Best Cooking Classes in Venice

Get ready to buy the freshest ingredients at the Rialto market, learn how to prepare Venetian tapas, or cook alongside an expert chef or a Cesarina. Gastronomic experiences in the city of canals are among the best things to see and do in Venice, and there's nothing better than getting down to business. The question here is, what kind of cuisine is right for you?

The answer will be found by reading through the range of options available with prices, advantages, disadvantages and tips. In short, all the information you'll find in this article. Here we go!

Delight your palate with the signature dishes of Venetian gastronomy in a cooking class in the heart of the city. Become an authentic Italian chef with a local expert or a Cesarina, your host in the kitchen.

During this type of experience you learn the secrets to creating fresh pasta and the famous tiramisu, a dessert certified by the Italian Cooking Academy with the signature of Ado Campeol, who was known as the father of tiramisu.

Don't worry about skill, the chef in charge of the workshop will share useful tips for you to enjoy the experience. From fettuccine to tagliatelle, the variety of fresh pasta will be your culinary canvas. In addition, some variations of sauces to accompany pasta are also often explained in detail over a glass of wine or prosecco, before learning how to prepare the classic Italian coffee dessert. The pasta and tiramisu cooking class in Venice is perfect for gourmets, solo travellers or families.

Details of interest

• Price: from 159 € per person.
• Duration: from 2 hours and upwards.
• What you need to know: this type of experience can be shared with family, friends, or couples.
• What the tour may include: cooking class with a local chef or Cesarina. Preparation of at least 2 types of pasta. Preparation of tiramisu. A main course (lunch or dinner). Tapas tasting. Glass of wine. Glass of prosecco. Coffee. Water.
• Pros: often done with small groups (up to 8 people). By the end of the class, not only will you have learned the secrets of the local cuisine, but you will have covered a full lunch or dinner.
• Cons: Classes may only be taught in Italian and English.

This is the complete experience to learn how to cook a 3-course Venetian menu. Put on your apron and get ready to prepare a feast.

The class usually starts with an aperitif including wine, water and coffee. Afterwards, the chef or Cesarina will show you how to prepare some of the delicacies of the sea such as the classic spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams); sarde in saor (marinated sardines with a sweet and sour touch), or let yourself be conquered by the richness of bigoli in sauce (thick spaghetti-like pasta bathed in a traditional sauce made with anchovies, onions and sultanas).

To complete the evening, it's time for dessert, the undisputed star of which is tiramisu, but some classes also prepare the classic Baicoli, biscuits that evoke **Venice'**s golden age. If you want some tips for visiting Venice and enjoying your trip, book a cooking class in this style.

Interesting details

• Price: from 159 € per person.
• Duration: from 3 hours onwards.
• What you need to know: you can book this activity for lunch, or if you prefer, include it among your things to do in Venice at night, the latter is my favourite to enjoy the city with the best weather and without hordes of tourists.
• What the tour can include: private cooking class with a chef or Cesarina. Three course menu. Wine. Water. Prosecco. Coffee. Aperitif.
• Pros: the activity is ideal for immersing yourself in the local culinary art, it is usually done in small groups of about 6 people and the menus prepared are complete.
• Cons: you must travel on your own, although it is not difficult to get around Venice (gondola, vaporetto, water taxi...), there are options for all tastes.

The Rialto Market, located in the west of the city, about 200 metres from the Rialto Bridge and surrounding the Church of San Giacomo di Rialto, the **first church in Venice,**is the heart of the city's commercial and culinary scene and is often the meeting point for such activities.

For almost a millennium, locals have gathered here to exchange seasonal fruit, vegetables, fish and seafood, all from the lagoon and the island of Sant'Erasmo. Thanks to its privileged location, the visit is listed among the things to see and do on Venice's Grand Canal and this time you will also be accompanied by a chef or a Cesarina, who will help you choose the best options and then prepare a fresh Venetian menu.

