Cook Italy
08:30 - 17:00
Monday
08:30 - 17:00
Tuesday
08:30 - 17:00
Wednesday
08:30 - 17:00
Thursday
08:30 - 17:00
Friday
08:30 - 17:00
Saturday
08:30 - 17:00
Sunday
09:00 - 17:00
About
After the Covid hiatus, it is wonderful to be back, running my classes, and market tours in Bologna. I love meeting people and I hope to welcome you to my kitchen with a view., beautifully air-conditioned and the best place to be when Bologna gets hot. I now have over 20 years experience and I plan to carry on doing what I love and enjoy. I have always only taken very small groups and will continue to do so. Email me with your enquiry. I'm waiting to hear from you and I look forward to sharing my Bologna with you! Carmelita
Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

Awards
Travellers' Choice
2023

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(42 reviews)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles607 reviews
Excellent
584
Very good
20
Average
2
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1
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0

Richard
New Oxford, PA1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Solo
This was a great class, very informative and delicious. I got to learn a lot about the food of the region and the region itself. Highly recommend!
Written 20 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brian M
Newburyport, MA163 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
The absolute highlight of our trip to Italy! Carmelita is an accomplished cook with a passion for sharing her tips, knowledge and love of authentic Bolognese cooking. Her hands on ‘mother hen’ teaching style was inspiring and it felt as if we were practicing and cooking with an old friend!
Definitely the best time of our ten days in Italy!!
Written 25 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Josh S
Norwich, UK13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Solo
Such a fantastic experience with Carmelita and easily the highlight of my time in Bologna.

We started with a tour of the markets. It’s clear Carmelita knows the place like the back of her hand. Seeing her frequent with the locals and shop owners, I felt in safe hands. It was great to see how she picks her produce, what’s in season, and what’s ripe. After all, this is one of the reasons Bolognese food is so great - it’s the quality of the ingredients.

It was great to learn about the history of the place. She has been here over 25 years and it really shows. It’s interesting to learn how tourism has shaped food culture here. We had a Prosecco together in the market, mainly as it was Carmelita’s birthday!

She was happy to answer any question as we went round and Leah’s gave a full, well-informed answer.

Then we got to cooking. Firstly, the recipes she had selected were excellent. I was glad to cook a pasta dish. Despite making it at home, I learned I’d been doing a lot of it wrong. She provided support when needed but otherwise let us get to it. And it was so satisfying to see what we finished off with. It was so so delicious, especially paired with a glass of white.

So satisfied with this experience and it’s well worth the money. If you’re a foodie like me, you really won’t regret it.

Thanks Carmelita!
Written 8 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carly
Phoenix, AZ3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Solo
You will learn a lot with Carmelita~making pasta from scratch was one highlight, but so were the braised artichokes! I was most excited to make stuffed squash blossoms~~absolutely beautiful!
Written 7 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LM_1922
21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2023 • Couples
We spent a brilliant day with Carmelita. We did the balsamic vinegar class which involved shopping (and tasting) ingredients in the market before going back to Carmelita’s lovely flat to cook a four course meal. The food was excellent and we learnt so much (will definitely be using the recipes again). Not only is Carmelita a fountain of knowledge when it comes to food but she’s also a welcoming and friendly person to spend the day with. We’ll definitely do another class when back in Bologna.
Written 7 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Samantha J
Saint-Leu-la-Foret, France1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
Carmelita's cooking class and market tour was among the most memorable travel experiences I have ever had. Carmelita is charming, knowledgeable, passionate and patient. She captivated my 2 kids (6y and 9y), who still speak of the class today! Thank you Carmelita - we hope to see you again one day!
Written 24 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amy D
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
The market experience before we started making the pasta was amazing. Carmelita was a wealth of knowledge on the city of Bologna and the history of the region. This will be one of the highlights of our trip. Thank you Carmelita for being such a generous host and teacher! Cant believe our pasta turned out so well 😄
Written 22 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dawn Cheng
Singapore, Singapore3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
Carmelita's one day market to table class truly exemplifies the slow food movement. From learning about the origins of ingredients and the importance of seasonality, to cooking seasonal dishes, this is one day experience was an eye opener for me, and made me appreciate the effort and dedication behind preparing Italian dishes. Highly recommended for food lovers who want to learn how to do it the proper way.

Some tips: Do wear comfortable shoes and clothes as you would be walking and standing a lot. Do also set aside the whole day, as Carmelita will say she knows when you start cooking, but won't know when you end, as it is fully dependent on you :)
Written 6 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

artslover
Calgary, Canada993 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
Our half day market visit then cooking class was so much more than learning about food. We learned about the city, its history and Italians. Most importantly, we enjoyed a great experience with Carmelita! We recommend taking a class early in your visit to get great insider tips.
Written 20 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AAAL holiday
PJ49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
What an amazing activity at Italy holiday. We had a half day class making 3 different primi: potato gnocchi, soup, and egg pasta from scratch. It was fun, yummy and learn so much from Carmelita.
She is easy to communicate before the cooking day. She share so much the foods and cooking knowledge with us. Thank you.
Written 17 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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COOK ITALY: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)