Top Lake Como Food & Drink Classes

Step into a local's home in Como to learn how to make fresh pasta and a classic tiramisu. In an intimately sized small group of just 12 people, you'll hear the tricks to roll fresh pasta by hand, and create two dishes as you learn about Lombardy food from your Cesarine host — part of a network of home cooks who preserve regional culinary traditions.

Learn to create classic dishes of the Lombardy region with a private cooking class in Lake Como. A member of the acclaimed Cesarine network of chefs will welcome you into their home for a lesson in Milanese-style cuisine as you help prepare a 3-course menu featuring northern Italian favorites like polenta, risotto, meatballs, osso bucco, and tiramisu. When the cooking’s done, sit down with your host to enjoy the homemade meal with wine pairings.

If there’s one dish everyone wishes they could bring home from Italy, it’s fresh egg pasta, a northern Italian signature. Learn how to mix, roll, cut, and cook your own fresh pasta alongside a local chef in their home around Bellagio—then eat it for lunch or dinner along with wine and coffee or tea. With numbers capped at just 10 travelers, you’re sure to master the tricks of the trade.

Immerse yourself in Como’s rich culinary heritage with this hands-on cooking class in Bellagio, with round-trip transfers included for hassle-free access to the family-run restaurant. Learn how to prepare a traditional pasta dish from scratch under the tuition of a professional chef, then savor your homemade meal along with drinks on the terrace, before receiving your participation gift set which includes a certificate, recipe book, and homemade olive oil.

This small-group cooking class in Bellagio will teach you to prepare Italian specialities in the picturesque setting of a hilltop restaurant overlooking Lake Como. With the guidance of a local chef, you’ll learn to make ravioli, tagliatelle, and a dessert such as tiramisu. The class also includes tickets to visit the impressive botanical gardens of nearby Villa Melzi.

Visit a villa winery in Domaso on Lake Como, and experience an authentic Italian family-run wine estate that’s been nurtured through the generations. Ideal if you’re looking for a Lake Como experience with a difference, the visit includes a tour of the wine cellar followed by an extravagant tasting session. You’ll savor local specialities that have been carefully chosen to complement the wine as you learn about viticulture in the northern Italian region.

Pick up the basics of northern Italian cooking in a private class in the home of a local. Visit the local market visit to select your fresh ingredients under the guidance of your host, then head to the kitchen for hands-on experience preparing classic Como recipes. Afterwards, sit down together to savor your homemade specialities and chat with your host over a glass of local wine.

Get away from the crowds on land and discover the quieter side of Lake Como on this private sailing adventure. Set sail from Bellagio on an elegant 8.5m-long boat to admire the attractions along the shoreline, including Villa del Balbianello, Villa Melzi, and Villa Carlotta. Sail alongside Comacina Island and drop anchor to dive into the crystal clear waters of the lake or relax on board with music, drinks and snacks.

Book in advance and capture the spirit of Lake Como on a walking tour of Bellagio and Varenna, two of the mid-lake region's most enchanting towns. Stop at a historic olive oil mill to taste one of the region's local specialties, accompanied by cured meats and wine. Then, enjoy a private cruise in a Venetian water taxi to visit the opulent gardens of Villa del Balbianello and Villa Melzi.

Pedal around Lake Como without breaking a sweat on an e-bike, with a digital tour guide at your disposal. A 3-hour tour with a guide in six languages.

Lake Como is home to dazzling villas and postcard-perfect villages, but getting around on your own can be confusing. With this small group (max 8 people) tour, save hours by navigating between highlights with a guide. Reach Villa Balbianello via hydrofoil for a guided tour through the gardens and terraces of Villa Balbianello.

Pasta lovers—prepare to be amazed! This pasta-making class at a Cesarina’s home is the perfect way to learn new skills and taste incredible food too. As it’s a private class, you’ll have direct access to your teacher for questions along the way. Learn the secrets of the region’s most loved pasta dishes, and make three recipes. The best thing about the experience is that you get to eat the food at the end with wine included.

"Cooking" is relax and fun for me, it is the pleasure of being in company and spending carefree moments together while sharing experiences and why not, also culinary secrets listening to good music and drinking good wine. My husband and I are Neapolitans, so for us the password is "hospitality": my home is your home. We are about 45 years old, I am an inlingua Italian teacher since 2006, we both speak fluently English and Spanish and we love cooking together (we have been doing it for 20 years now) but we like even more to share these experiences with other people , being in good company and meeting people from all over the world. What to expect from this experience? We will certainly teach you new things in the kitchen with some of our little secrets, all while having fun in a peaceful and relaxed environment at the same time.

