Modena Private Dining: Show Cooking at Local's Home

Options for this experience

2 options

Guide in English or Italian19:00

Guide in English or Italian12:00

You pick the guide language when booking. Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

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

Cook alongside a Modena home cook, then sit down to eat what you made together.

A private dining experience at a local cook's home in Modena where you watch show cooking and taste a 4-course menu of seasonal starters, fresh handmade pasta, a main course with side dish, and dessert, paired with regional wines and coffee. The meal lasts about two and a half hours and is hosted by Cesarine, Italy's network of home cooks who open their kitchens to travelers. A guide speaks English or Italian.

The Experience

You arrive at a local cook's home in Modena and step into a private kitchen where the day's menu is already in motion. The host walks you through the show cooking: watching them shape fresh pasta by hand, prepare seasonal starters like Tigelle with local cold cuts or Gnocco fritto, and build the main course from recipes passed down through their family. This is not a demonstration you watch from a distance. You're in the kitchen itself, close enough to see the technique and ask questions as the food comes together.

Once the cooking is done, you move to the table for the full 4-course meal. The starter arrives first, followed by fresh pasta: Tortellini, Lasagna, or Tagliatelle depending on what the cook has prepared that day. Then comes the second course: Zampone with mashed potatoes or Pollo alla Cacciatora, with a side dish. Dessert closes the meal: Torta Barozzi, Zuppa inglese, rice cake, Tiramisu, or another regional specialty. Water, a selection of red and white wines from regional cellars, and coffee are included throughout. The whole experience unfolds over about two and a half hours in the warmth of a private home, not a restaurant.

Cesarine, the network hosting this experience, operates across more than 500 cities in Italy and has built its reputation on connecting travelers with passionate home cooks who genuinely want to share their food and their table. Your host speaks English or Italian, so language is not a barrier to conversation. Public transportation options are available nearby if you need them to reach the address.

What’s included

• Private 4-course meal with seasonal starter, fresh handmade pasta, main course with side dish, and regional dessert.
• live show cooking in the host's kitchen.
• water, selection of red and white wines from local cellars, and coffee.

Days and timesDaily · 2 departure times, from 12:00 to 19:00

AgesAges 9+ · 4 to 8 years · Under 4 — Free

Meeting point and pickupNo pickup · ends where it startsMeeting point, per the operator: “This experience will be held in a local’s home. For privacy reasons, you will receive the full address of your Cesarina host after you have booked. We will cont…”

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by Cesarine: Cooking Class

Is this one for you?Book the lunch option if you want the experience earlier in the day. Choose dinner if you prefer an evening meal. Either way, the small group size (just you and the host in their home) means you get personal attention and genuine conversation, not a crowded table.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Italian.

Can children come?

4 to 8 years; under 4, free.

What pasta dishes might I eat at the dinner in Modena?

The fresh pasta course features Tortellini, Lasagna, or Tagliatelle, prepared by your host depending on what they've chosen for that day's menu.

Are wines included in the price of the dining experience?

Yes, a selection of red and white wines from regional Emilia-Romagna cellars is included, along with water and coffee throughout the meal.

Can I choose between lunch and dinner for this experience?

You select either lunch or dinner when you book. Both follow the same 4-course structure and show cooking format at the local cook's home.

How long does the whole experience take?

The experience lasts about two and a half hours, from the start of the show cooking through the end of the 4-course meal.