Civitella in Val di Chiana Private Dinner with Show Cooking

Cook alongside your host and sit down to a meal built from family recipes

A private dinner or lunch at a local cook's home in Civitella in Val di Chiana, where you watch the show cooking unfold and eat a 4-course menu with regional wines and coffee included. The experience lasts about 2.5 hours and is hosted by a Cesarine: a member of Italy's network of home cooks who open their kitchens and tables to travelers. Your host speaks English or Italian.

The experience

You arrive at a local's home in Civitella in Val di Chiana and step into a private dining experience built around show cooking. Your host (a Cesarine, part of Italy's oldest network of home cooks) walks you through the kitchen as they prepare each course from family recipes passed down through generations. This is not a restaurant. It is an invitation into how someone actually cooks at home, with the techniques and ingredients that matter to them. You watch, ask questions, and see the food come together before you sit down to eat it.

The meal itself is a 4-course progression: a seasonal starter, pasta, a second course with a side dish, and a typical dessert. Water, a selection of regional red and white wines from local cellars, and coffee come with it. The whole evening runs about 2.5 hours. You choose between a dinner or lunch seating at checkout, and your host will speak to you in English or Italian.

Cesarine hosts operate in more than 500 cities across Italy, and they are known for the warmth of their hospitality. The point is connection with a real person and the food that matters to their family, not a performance for strangers. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need them to get there.

What’s included

• A private 4-course meal with seasonal starter, pasta, second course with side dish and dessert.
• live show cooking as your host prepares each course.
• water, regional red and white wines and coffee.
• a private dining space at your host's home.

Options for this experience

2 options

DinnerGuide in English or Italian · Available from 4 Feb 2027Dinner

LunchGuide in English or Italian · Available from 4 Feb 2027Lunch

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesNext departure: 4 Feb 2027

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Italian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Public transport nearby

Operated by Cesarine: Cooking Class

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to cook alongside someone and eat food that comes straight from their family kitchen, rather than sit in a restaurant. The private home setting and the show cooking are what make the meal feel like an invitation, not a transaction.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What kind of cooking does the host do during the show cooking part?

Your host prepares each course of the meal in front of you using family recipes (the starter, pasta, main course and dessert) drawing from techniques and ingredients that are part of their own kitchen tradition.

Are the wines included in the meal price?

Yes, a selection of regional red and white wines from local cellars is included, along with water and coffee.

Can I choose between lunch and dinner, or is the time fixed?

You choose between a lunch or dinner seating when you book, and that determines which time you arrive at your host's home.

How long does the whole experience take?

The experience runs about 2.5 hours from arrival to the end of the meal.