Italy’s most iconic dish by far is pasta, and with this hands-on cooking class, you can discover the secrets to turning out fresh pasta dishes like an authentic Italian “nonna” with a local chef. Learn how to prepare and roll out the “sfoglia”, or sheet of pasta, and then cut or shape it to suit your sauce. Once both pasta and sauce are ready, relax over lunch to enjoy what you’ve prepared.

Indulge yourself in northern Italian deliciousness with this cooking class. Meet your professional chef in a charming, family-run restaurant near Varenna and learn how to make specialty dishes, sip wine, and then enjoy the tasty food you've just helped to prepare. All food and beverages are included.

Italy offers you an incredibly wide range of vines. Some of them are famous all over the world, some others are known only by local people. You will taste three different kind of local wines paired to some food to enjoy an Italian aperitivo. A professional and passionate sommelier will guide you through this fascinating world.

Engage your senses and discover one of Italy's most sought-after specialty products on a  private truffle hunt in Bellagio. Hike through family land on the Lake Como shores with local chef Luigi Gandola and his trained truffle-sniffing dog on a search for the rare, fragrant tubers and wild mushrooms. Take the harvest back to a Bellagio restaurant, where the chef will whip up a gourmet meal featuring truffle and mushroom dishes with wine, prepared just for your party.

Utilizing farm-fresh ingredients, this pizza-making class teaches participants how to prepare an artisan dish, the Italian way. A professional baker instructs up to six participants during a private training session near downtown Como. The workshop is taught in an informal and friendly way, and includes a glass of wine paired with pizza and salad.

Don't lose the opportunity to become a "pizzaiolo" (pizza-maker) and a great tiramisu maker! Enter a local home, connect with an expert home cook and discover how Italian mamma and nonnas used to prepare awesome pizza at home. With this private hands-on cooking class, you will learn how to make pizza and tiramisù from scratch from a real Italian family. To complete your feast, enjoy what you have prepared for lunch or dinner with a selection of local wine included. Have fun putting your cooking skills to the test and amaze your friends and family with a pizza party once you come back home! This experience is suitable for families with children of all ages. Le Cesarine is Italy’s oldest network of home cooks all over the country in more than 120 cities. They are passionate and welcoming hosts that open the doors of their own homes to curious travellers for immersive culinary experiences.

Return from Lake Como with new skills in the kitchen, and impress your friends and family as you recreate dishes learnt on this pasta cooking class. Taking place in the home of a local chef, the experience teaches you how to create fresh pasta from scratch, and prepare a sauce or dressing that’s typical in the north of Italy. All equipment is provided; you just need to roll your sleeves up and get involved.

Experience the thrill of the hunt as you join a local chef in a search for truffles and wild mushrooms in a forest near Bellagio. You’ll enjoy impressive views of Lake Como along with mountain scenery as your team of truffle-hunters (including the chef’s dog) forages for nature’s bounty. Included snacks and alcoholic beverages add a festive element to the activity.

Connect with a passionate home cook on the shores of Lake Como to discover the secrets to making flawless pasta and authentic tiramisù from scratch with this private, hands-on experience. Join your host in her home kitchen to hone your skills at rolling and shaping fresh pasta and assembling luscious tiramisù, then relax over lunch or dinner to sample your handiwork served with local wines and Italian espresso.

We only use the original recipe for Neapolitan Pizza. That means that every single ingredient is compliant with the specifications to call it Neapolitan DOC Pizza. As in the wood-burning oven we use only 100% beech wood and not mixed wood as usual in restaurants, the flavour will be really unique!

Your day at Lake Como is just winding down, the sun's about to set... It's time for an Aperitivo. This glamorous Italian tradition is loved all over the world, and this is your chance to learn how to prepare it for yourself, the perfect souvenir.  Preparing the perfect aperitivo is an art; you will learn how to prepare a selection of five elegant nibbles to pair with with a refreshing glass of fizz, ideal for sharing with friends in the early evening. Your aperitivo will be a bite-size representation of its local culture, using typical regional ingredients and local wines, such as a sparkling prosecco or a light red. This experience is held by Cesarine: Italy’s oldest network of 1000+ home cooks all over the country in more than 500 cities. They are passionate and welcoming hosts that open the doors of their own homes to curious travellers for immersive culinary experiences.