First, this is an amazing experience regardless of "negatives" you may read. To be in Bologna and experience the food culture from a knowledgeable local chef is priceless. It started with a walking tour of the historic center. Chef Antonio is incredibly knowledgeable about food, culture and history of the area. At the end of the walking tour, you go to a small kitchen where he conducts the "cooking class". It is a top-floor space in an apartment building just outside the historic center. If you can't climb stairs, this may be difficult. The "cooking kitchen" is small and simple. However, Antonio makes the whole experience worthwhile. His knowledge of food and history are incredible. And, he is able to communicate in multiple languages. He explains the preparation and cooking process - which for me really makes this experience unique and totally worth it. You make pasta by hand. In Bologna. Chef Antonio cooks and serves to you. Recommended.

Guide arrived 20minutes late, explaining that he was told a different time to us. Antonio was very knowledgeable about Bologna and it’s history. The walking tour was very informative, however when we arrived at his apartment it was on the fifth floor and no lift. The lesson took place in a tiny kitchen which was in poor decorative order, ie peeling paintwork and stained walls. However he did keep the cooking surfaces clean and the lesson was very thorough and entertaining. Overall the tour and lesson were good but the kitchen venue was very disappointing.

I very much enjoyed the walking tour with Irene. Her local knowledge enriched our understanding of Bologna’s history and culture and she told stories well. Catching the bus to her home where we learned to make tortelloni and tagliatelle, helped by her husband and 83-year-old mother, and then ate our pasta with the family, was a rich Italian experience.