My husband and I will be traveling to Varenna this July and would love to participate in a half day cooking class. The only one we've found online is a full day (6 hours) of watching the chef prepare the meal plus enjoying the meal. We prefer to participate in the prep and learn the hands-on techniques in addition to enjoying the fruits of our labor. Does anyone have suggestions for this type of cooking class in Varenna or the towns nearby that we could travel to via ferry?
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Rick suggests http://www.ilcaminettoonline.com/lezioni_e.html in Varenna, which offers three-hour classes, including lunch, but doesn't seem to be any more hands-on than the other.
Posted by
Sacramento, California U.S.A.
10597 posts
I've taken the class at Il Caminetto, and it was one of the highlights of our trip. That said - it doesn't seem to be what you are looking for. We were picked up at 10:00 a.m. and transported to the restaurant for the class. We were there until approximately 5:00 p.m., when we were transported back to Varenna. Although I had the opportunity to help make the gnocchi, it was not what I would call a hands on class. I don't see how it would be possible for the class with lunch to be shortened to 3 hours.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Glad to hear that Ristorante Il Caminetto was a wonderful experience. We'll definitely consider it if we can't find a hands on type of class. There is also one in Bellagio that we are researching but it's hard to know what you read on certain websites is legitimate. Thanks so much for the advice.