallo for this food shopping tour to explore her favorite food stores to shop at. You will be visiting a historic neighborhood on foot with a local as you walk by the beautiful sites of Florence. Start your tour with a cup of coffee at one of her favorite cafes before you visit La Pegna, a high-end, historical supermarket known for its specialty, high-quality products, pastas and spices. You can ask Cinzia about the best brands to buy. Then walk down Via dei Cerchi and visit a small family-owned grocery store to pick up fresh vegetables for your cooking class. Depending on the day and menu, you may make a few additional stops at either a wine shop, bread maker, chocolate or cheese shop. Pick up some cheese from Cinzia’s favorite cheese shop and enjoy a small gelato treat before walking to a coffee shop as Cinzia brings her car around from the parking lot to take you to her house where your cooking class takes place. Your market tour will last about 1 hour and you will cover less than 2 miles on foot. Please note that unlike a typical single market tour, this is a tour of several shops that sell high-quality Italian food and produce.

Notes: Cinzia has been trained in vegetarian, celiac and macrobiotic cooking and is happy to accommodate your special dietary requests. However, please inform her when making your booking as she plans your menu in advance.
NOTE: If you are a group of 7 or more guests, Cinzia hosts at her friend's home in Florence that can accommodate larger groups. Cinzia's home kitchen can only accommodate a maximum of 6 guests.

Languages spoken: English, Italian

Sample menu

This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
  • Coccoli fritti with stracchino or prosciutto
  • Choice between three handmade pastas or one pasta and a main
  • Seasonal vegetables such as stewed artichokes or roasted carrots or salad
  • Tiramisu, cantucci, panna cotta or brutti ma buoni

