Bellissimo! - If you love Italian food and culture and want to experience local hospitality, this is for you. My wife and I really enjoyed our time with Monica and her family who were so hospitable and made us feel very welcome in their home. Monica is very knowledgeable and passionate about showcasing good quality local products and sharing her knowledge, she was brilliant with our group and made us all feel very relaxed from start to finish. We really enjoyed it!

Excellent host and experience - The collection point is not in the centre of Lucca, neither is the walking tour but do not let this deter you. A short taxi or bus ride takes you to the beautiful home of Monica and Paulo where we visited the local shop to gather the ingredients needed for the meal. The welcome given by both was wonderful, we were made to feel part of the family and the food and drink served was delicious. We were given cookery advice of how to successfully make pasta and two different sauces. The time allocated did need a lot longer than specified but this did not stop Monica, she continued in to her own time to make sure we all knew what to do and how to do it. It was certainly the best experience of our trip and I cannot wait to return. (I just wish I'd have taken more cash with me so I could give her a huge tip for going above and beyond - she really did deserve one!)

Wonderful experience.... - Wonderful experience. Monica and her husband were fantastic hosts in their wonderful home outside of Lucca. We learned how to make fresh pasta and enjoyed wonderful food and wine. Would highly recommend.

Delightful - We were very fortunate to be the guests of Novella and her very capable assistant Marco. They showed us great courtesy in sharing their town of Lucca with us on a walking tour of their favorite places to shop from vegetables to dried goods, delicatessens and wine. Then we had the pleasure of learning from Novella and Marco how to make spinach and ricotta ravioli. Just a lovely experience, spending a few hours with people who we had just met but felt so comfortable with and Novella's lovely mother joining us for lunch. They obviously love what they are doing and it shows. We would highly recommend an experience with Novella and Marco in Lucca

Authentic Italian Cooking! - This tour is a must try if you are looking to learn authentic Italian cooking from a chef who will make you feel part of her family. We have been on several cooking class tours with TA in Italy and while they all have been good, this by far was the most interesting for us. Monica was a great instructor. She takes you into her home and you feel like old friends, talking, laughing, and learning how she has cooked her whole life. Great instruction provided and so interesting. Located just outside the city in beautiful rolling hills. I hope to go back again in future!

Learning, Cooking, and Eating Through an Afternoon! - We don’t know where to begin! Our cooking class with Monica was above and beyond what we had expected. She brought us into her lovely home and taught us the art of making pasta, eating salumi, and enjoying our family in a relaxed and educational atmosphere. We can’t wait to go home and try out our new skills. We would highly recommend spending an afternoon with the wonderful Monica and husband Paolo.

Amazing family experience - Monica and her family were so beautiful and lovely. They gave my partner and I a phenomenal Italian Cultural experience. It extended way past just learning how to cook, and felt like we were part of their family for the day. Her Husband prepared some delicious authentic local dishes whilst we prepared fresh pasta from scratch. I couldn't recommend the experience more. Having a car will make getting there a lot easier.

Cooking with Monica - Mónica is a lovely woman interested in sharing the local foods of Lucca with anyone who is interested. She was kind and very generous with her time and resources.

Great , unique experience - totally worth it, don’t hesitate to book! - Monica was amazing. We were a group of 5, me, husband (who doesn’t cook), 2 small active kids, and mum in law ( who is not familiar with much western or Italian style cooking). But she hit it off great with us! She was super patient , friendly and yet ensured that she taught us everything in the most correct and authentic manner as much as possible . She was very accommodating of our needs ( vegetarian food, us coming a bit late, requesting last min to add on pesto for kids etc etc) and she ensured all of us were happy. More than learning how to cook pasta and eating it, the whole experience was very culturally immersive and super interesting and incredibly unique - different from anything we had ever done before ! We had such a good time and we took longer than planned to finish ( of course it took time to patiently teach the kids , prepare everything etc)- despite that, Monica and her husband never made us feel rushed at any point and were such kind, super hosts! We felt we were visiting our own family or a close friend ( we got to know her husband , met her daughter and pets ). Learning how Italians live, cook and eat was really an interesting experience for our group. Also, the town of Lucca and the little walk we did to the nearby grocer ( old style supermarket) was also very interesting. To top it all off, the kids had such an amazing time making pasta - they had never done anything like this before and they were engaged throughout - I could see they were having so much fun! I will highly recommend Monica and her cooking class - I hope to be back one day myself and hope to host her perhaps in Singapore one day! Monica, thank you for hosting us in your home and making it such a special experience for all of us- we wish you the very best. Lots of love from Singapore !

Great experience! - Lovely cooking experience with Monica and her family in her home! We made pasta and leaned about different cooking techniques. Lots of different breads and meat and a lovely salad. Even home made Prosecco! Really enjoyed our morning and felt grateful to be invited into Monica’s home 🙂