Immerse yourself in a small group dining experience at a local's home, enjoy an exclusive show cooking and taste authentic Venetian recipes treasured in family cookbooks passed down by real Italian Mammas. Feel the warmth of Italian hospitality as you connect with local people.
Enjoy a 3-course menu with drinks included (water, selection of red and white wines from Veneto cellars and coffee).
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.
Posted By : barbral2019
This was a phenomenal experience! Daniela was just fantastic and a highlight of our trip to Italy. It was my daughter’s birthday the next day and Daniela was kind enough to bake a birthday cake and get candles so we could sing to her. We were traveling home the next day and getting in too late to celebrate at home. This meant so much to me. Sofia, the girl who helped translate, was a delight as well! We thoroughly enjoyed this experience and would recommend Daniela to everyone!
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Posted On : 2023-10-04 11:17:32 
Posted By : 250christopherb
One thing I dislike is writing a bad review. Sometimes, I feel that the reviewer is trying to get even for something that happened. Unfortunately, this was the worst experience that my wife and I have experienced in all our travels. The experience we signed up for included a little bit of instruction and showing how to cook a true venetian style meal as well as an apron and Cesarine shopping bag. The instruction consisted of being shown and making 12 pieces of pasta, the rest was pre-made. The cooking was done in a closed off kitchen where we could not see anything. The wine included was Prosecco which the cook/hostess partook of too. Overall, the meal was not bad. However, the pasta and meatballs were both mushy and tasteless. The host told us how she had placed in the Tiramisu finals and had made us that dish for dessert. We aren't sure where she competed; but both of us have experienced far better Tiramisu in average restaurants back home. Every other meal we had during our stay in Venice was better by huge margins than this. The sad part was that it cost us more than twice as much as going to a five star restaurant. There are so many things to do and experience in Venice that I would say to skip this one. It is too bad because there are several Cesarines in Venice that are probably very good. The one we had is not!
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Posted On : 2023-08-25 12:25:15
Posted By : debbietT2049ZE
The highlight of our trip to Italy! Giulia was an amazing host and teacher. We can’t wait to make fresh pasta at home! We sat together and enjoyed the meal we helped prepare. Highly recommended this experience
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Posted On : 2023-06-16 04:58:03
Posted By : sherrip700
Our dinner with Matilde was the highlight of our 2-week trip in Italy. Not only was the meal absolutely delicious, it was a delight to get to know Matilde, a local Venetian, and learn more about what it's like to live in Venice. At first I was hesitant about having to go to Lido, but that actually turned out to enhance the experience by getting us out of the crowded and hectic city and into the quiet and relaxing area of Lido. I definitely recommend Cesarine.
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Posted On : 2022-11-02 19:45:53
Posted By : Madeleine_B
We had a nice time. A little different than what we expected but a good and person experience none the same.
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Posted On : 2022-02-27 06:12:09 
Posted By : Andrea_H
This was the most exciting part of our stay in Venice. Having dinner with locals on their private roof top bar in their house from the 12th century. Patrizia and Adriano are - with the help of Lyn - wonderful hosts. Food was very local. We liked it very much.
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Posted On : 2021-08-05 17:02:28
Posted By : lucykns
I booked a dining experience with Cesarine at Barbara's with a group of friends. It was an absolutely fantastic evening! I was a little unsure at first, as I didn't really know what to expect... But I'm so glad I decided to go for it.
Barbara met us in a nearby square and accompanied us to her home. It was such a surprise to actually enter into a real home in Venice - when you explore the city, you always wonder what it's like to actually live there, and this gave us a taste!
Barbara showed us around her beautiful home, and the table was set with lovely dishes and cloths, so we felt really special. We tasted plenty of wine, sourced from her friends in the Veneto area, and as for the food... It was just wonderful, and she explained the fascinating stories behind every ingredient. She was the most welcoming host.
I will never forget the amazing "seppie ripiene", the delicate "baccalà mantecato", and artichoke hearts, or the generous helpings of "spaghetti con le vongole" and the typical "frittole" sweets that were on our menu that night.