With your purchases in the bag, the chef-guide will lead you to a local house to receive your lesson. The experience usually includes a main course of homemade pasta and a traditional dessert, often tiramisu. During the activity you can enjoy an aperitif, wine, prosecco or water to complete the evening.

Interesting details

• Price: from 189 € per person.
• Duration: from 4 hours onwards.
• What you should know: you should pay attention to the timetables and dates to choose this activity because the market tour is closed at 16:00, after which it closes, as well as on Sundays and Italian public holidays.
• What the tour may include: Walking tour of the Rialto Market accompanied by an expert. Cooking class. Wine. Prosecco. Water. Aperitif. Water. Coffee. Tasting of local tapas.
• Pros: it's an enriching half-day experience, it feeds the senses, there's nothing fresher than bringing freshly bought ingredients from the market to your table.
• Cons: You must travel on your own, fortunately, you can upgrade the experience with a gondola ride or by hopping aboard a vaporetto.

One of the experiences that will make you fall in love with Venice is the chance to savour the local culinary delights from an authentic kitchen and with this type of cooking class your taste buds take a gastronomic tour of the heart of the city of canals ' cuisine as you learn secrets and tricks that will allow you to recreate them whenever you feel like it.

Your host will welcome you into their kitchen with a glass of wine or Prosecco to warm you up. Then, with your apron on, you'll dive into the world of fresh pasta as you learn how to make traditional Italian-style pasta. Also, let's not forget the succulent sauces that accompany them. Under the guidance of the chef or Cesarina you will explore the flavours of a unique pan to learn how to prepare the famous spaghetti alle vongole or al nero di sepia, as well as sautéed vegetables with the combination of local spices that will win over children and adults alike.

To end the class of this gastronomic experience in Venice, it's time for dessert, often choosing tiramisu and baked fruits. Enjoy your creation accompanied by local wines or water, followed by a classic Italian coffee. Take the essence of Venetian cuisine with you and share the delights you have learnt with friends back home.

Interesting details

• Price: from €110 per person.
• Duration: from 4 hours and upwards.
• What you need to know: this type of experience can take place in the city centre around some of Venice's best monuments, however, there are also Cesarinas that offer these classes in places somewhat away from the crowds such as the island of Giudecca about 25 minutes away on the Vaporetto in Venice. I must say that, if you visit the city in spring or summer, it is well worth signing up for classes on the island. This place keeps the traditional Venetian style alive and is flanked by orchards and lush gardens.
• What the tour may include: Cooking class taught by a Cesarina or chef. Three course lunch or dinner. Local wine. Prosecco. Water. Coffee.
• Pros: the flexibility of the workshop venue. Small groups.
• Cons: Transfer to and from the workshop is not included.

Embark on an authentic culinary experience with a Cichetti or Venetian Tapas Cooking Class. Without fighting for attention, you will learn how to prepare these small dishes full of seasonal flavours of vegetables, meats and fish.

Inspired by the speciality bars and restaurants of Venice, you'll create an assortment of 6-7 gourmet cicchetti, from classic to modern, under the guidance of an experienced chef.

From cuttlefish in ink to exquisite baccalà mantecato, you'll immerse yourself in the richness of traditional cuisine like the locals. Highlights include polenta con le schie, irresistible moeche fritte and sardines marinated in vinegar, Sarde in saor. The experience usually culminates with a fritto mixto, a mixed fritter that includes shrimp, squid, anchovies and various pieces of fish.

Enjoy your creations in a full meal, accompanied by a toast with Prosecco or wine, and best of all, just as the best time to travel to Venice is all year round (depending on your tastes, of course), these snacks are available every month. Don't miss this opportunity to take the secrets of Venetian cuisine with you and surprise your loved ones with these delicacies.

