Spending half a day with Ilaria was the highlight of my time in Bologna. Ilaria brought me around to several shops in Bologna centre, giving out tips on the food and produce along the way. Then we went to her home to make some fresh pasta. Ilaria was a really good teacher, patient and encouraging. As I was the only student, I had to do most of the work. But no worries, Ilaria was there to bail me out when I got into trouble, like the time when I had pasta dough all over my hands! I came away with a great appreciation for handmade pasta. The tagliatelle with rags sauce we made was the best pasta dish I had that trip! Hang out with Ilaria in Bologna and you will be thankful you did.

Ilaria collected us from our hotel at 9am and we went round the market, bought our ingredients and went back to prepare fresh pasta (great fun - took ages) ragu sauce (stunning) and the lightest fluffiest tiramisu. All eaten together at the end! Lovely to see the town markets/shops and to be taught the difference between FRESH and dried pasta, quality cheeses and meats and get quite a few new cooking tips! Thank you Ilaria

We had a great day making tagliatelle (with ragu) and tortelloni (with mixed ricotta and parsley filling). We were a small group of 6 (including Ilaria) so we all got a chance to participate heavily in all parts of the process and of course to taste the best pasta we've ever had. Very highly recommended, Thanks Ilaria

My wife and I loved our private cooking class with Ilaria! It was the highlight of our trip through Italy. We started our morning with a market tour, which I would highly recommend. She is extremely knowledgeable of the area (food, culture, history, etc.) and a great guide. We purchased some of our ingredients for our class as we toured the market area and then headed back to the kitchen to begin. We learned two pastas, ragu and tirimisu. She was incredibly thoughtful and patient with us throughout the course. We’d highly recommend a class with Ilaria. You’ll have a lot of fun and learn so much!

If you want a real, authentic cooking class this is the best option. She worked so hard to fit me in, and despite nobody else choosing the days I wanted she even did a one on one class. A lovely lady who has loads of knowledge and in my opinion is well worth the cost.

My husband and I booked a late afternoon class with Ilaria, beginning with a market tour. We were glad to have another person join us on our culinary adventure. Ilaria us very knowledgeable about Bolognese foods and traditions, do the market tour was very informative. Cooking in her kitchen was an adventure, too! She us very patient, which was a good thing. Learning how to make pasta dough was tricky, but the fun really began learning how to roll out paper thin pasta sheets for ravioli! That rolling pin takes practice! Our meal of ravioli and veal cutlet culminated with a tasting of 30 year old Balsamico Traditionale over cream gelato and fresh gelato. A truly wonderful experience!

My wife and I met Ilaria in the morning. She showed us how to shop for our ingredients. Then we went to her kitchen and made Tagglatelli pasta,Ragu,Veal Bolognese and Chocolate Salami for dessert. It was wonderful. She was so nice. I feel as though we made a friend! Thank You Ilaria! We loved it!!!!!!

I had a great half day with Ilaria learning all about the cooking traditions of Bologna and my very first time making pasta and I am SO glad I did it! It was the tastiest pasta I think I have ever eaten, Ilaria was really welcoming and friendly, a good teacher with an eye for detail and always taking the opportunity to explain things to you properly, and she is very patient too! I highly recommend this :)

We only had limited time in Bologna so we have to gave up the cooking class and booked a 2-hr market walk tour with Ilaria. It ended up being top 5 of the most memorable experience in our 17 days Europe trip. We love Italian food but never get the chance to learn about Italian culinary culture in such a detail from the perspective of a local. We started from the old church and walked towards the market. Ilaria taught us how to identify hand made pasta. she also gave good intro on different meat, desert, balsamic vinegar and cheese, plus a little bit about the culinary history of Bologna. At the day we booked the tour, it was only me and my husband so we had enough time to ask questions. We saw few other food tours passing by with 10+ guests, we feel like we totally lucked out with such an intimate group setting. When we come back next time we will definitely book a cooking class with her!

Having done the class and read the reviews, we felt it was only right to recommend this lovely cooking experience to other potential customers. Over 4 hours or so we made tagliatelle, ravioli and tiramisu all from scratch. We learnt so much, especially the flour/egg detail (type,size etc), the pasta rolling techniques (light/accurate/stretching etc), the ravioli making (thin/cutting/air removal) and the 3-4 hour simmer ending with the richest, infused ragu we have tasted. Now maybe we're only just above beginner but we know expertise when we experience it and Ilaria is just that. This is goumet 'home' cooking. Another couple complained about frozen sofrito! Of course Ilaria uses frozen. Its a tiny base to a very long simmer in a lesson! Why on earth waste time cutting and slow frying veg...we can all do that! And yes, while we all hear about the old 'double dipping' tasting risks we didn't see (or do) it once and even if we did, it would have been a cue for a laugh in a 4 hour simmering ragu!? Seriously though, Ilaria does a fantastic job and then you get to eat it with a lovely, juicy Sangiovese. She is a lovely lady, speaks perfect English, has a great sense of humour and she speaks her mind like a true Italian. This was the best value 160-180 Euros (for 2) we have spent in a long, travelling history.

My wife and I LOVED our class with Ilaria. We'd recommend it to anyone looking for private cooking lessons in a Bologna home. We made pasta with bolognese sauce and breaded veil cutlets. Two very traditional dishes of the area. Take this class!

We stayed at Casa Ilaria and the owner, Ilaria, gave us an amazing and fun filled experience in making traditional Bolognese food. She was charming, friendly and a really good teacher. The lesson took place in her beautifully fitted stainless steel kitchen with a large island bench, We made basic pasta (not as easy as it looks!) but she was patient and helped us until we were able to master each step. We also made Ragu alla Bolognese and the yummiest and lightest Tiramisu ever. There were 4 of us and the lesson cost €80.00 which included the cost of ingredients. At the end, we sat down and ate the food at the huge dining table with Ilaria. It was an amazing opportunity and I recommend for anyone to take advantage of this unique experience.

My wife and I took Ilaria's Boulogne see cooking class. We learned how to make pasta by rolling pin, Bolognese sauce, meatballs and stuffed zucchini. The instruction was excellent along with a healthy dose of regional food customs and specialties. Best of all we sat down and ate the results. YUMMY!!

Lasagna was the first "special" dish I learned to make. Lots of garlic, lots of tomato sauce, cottage cheese, and a ton of ooey, gooey mozzarella. Yum! On a recent trip to Bologna, the concierge recommended Ilaria De Fidio of Bologna Gourmet for authentic Bolognase cooking lessons. Her school is in her lovely, central B&B. Two of us took her private 3 hour lesson. It was fun and it was exact. Everything was measured, weighed, and explained. Lessons on making perfect pasta by hand, and lasagna with no garlic or herbs,a silky Bechamel and Parmesan Reggiano were clear and totally hands-on. Lasagna noodles as thin as wafers. While the lasanga cooked in the oven, it was on to tiramisu. Again exact proportions and complete attention to detail. Then we ate it- slowly& mindfully. So different, so heavenly. A total cooking experience. www.bolognagourmet.it

great choice and quality,the variety was great and everything was fresh and tasty,very friendly staff well worth the visit,will be back for sure