Florence Cooking Classes
Florence has more cooking classes than any city in Tuscany, and most of them teach the same four things well: fresh pasta, a sauce to go on it, tiramisù, and how to shop a market first. This page compares the top-rated cooking classes in Florence: pasta and tiramisù in three hours, pizza and gelato in the Oltrarno, market-to-table classes at Sant’Ambrogio and the Mercato Centrale, family-friendly and private options, and the farmhouse classes in Chianti that collect you in town.
The classic: pasta and tiramisù, hands-on, small group, wine included. The most booked class in the city and the safest first choice.
Variations: pizza and gelato for families, market-to-table for cooks, four-course Tuscan dinner classes for evenings, private lessons in a Florentine home.
Out of town: Chianti farmhouse classes with pick-up from Florence turn the lesson into a countryside day.
Cooking classes in Florence: which one to book
Florence’s cooking schools are concentrated in the Oltrarno, around Sant’Ambrogio and near Santa Croce, in kitchens built for groups of eight to twelve. Classes last about three hours, run morning and late afternoon, include wine and the meal you make, and email you the recipes. The differences are in the menu and the format, so choose by those.
Pasta and tiramisù
The Florence standard: egg pasta from flour and eggs on a board, cut into tagliatelle or filled as ravioli, a simple sauce, and tiramisù assembled while the pasta rests. It is the best class for beginners and the one children like. For the full comparison, see pasta making classes in Florence.
Pizza and gelato
Dough stretched by hand, baked in a wood or stone oven, and gelato churned while it cooks. Mostly in the Oltrarno, mostly two to three hours, and the family favourite.
Market-to-table
Classes that start at Sant’Ambrogio or the Mercato Centrale, shop with the chef for the day’s ingredients, then cook a four-course Tuscan menu: crostini, pasta, a main, a dessert. Longer, around four hours, and the class for people who cook at home.
Tuscan dinner classes and private lessons
Evening classes cook a full Tuscan dinner and eat it with wine; private lessons in a Florentine’s home suit couples and small groups who want the kitchen to themselves. Both cost more and are worth it for the conversation.
Farmhouse classes from Florence
Chianti estates run classes with pick-up in Florence: garden walk, pasta by hand, lunch in the vines, olive oil and wine tasting, back by late afternoon. See Tuscany cooking classes.
Practical notes
Book one to three weeks ahead in high season. Classes are hands-on unless the listing says demonstration. Vegetarian menus are standard on request; gluten-free pasta classes exist. Prices run roughly 60 to 130 euros per person; private lessons from 150.
Read next: 3 days in Florence for food & wine · What to eat in Florence · Florence cooking classes: pasta & gelato · Bistecca alla fiorentina explained
How we choose
We list only experiences with a strong rating over a meaningful number of reviews and free cancellation where available, and we favour small-group and family-run hosts. FindEatLocal earns a commission when you book through GetYourGuide or Viator links on this page; it doesn’t change the price you pay. More about how we choose.
FAQ about Florence Cooking Classes
Frequently asked questions
Why take a cooking class in Florence?
Because it is three hours, it fits between the Uffizi and dinner, and you leave with a skill rather than a souvenir.
How long is a Florence cooking class and what do you make?
About three hours; usually fresh pasta, a sauce and tiramisù, or pizza and gelato. Market classes run four hours and cook a full menu.
Are Florence cooking classes suitable for children?
Yes, especially pasta or pizza and gelato. Most schools take children from six to eight in group classes; private classes take any age.
Are there vegetarian or gluten-free classes?
Vegetarian menus are easy and standard on request; a few schools run gluten-free pasta classes. Say so when booking.
Do I need to book in advance?
Yes, one to three weeks in April to October; the best small classes fill first.
Morning or evening class?
Morning if you want a market visit and lunch; evening if you want the class to be dinner.