Everything came from the local market and was so much better than the food we tried in the local restaurants. Plus, there were second helpings... :)
I also want to add that the staff at Cesarine were very kind, and answered all my questions. The booking process was easy thanks to their friendly service. Thank you!
I will be recommending this experience to all my friends. It was unforgettable and I can't wait to book again on my next trip. I found out that Cesarine have hosts all over Italy, so I'll be spoilt for choice next time.
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Posted On : 2020-01-28 06:35:04
Posted By : RobinMJC
I was hesitant reserving this dinner but wanted a different experience for my group of friends. First, Lucy’s patience was appreciated when helping me create the menu while considering various food allergies. They reassured me throughout the process that everything would be fine.
Barbara, our host, was AMAZING!! She walked to meet us so we wouldn’t get lost; welcomed us in her home and most of all, helped me pull off making the dinner a surprise 50th party for one of the ladies (with an amazing cake with candles)!
I can’t speak enough about the food. I’m the picky eater in the group and left with NO complaints; aside from how to take the risotto with me. We made the mistake of comparing all other meals in Italy and Greece to Barbara’s and it did not compare.
If you want something different, more intimate and not at a cookie-cutter restaurant, I recommend giving this company a try!
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Posted On : 2019-06-19 15:16:50
Posted By : knoxtravel1010
I would like to preface this review with the fact that our hosts were very nice, kind, and welcoming people. However, we feel it is prudent to post our review so those who purchase this service in the future know what service(s) they are getting, so as to make an informed purchase.
From the reviews and description, my family and I expected to be involved in the cooking process, to learn a bit of history and local custom, and to hopefully "take home" something we learned from our hosts. We do not feel all of these expectations were met. For those interested, we booked through Viator, where we were promised:
1) Connect with local people
2) Attend a private show cooking - assist your cesarina with the preparation of your meal and learn the secrets of Venetian recipes
3) Taste an authentic 4 course meal - including starter, pasta, main course with side dish, and dessert, and drinks included
4) Drink a real Italian espresso
5) Take home a Cesarine apron and shopping bag
While we did, indeed, connect with local people and have a meal in their home, we do not feel it was what as promised.
We did not assist or help in preparing any of the good. In fact, a vast majority of the food was already prepared, including: the pesto, the pasta, the dessert. Vegetables were already chopped, which is understandable given the time this takes.
Our first course consisted of artichoke with scallops served in a shell (in which the scallops were from, per our host). We did see her prepare this, but did not assist. We did not learn any "secrets" of venetian cooking.
Our second course was small dish of pasta, which was already made prior to our arrival, with a pesto sauce, which was already made prior to our arrival. The pasta, which was gnocchi, tended to fall apart after cooking, akin to having mashed potatoes. The pesto was, in fact, not a traditional pesto, but a kale pesto. While this is fine for us, we did feel this is something we have in our home country and not unique to the area.
For our "main" course, we had sauteed raddichio, which we would have thought would've been the side dish. While we don't like eating large portions, for what we paid (nearly $100 per person), we would've expected a more hearty main course, at least a meat or fish. We don't feel like we actually had a main course.
For dessert, we had a cheesecake, that had already been prepared (unclear if by the host herself, or from a bakery).
We did not learn any history, why particular foods were being served, or any particular "Venetian cooking secrets," as was promised by the company. We also did not drink espresso nor did we get the apron or shopping bag.
Again, we would like to express that our hosts were nice people.
However, for approximately $100 per person, we do not feel the services rendered and cost of food were reflective of how much was paid.
Finally, while we were asked about food allergies and intolerances, it should be noted that our hosts smoked and had a cat. This was not told to us prior to arrival. Fortunately, none of us have allergies or severe asthma, but we could foresee this being an issue for some people.
If you want to avoid a restaurant or see a cozy Venetian apartment, then this service could be for you. However, if you want to learn to cook, learn history, learn the "why" behind Venetian food and drink, then we would recommend looking elsewhere.
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Posted On : 2018-11-25 11:56:18
Posted By : Mark O
Definitely the highlight of our trip. Barbara and Claudio were warm and genuine from the moment we met them, we totally enjoyed their company and felt welcomed in their stylish and cosy home. They even introduced us to their friendly neighbours and cat! Plus of course the food was great. Highly recommended :
