Small-Group Cooking Class in Castle with Optional Transfer

A Culinary Highlight of Our Trip! Our visit to Good Tastes of Tuscany at the beautiful Pandolfini Villa was one of the best parts of our vacation! We were a group of six — four adults, one teenager, and one aspiring 12-year-old chef, Kiera — who came for a one-day Tuscan cooking class as part of our cruise stop in Florence. The villa itself is stunning and full of charm, creating the perfect backdrop for an unforgettable culinary experience. Chef Luciano was not only an expert chef but also a patient and engaging teacher — truly the patience of a saint as he guided six newbie chefs (including a very curious young one!). Kiera had asked to learn how to make pasta for her birthday, and this class made that wish come true in the best way possible. Over 4.5 hours, we learned knife skills, Italian cooking techniques, and prepared a full menu of delicious Italian recipes. The dishes were pre-planned for us, and each one was a hit! We learned a ton, laughed throughout, and left with full bellies and happy hearts. Chef Luciano is an absolute character and brought so much personality and fun to the class. Highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting Florence — it’s more than just a cooking class; it’s a memory-maker!

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It was fantastic. We were picked up and driven to the castle where the cooking class was held. Chef Alberto met us at the door and gave us bit of history of the place and introduced us to the menu we would be preparing. Then it was down to business making focaccia and pasta from scratch, followed by Etruscan chicken, zucchini and of course tiramisu. It was hands on and we learned a lot of new things and a lot of techniques. The meal at the end with the fine wine was superb. Chef Alberto is not only a great chef, he is also an interesting and fine person. 5 stars!!

Excellent typical place. Welcoming environment, good Apulian cuisine accompanied by excellent wines. Friendly and prepared staff. I recommend it for a dinner with friends. There is also a large garden for outdoor dining.

The steak was tender , service was excellant. My wife is vegetarian and she enjoyed her Vegetable Soup and Eggplant Parmigiano.

An absolutely amazing experience! We were fortunate to book this class at the last minute, and we couldn’t be happier with our decision. With a dozen students of all ages and backgrounds in the large kitchen area, everyone was directly involved in the preparation of a fantastic multi-course meal. Highly recommend to couples and families.

We began the class, and once we dispensed with a bit of stereotypical italian male behaviour, the class continued, and with our very experienced chef and two others we learnt a lot, cooked some great food, which we had a good time eating at the end, and had a lot of fun in the process. There was also good consideration for the one participant who was gluten intolerant. Have no hesitation in recommending this class to anyone.

If you have the chance to take this cooking class, seize it! We started out the day by buying fresh ingredients from the market in Florence, after which we traveled to the castle for our cooking class! Chef Luciano then expertly guided us through our menu for the day which consisted of delicious focaccia (seasoned with herbs grown in the castle grounds), a delightful spinach and ricotta ravioli, the most tender chicken, and the BEST tiramisu we've ever had (which he transformed into a cake since there was a birthday in our group). With his great sense of humor, amazing culinary, and teaching ability, our cooking class with Chef Luciano was easily the highlight of our trip to Tuscany and an unbelievable introduction into Tuscan cuisine. A must do.