Traveler reviews

5.0 (19)
Outstanding host makes for an outstanding experience. Thank you Cienza for teaching us your craft and sharing a wonderful meal and evening.
- Joseph June 10, 2023
the host cenzia was great and very informative plus the food was excellent. she was very attentive to our questions and presented in a way that was helpful to understand.
- michael March 13, 2023
the host cenzia was great and very informative plus the food was excellent. she was very attentive to our questions and presented in a way that was helpful to understand.
- michael March 13, 2023
We had a fantastic experience cooking with Cinzia! Buying the food at the local markets and preparing at her home were our most memorable experiences of the trip. Thank you so much!
- Steven December 27, 2022
So fun! Cinzia taught us about the traditional Tuscan method of making pasta. First, we prepared a protein pasta dough. Next we let the dough rest while we prepared a potato and spinach gnocchi. Then we prepared tagliatelle with a classic tomato garlic sauce, pecorino stuffed ravioli with pear and shallot sauce and gorgonzola cream sauce for the gnocchi. For dessert, we prepared a coffee mousse. My family had a lot of fun. For planning purposes, I had difficulty getting a taxi to Cinzia's and back to the hotel so I would recommend making arrangements for transportation in advance. Her home is roughly a 15 minute drive from the Piazza del Duomo.
- Dana July 25, 2022
Cinzia is a delight! I would highly, highly recommend booking this experience with her. Our boys loved making their own pasta, and we had so much fun putting all the ingredients and courses together. Cinzia was a terrific host, and I would love to book her again to come to our flat if we have a full kitchen.
- Katherine November 27, 2021
Such a lovely evening! My dad and I took Cinzia’s cooking class and it was the highlight of our time in Florence. The patio was beautiful and we learned skills we will definitely use when returning back to the US. Overall, it felt like we were having a fun night in a friend’s home and we can’t wait to make our own pasta at home! Thank you Cinzia!
- Angela August 29, 2021
Cinzia was very welcoming and helpful. We made a lot of delicious pasta (plus dessert!) and left feeling like we could do it again ourselves!
- Samantha August 17, 2021
Wow! What a fun way to immerse yourself into the Tuscan culture with a pasta class at Cinzia’s home. This experience is one of our favorite memories from our 2 week trip to Italy. Cinzia provided an appetizer and wine while she explained the menu and walked through how to prepare each dish. Then she demonstrated each step and allowed us to prepare three different menu items plus a dessert. The pasta was SO good. Cinzia was very hospitable and so much fun to visit with. We enjoyed getting to know her, her family history, and learn some of her cooking secrets. She provided the recipes that we made so we can enjoy them for years to come. Highly recommend this experience!
- Kristine August 11, 2021
I booked this experience for my clients who were looking for some authentic cooking experiences and they had a blast. 5 Adults cooking, drinking and being merry. Great way to start the adventure in Florence.
- official-BHGH November 01, 2019
What an amazing experience my Husband and I had with Cinzia in Florence. Starting in the shadows of the Duomo, we walked through the streets to a local coffee shop to enjoy an espresso and discuss what we would like to have on our menu for the evening. As we ventured through Florence to the various markets for bread, cheese, veggies and meat, Cinzia took the time to stop and discuss the many historical landmarks. We continued to visit the local shops and markets she used in the days following, as they had some of the best food and drinks we had during our week in Florence. Upon leaving the heart of the city, Cinzia drove us to the local B & B where the cooking class took place. A private, cozy kitchen awaited and the cooking began. Using herbs we hand cut from the garden below, Cinzia took us step by step, cut by cut through a traditional Italian dinner experience. We cannot recommend enough the entire experience from start to finish. Better yet, Cinzia will send you the recipes so you can repeat once home with your family and friends.
- caroandbrettmason September 22, 2019
We had never done anything like this before and are so glad that we did. It was a great experience and we had a wonderful evening with Cinzia, our "Tutor/Chef". The food we prepared under her close supervision and instruction was excellent as well. We will look for similar adventures during our travels in the future.
- pkjk1957 September 18, 2019
I very rarely leave reviews, but was really blown away by this experience. It’s a must do for anyone who wants to experience the art of pasta making and cooking in Italy. Our host Cinzia was incredibly nice, highly knowledgeable and a great teacher and chef. We learned about local/ traditional ingredients and techniques, made 3 different types of pasta and a dessert and were so stuffed that we couldn’t finish it all. Overall, this was one of the most memorable parts of our trip.
- N0123456 September 06, 2019
Stopping food and cooking workshop. We had a very nice time with Cinzia in Florence! She took us around to visit authentic foodstores in the middel of the historica centre of Florence. Shegave us beautifull stories about the old citycenter and its stores. Then we went to her lovely cookstudio and cooked a wonderfull meal with beautifull ingredients. Thanks Cinzia for this amazing event! Ciao, Rosan, Jan and Marleen
- Marleengrol April 22, 2019
My husband and I enjoyed every moment of this market tour and class, from our shopping through our pasta lesson through dinner conversation. Cinzia is a great instructor and a lovely, warm host. As a pastry professional, I had a great time talking with her about ingredients, cooking for those with allergies and special diets (she's an expert, trust me), and real Tuscan cooking. She had great tips to share that I will use in my own home cooking, and introduced my husband and I to such an easy way of making fresh pasta that we have no excuse not to do it in the future. I will add that if you cook and love cooking, it's really worth it to take a private class - you get the kind of hands-on experience and attention you simply cannot get in a group.
- JennyBell-reviews April 07, 2019
The tour is very personable and Cinzia allows you to customize it by having your group choose what dishes to prepare. After our family decided our dishes, she took us to several markets and explained the history behind each of the markets as well as information about the ingredients she was purchasing for the meal. She even provided some interesting history of Florence and some of its’ buildings along the way. We were in Italy to celebrate a family birthday and Cinzia sweetly added a birthday candle to the tiramisu to help us with the celebration. She was an excellent instructor and very patient with us learning to cook an authentic Italian meal. If you are looking for a more personable experience where you can freely ask any question of the chef, this is the tour you want.
- Vacation792008 October 24, 2018
My friend and I both really enjoyed our personalized market tour and cooking class with Cinzia. We booked through traveling spoon. We knew that it was limited to small groups (up to 6), and we were surprised when we learned it would be just the two of us with her. She pointed out later that she actually prefers to take one group or family only and will not put multiple small groups together. We met her in Piazza Del Duomo and spent a leisurely hour walking to shops and vendors where she gave us options for what meals and ingredients we could cook with later on (2 pastas with salad and appetizers and dessert-which is what we chose-vs. one pasta with a meat and veggies and dessert) and where we also stopped for a sweet pastry treat and then gelato (there was the option for a wine stop, but we preferred the ice cream). (Costs for all the groceries and treats were included, so we didn’t pay any extra during our market tour). We then walked with her to her car where she drove us a short 15 minutes to her friends bed-and-breakfast, where we used the kitchen and dining room for the evening ourselves.With Cinzia’s help, we learned how to make a multicourse authentic Italian meal (and made nearly all of it ourselves, including the pasta and sauces all from scratch). Our menu was as follows: appetizers (bread, fresh figs with salami, coccoli (fried bread balls) with soft cheese, and fried sage (super delicious!); 1st pasta (ricotta-filled ravioli with simple garlic tomato sauce); 2nd pasta (tagliatelle with garlic zucchini sauce); mixed green salad with grapes and pecorino slices; dessert (panna cotta with fresh raspberry reduction).Our time was very relaxing and enjoyable. Cinzia is very nice and knowledgeable and made us feel right at home. She gave all sorts of great cooking tips along the way, including simple basic tricks in the kitchen. We had great conversations at the table together as we enjoyed our creations. Only thing is you will likely need to take a taxi back to where you’re staying at the end of the night, but this was very fast (she called for us and one was there in 3 minutes) and relatively cheap (apprx €10 to get back to the Duomo).Though our time together was about 6 hours total, we wished it could’ve been longer! For anyone looking for the best, personalized cooking experience in Florence, look no further!
- Aileen A October 18, 2018
We absolutely enjoyed the night at the Bed&Breakfast with Cinzia. We ad such a lovely and friendly welcome with some appetizers and some good wine. With fresh ingredients and basil from the garden, we made the most delicious meal, a gorgeous eggplant dip, a safran risotto and the highlight: some self made pici pasta with tomato sauce. The desert was an amazing panna cotta with almond milk. And it was all vegan! We couldn't have a better first travelling spoon experience, thank you!
- eileenw401 September 10, 2018
My husband and I enjoyed our time with Cinzia touring several little shops for fresh ingredients and gelato before heading to our class. She is very knowledgeable about the city of Florence, and we learned a lot from her about some of the more recent history of the city and the stores. Cooking with Cinzia was a lot of fun! She catered to our vegetarian diet, and we prepared tagliatelle and ravioli from scratch. We also had a delicious eggplant, mozzarella, and fresh pesto dish, as well as a scrumptious panna cotta. The private setting made it more enjoyable than being in a big group with people you don’t know. Definitely recommend trying this private tour and cooking class with Cinzia!
- joanamaresa July 16, 2018
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ ppl
In-Home Meal
Not offered $108 $108
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $160 $120
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $178 $138
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 people 5+ people
In-Home Meal
Not offered $108 $108
Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $160 $120
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
Not offered $178 $138
Alcohol
$0 per person
*Does not include 3% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
7:30pm-9:30pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
4:30pm-9:30pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
3:30pm-9:30pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 3% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can’t make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host’s profile doesn’t work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host’s family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the “Notes” section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.