The best cooking class in Italy to take with kids! (Lake Como)
When my late husband Ryan and I went to Italy for our Honeymoon, we took a cooking class in a local’s home just outside of Rome, and it was the HIGHLIGHT of our trip.
So once I decided to take my three kids (2, 6 and 8) back to the Lake Como region of Italy this past summer, I knew I wanted to do the same with them.
CHEERS!
This was truly the best kid-friendly family cooking class in Italy!
My parents and my sister both joined us for this trip to Italy, so we had a sizeable group! With some very young kiddos participating (ahem, we all know how 2 years old are ;) I knew it might be a challenge to find a class that could accomodate us all AND be kid-friendly.
After MUCH google searching, I found Anna and her delightful family - and they were SO amazing and created the most perfect afternoon for our family.
COFFEE & PASTRIES
When we first arrived at 10:30 am, Anna and her family were in no rush to get right to cooking. Instead, they had put out a spread of juices, coffee, cakes and fruit and we gathered around the table to drink and get to know each other better.
Anna and her family (who run the class with her!) explained that this was their family home and that her family had been living in this house for generations.
We got to meet Anna and her sister (who was so amazing at helping to play with Teddy throughout the day!), as well as their parents and some of their kids! It is truly a family affair!
Since my dad has grandparents who came to America from Italy just 2 generations ago, we also spent time talking about the region of Italy he is from and they were so helpful and kind to my dad!
How to Find and Book the Best Cooking Class in a Local’s Home in Lake Como, Italy
I booked this cooking class through Anna (the owner and home cook/chef) after finding her on Instagram, but you can now book this Lake Como Italian Cooking Class directly through Viator as well.
I contacted Anna and let her know about our family, and to explain that we had 3 little kids in our group and that we really wanted something that would be casual and fun - and to ask if that was something she could accommodate.
She was so responsive and immediately said YES the kids would be so welcome and they would make it so fun for them - and that the class was held right in her home and there was plenty of space for Teddy (my two year old) to run around. She suggested a menu (but is open to requests!) and encouraged me to contact her if anything changed at all.
Making pasta from scratch is surprisingly meditative!
I love that they worked with us to choose a menu that they knew would be fun for the kids to make, and fun for EVERYONE to eat!
Break Time!
When the youngest kids (Teddy, 2 and Grace, 6) got tired of cooking, they would take breaks and run around the beautiful lawn and picked wildflowers!
Anna also had a little playhouse on her property that kept them entertained!
The day of the class, I let her know that traffic was bad leaving our rental, and she kept saying not to worry at all -just to come “sometime between 10 - 11 am!”
Obviously it helped that we were the only group cooking with her that day - if you book and other tourists are in your class it might be different!
Getting to the Cooking Class on Lake Como, Italy
The cooking class was held in a local Italian family’s home in Cernobbio, which is a small city located northwest of Como, on the border with Switzerland and near Lake Como. We were staying in a rental further north up the lake, in the village of Tremezzo, which I highly recommend - we think it’s the most beautiful part of the lake and we absolutely LOVED our rental (more on that below) - so it took us about 45 minutes to drive on the really small, extremely narrow 2 lane road from Tremezzo to get down to Cernobbio.
Every drive around this lake is more gorgeous than the next, so you the time will go by so fast as you wind through the most beautiful and charming little villages.
You’ll find Cernobbio just Northwest of Como (the largest city on Lake Como). If you are staying in Como, it takes about 10 minutes to drive to Cernobbio by car from Como (more depending on traffic - which can be awful in the summers here - so plan ahead!)
Cernobbio itself is an adorable town with amazing shopping and restaurants right on the shoreline of the lake- you could easily make a day out of it and spend time before or after the cooking class wondering the town and shopping.
Or, head down to the shoreline and watch the boats!
The Terrace
The most beautiful place to have lunch in Lake Como!
While the family cleaned up our cooking area and boiled the pastas, we were told to come make ourselves at home here on the Terrace and enjoy Prosecco and appetizers!
Then, all the amazing food we had prepared was brought to the table!
Pasta with a smiley face! ;)
FAQs -All the Details About the Best Cooking Class for Families with Kids in Lake Como, Italy
How much does a cooking class with kids in Italy Cost?
130€ for adult
60€ for child
(prices may change depending on time of day, day of the week, and what you cook, I believe)
What is the best time to take a cooking class in Italy? These classes are offered over lunches or dinner. Ours was at 10:30 am. When you have little kids, doing activities earlier in the day seems to fare better in my experience! One of the things I loved with how flexible Anna and her family were! We arrived around 1030… But it was just our family doing the class so there was no rush- Anna said “come between 10-11ish” (how amazing is that!) .
Where was the cooking class? At a local Italian woman’s home In the village of Cernobbio, which is just 10 minutes North of Como town on Lake Como. Anna’s home is perched high on the hill above the lake - giving you truly the most spectacular views for miles. Her home is so charming and you will have your lunch or dinner either right out on the grass at at table overlooking the lake, or if it is raining (as it was when we visited), under her gorgeous terrace!.
How long was your cooking class with kids in Italy? We were there just over 4 hours in total, with lots of time to cook, sit and chat with the family, and let the kids play as well as EAT, of course!
Do You Recommend this Cooking Class on Lake Como for Families with Children? YES! Anna and her family will work with you to create a menu and structure the class so that it works for your entire family.
How many people per cooking class? For our group, we had 3 kids (2, 6 and 8) and 4 adults (grandparents and two adults) and we had a private class - (I do believe in some cases you will take the class with others - not all classes are private, so ask if that is something you want!)
What was the menu/What do you learn to cook during a cooking class in Italy? Raviolis (with two different fillings), pastas of various sizes and Tiramisu!
Were there other things to eat? Yes! When we first arrived, Anna had put out a spread of coffees, juices and all different pastries. When we sat down to eat, while they cooked the fresh pasta we had made, we got to eat an AMAZING spread of appetizers that included fresh breads, caprese salad, antipasta, charcuterie, fruit - it was truly a FEAST.
Is alcohol included? Yes! We had a champagne toast before we started cooking and more wine with our meal
Would you take this cooking class again? A thousand times yes! Absolutely! it was truly the highlight of our time in Lake Como, Italy!
How to Book the Best Cooking Class for Families with Kids visiting Lake Como, Italy: You can book the cooking class right here!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (out of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Highlight of our trip! We highly recommend!
Where did you stay on Lake Como with Kids to go to this cooking Class? We stayed in the tiny village of Tremezzo, which was about a 45 minute drive from the cooking class in Cernobbio. Tremezzo is often regarded as the most beautiful section of Lake Como - and I couldn’t agree more. It’s right across the lake from Bellagio, and the place we stayed was amazing, with a pool and hot tub (for all 10 units to share), dedicated parking, and the ability to walk down a “secret passage” and be at the lake/Ferry stand in less then 7 minutes (which would then take you to all the other stops around Lake Como - Varenna, Menaggio, Bellagio, Como, etc).
Book the best apartment rental when traveling with kids on Lake Como here - (just let Matteo know Samantha Russell at Jolly Good Travel sent you!)