Interesting details

• Price: from 225 € per person.
• Duration: from 4 hours onwards.
• What you should know: this type of experience offers enough food to enjoy a full lunch or dinner.
• What the tour may include: Cooking class taught by a chef. All the ingredients ready to get to work. Prosecco. Local wine. Water. Coffee.
• Pros: the groups for this type of experience are quite small (between 4-6 people), the experience is ideal for enjoying a meal as a couple or with friends. Another advantage is that all the ingredients are usually ready at the host's home, which means you can make the most of your time.
• Cons: Transport service is not included.

While travellers often focus on recommending the MUST places to eat pizza in Venice among restaurants and trendy spots, nothing beats the experience of traditional cuisines in the queen of the Adriatic and this type of experience not only allows you to enjoy an authentic Venetian pizza but learn how to prepare local variations alongside experts and top it all off with the popular tiramisu.

Immerse yourself in the heart of Italian cuisine with a pizza and tiramisu class - an experience so fun and friendly that it's ideal for a top things to do in Venice with kids. Learn exclusive homemade recipes that you won't find in conventional cookbooks by visiting the home of an authentic Cesarina, a talented local chef, for a personalised cooking lesson.

Discover the secrets of Italian pizza, with its unique freshness and simplicity, and learn how to make the iconic tiramisu from scratch. Take a Venetian gastronomic tour through the never-failing wheat flour cake, while tasting the delicious dishes you'll prepare yourself, accompanied by wine, water or prosecco.

Interesting details

• Price: from 159 € per person.
• Duration: from 3 hours and upwards.
• What you need to know: the experience is complete to cover a full meal either lunch or dinner.
• What the tour may include: Pizza and tiramisu making class. Water. Wine. Prosecco. Traditional coffee. Tasting of prepared pizzas and tiramisu.
• Pros: The experience is complete as far as pizzas are concerned. You learn how to prepare everything from pizza bases, the ideal portions to create fluffy, crispy or fried pizzas as well as the combinations of fresh ingredients to create the perfect product. It's a great experience to sign up for when travelling with the little ones in the house, they have fun and join in the activity.
• Cons: Groups can be large (up to 10 people).

Among the things to see and do in Murano, it's not just the glass craft workshops that stand out, but also the fish-based cuisine that is a must-see and learning how to prepare fish dishes is one of the local attractions. With this type of cooking class, the experience starts at a central location in Venice and then you will be transferred to the Rialto Market where you will buy fresh fish and ingredients for the day's cooking class.

Afterwards, you'll cross the canal by vaporetto to a chef's house on Murano, where you'll learn some cooking tips while sipping prosecco, Aperol, Campari or Cynar.

Once in the kitchen, you'll prepare a feast of various fish dishes, such as spaghetti alla busara and baked sea bass with potatoes, which you'll enjoy overlooking the canal and paired with a good Italian coffee.

Interesting details

• Price: from 296 € per person.
• Duration: 3-4 hours.
• What you need to know: the experience is complete to cover a full meal either lunch or dinner. To go from the centre to the Rialto Market this type of experience covers the ticket, however, to go from Venice to Murano the ticket is usually purchased on the spot and the cost may not be included.
• What may be included in the tour: a fish-based menu preparation class, either as a main course or as a Venetian "cicchetti" or "tapas". Water. Aperol. Campari. Cynar. Prosecco. Spritz. Traditional coffee.
• Pros: the experience is carried out in small groups with a maximum of 5 people. The opportunity to prepare everything from starters, antipasti or tapas to a fish-based main course makes the experience appealing to seafood lovers.
• Cons: These classes are often taught only in English or Italian. Not suitable for people allergic to fish and seafood.

• Allergies. Please notify us in advance of any allergies or special dietary requirements, most cooking classes are usually suitable for all palates as long as advance notice is given.
• Transport service. Consider that this is not the type of service that is usually included in this type of experience, but whether you are visiting Venice in 1 day or more, there will always be a vaporetto, gondola or water taxi ready to take you to your destination and prices are variable to suit different budgets.
• Timetable. Cooking classes are often 2-3 hours long, any delays could affect your ability to get the most out of the experience.
• Languages. Although you will find cooking classes taught in Spanish, most are taught in Italian and English.