Florence Cooking Class with Wine Pairing in Mirella's Garden Home

Stefano and Mirella are the best!

This was one of the highlights of my wife and I’s Italy trip. Stefano and Mirella met us at the local market and explained local cuisine and culture. They then welcomed us into their beautiful home and garden where they taught us how to cook an authentic 4 course Italian meal. The meal, wine, and conversation were terrific. Stefano and Mirella were a joy to be around! We would recommend this to anyone visiting Florence who is looking for an authentic experience away from the big crowds! Thank you very much to Stefano and Mirella!

via Tripadvisor

Road to Nowhere

My husband and I were recommended this cooking class and were very excited being that we were on our honeymoon. Initially, communication was great with the host and we seemed to have all the details ironed out. We decided to take an uber out to the location provided by Viator and expected to make it 15 minutes before our scheduled time. The location provided lead us to a dirt road with zero houses around. We continued to search for the house and tried to contact the host, where we got zero response. Both my husband and I called multiple times and it would not go through. We continued to drive around aimlessly for 15 minutes, because there was not any clear description on where we needed to go other than the location that was provided. Being that neither my husband or I spoke Italian and were nervous that we would not have a ride back to Florence, we decided to ask the uber driver to take us home. Transportation to and from the wrong location ran us $200+ usd. About one hour later, the host contacted us asking if we were going to be able to make it, where we told her our experience. They stated that they had never had an issue like this before. Shortly after, the host confirmed that the location provided on Viator was incorrect and we were then sent the correct location so we could attend the cooking class. Being that we had already spent $200+ to go to the wrong location and would need to spend an additional $200+, we would be paying the same amount of the cooking class just on transportation. This just didn’t seem feasible. We then had to make on the fly dinner plans in Florence, where places were booked and full. Finally, we asked for a refund since we were given the wrong information on where to go and it was denied. We were very disappointed being that this was an activity we had been looking forward to for our honeymoon. The cooking class and uber ride was well over a $750 adventure, not exactly how we wanted to spend the evening!

Response from the operator: Hi Gabrielle, Thank you for your review, and we’re truly sorry for how this experience unfolded - especially during such a special time on your honeymoon. We understand how frustrating and stressful it must have been to have difficulty finding the location, incur unexpected transportation costs, and ultimately miss an experience you were really looking forward to. That’s never the experience we want for our guests. We’ve looked into this carefully with your hosts, Mirella and Stefano, and reviewed the directions provided. Their home is located in Antella, just outside Florence, and has successfully welcomed over 1,200 guests over the years. That said, it’s clear that in your case, there was a breakdown in communication at a critical moment - as both you and the host attempted to reach each other by phone but were unable to connect. For future guests, Antella is about a 20-minute drive from central Florence, with taxis typically around €35 or a €2 public bus option. Mirella said that had you been able to connect in the moment, she would have gladly guided your driver or arranged to meet you to ensure you arrived without difficulty. We also understand that once you returned to Florence and had already incurred significant transportation costs, it no longer felt reasonable to attempt the journey again, even after receiving additional location details. While the location address and instructions have worked well for past guests, this experience highlighted that they may not always be sufficient in every situation. As a result, we are taking steps to improve pre-arrival communication, including ensuring hosts share their full address and a direct Google Maps link in their welcome message so guests and drivers can locate the home more easily. We’re very sorry again that this didn’t go as planned and that you missed out on what should have been a memorable part of your trip. We truly appreciate you sharing your feedback, as it helps us improve both our communication and guest experience moving forward. Warm regards, Cherry Traveling Spoon Team

via Viator

Skip the large group classes and book this one! You won’t regret it!

The cooking class experience was truly one-of-a-kind. Mirella and Stefano welcomed us into their home and treated us like a member of the family. It was special to get to know them, learn about life in Italy, all while 🧑‍🍳 by and enjoying homemade recipes. Along with the amazing hosts, the food and recipes were delicious. After helping create the dishes, we all sat down and enjoyed a delicious meal together. When I find myself back in Florence, I will definitely book again. Thank you both for an amazing experience!

via Viator

What a fun experience!

What a fun class! We were able to book Ubers out to her house and she helped get taxis afterwards to get us back to Florence. We made eggplant parm, fresh tagliatelle and gnocchi, sauces, and tiramisu. All amazing and paired with local or homemade wine and limoncello. Would recommend!

via Viator

Private dining

Fantastic dining experience, amazing food especially the salad from the garden, book your own experience you won’t regret

via Tripadvisor