Overview

Bellagio – Lesson with Chef Luigi

Just a few minutes drive from Bellagios city center and Lake Como, an elegant restaurant in Bellagio is home to the award-winning imaginative Chef Luigi. While young, Chef Luigi worked in the illustrious Villa D’Este for seven years and has already won 40 gold medals in international culinary competitions. Still, Chef Luigi is humble and energetic as he talks about using local ingredients and teaches his hands-on pasta cooking class in his family-owned restaurant.

Your culinary adventure begins at 10:00 a.m. when Chef Luigi himself picks you up from your Bellagio hotel lobby, post office, or ferry gate. The hands-on cooking lesson begins at 10:30 a.m. and focuses on creating homemade pasta packed with fresh ingredients, as well as risotto, gnocchi, and dessert. Every day is different! After enjoying your lunch on the terrace (weather permitting), Chef Luigi will return you to Bellagio around 2:30 pm.

December through March you can participate in a private mushroom and truffle hunt followed by a delicious lunch! Get picked up from Luigi or his staff and travel 40 miles of Milan where you will pick mushrooms and hunt for truffles with Chef Luigi and his truffle hunters and his dog. Truffles and mushrooms grow on Luigi’s family’s land, which offers amazing views of Lake Como. After the hunt return to the restaurant to learn about cleaning and preserving these delicacies before Luigi prepares you a delicious lunch. (Experience dependent on weather, if weather unsuitable, a regular cooking class will be substituted. Comfortable shoes and clothing recommended.)

  • Cooking class with lunch: 10:00AM-2:00PM (Chef Luigi will pick you up at 10:00AM and the class begins at 10:30AM).
  • Mushroom and truffle hunt: 10:00AM-3:00PM (Chef Luigi or his staff will pick you up at 10:00AM).

Please note the higher price for Saturday and Sunday classes. Wine is not included with the meal after the class, but is available for purchase.

Trip Details

Where is this trip located?
Trip Rating
5

Stars

★★★★★
★★★★★
5.0

Average Rating

13

Reviews

Country:

Italy

Region:

Lombardia/Lakes Region

Class Dates:

Generally available any date you choose except Tuesday for a minimum of 2 people. Please review our complete pricing and dates details.

Pricing Monday to Friday

Starting at

$240

Pricing for Saturday and Sunday

Starting at

$295

Pricing for mushroom and truffle hunt

Starting at

$490

Pricing & Dates

Class Pricing

Pricing Monday to Friday US$240
Pricing for Saturday and Sunday US$295
Pricing for mushroom and truffle hunt US$490

Class Dates

Available year-round on request, except Tuesdays when the restaurant is closed.

  • Lunch class: 10:00AM-2:00PM (Chef Luigi will pick you up at 10:00AM and the class begins at 10:30AM)
  • Mushroom and truffle hunt: 10:00AM-3:00PM (Chef Luigi or his staff will pick you up at 10:00AM).

Please note the higher price for Saturday and Sunday classes. Wine is not included with the meal after the class, but is available for purchase.

Reviews

We gave this trip 5 stars
★★★★★
★★★★★
Paul & Elizabeth
MD
Selection of venues are always the best and most professional.
We gave this trip 5 stars
★★★★★
★★★★★
Victoria & Cheryl
CA
Trip taken September 2021
(This traveler left a starred review with no additional comments.)
No rating given with this review
It was a wonderful experience. It was a small class of 5 which made it very personable. Chef Luigi was magnificent. Very warm and friendly and such a command of his kitchen. Such respect from his other chefs yet very in charge of his kitchen. It was so wonderful to see his family particapate in his restaurant. It was great to be right in the kitchen to watch things being prepared as well as to participate. I would highly recommend this to others. Victoria J., CA
No rating given with this review
The class was wonderful. There were only 4 participants and it was a perfect size. The chef was very enthusiastic and fun to be with. I would definitely do it again. Adele W., IL
No rating given with this review
It was fabulous to experience a real cooking class from a master chef like Luigi. We learned cooking techniques that will complement my dishes from years to come. The food, spirits, and company were superb! Mark W., NC
No rating given with this review
Chef Luigi gives personal attention and 100% energy to every class. He is clearly passionate about cooking, has much knowledge about his field and loves to share this with others. He is a non stop energy packed sensation. Ned P.
No rating given with this review
We thoroughly enjoyed Chef Gondola and his cooking session. I particularly enjoyed his tour of the restaurant garden and the chance to pick and eat fresh figs from a tree. He is charming, very knowledgeable, and has a wonderful restaurant in Bellagio. This is our second experience with the class offerings from The International Kitchen. Both of our cooking sessions were well developed, professional, and very enjoyable. Wendy & John T., IL
No rating given with this review
Chef Luigi in Bellagio was amazing. We had a group of 16 university students and it was the highlight of our trip to Milan and Lake Como. Luigi was very funny and quite welcoming. We enjoyed the atmosphere and how everything was set up for us and we learned so much about Italian cooking. Everything is made from scratch! We spent several hours together and felt very much at home, we enjoyed seeing his herb garden and meeting his family. Of course, we all loved the meal that he prepared for us. This experience was certainly a special day for us and the students refer to it as the best day of our trip. We hope to return next year, we loved it. We were picked up from the Ferry after coming over from the Hotel Suiss on Lake Como. My only comment is that I feel Luigi should drive a little slower, we want him to be safe!! Paula A.
No rating given with this review
We loved cooking with Chef Gandola. We worked in his restaurant with his family. After our cooking, we enjoyed a beautiful lunch on the patio. We now know how to make tricolor pasta. Amazing. Robert and Diane B., NV
No rating given with this review
The experience with Chef Luigi in Bellagio was amazing. We had the best time with him and the other class participants. Michael & Allison M., TX
No rating given with this review
Completely opposite experience from our time with Chefs Nicoletta and Fabio in Milan. Professional chef in a professional kitchen--we basically assisted the chef and staff in that night's dinner. Not as useful to us as cooks, but excellent in terms of seeing a kitchen run by a young chef with a pretty large ego. We felt a bit in the way and just tolerated, but it was more his personality. We didn't take it personally, and enjoyed watching him be creative with tri-colored pasta. We didn't do anything from start to finish, but learned quite a bit. We were glad it wasn't our very first class.
No rating given with this review
The chef was friendly, the class was fun and well explained, hands on. Cristina E., FL
No rating given with this review
Pick-up was more or less on time, the group of 7 people was nice, the cooking was not extraordinary but nice. During the meal, the chef did not join us, but had lunch with his family, which was a bit strange, but we were a nice group, so it was ok. Kerstin W. & Inge A., Germany _Response from The International Kitchen:_ We're glad you enjoyed your class! As an FYI, it is not customary for the chef to join the students for lunch after the class. Thank you for your feedback!
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Where is this trip located?
Trip Rating
5

Stars

★★★★★
★★★★★
5.0

Average Rating

13

Reviews

Country:

Italy

Region:

Lombardia/Lakes Region

Class Dates:

Generally available any date you choose except Tuesday for a minimum of 2 people. Please review our complete pricing and dates details.

Pricing Monday to Friday

Starting at

$240

Pricing for Saturday and Sunday

Starting at

$295

Pricing for mushroom and truffle hunt

Starting at

$490

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