A Cooking Class in Rome as a Gift: How the Voucher Works and Which Class to Give

Looking for a present that friends or family heading to Rome will actually use? A cooking class in Rome as a gift takes one email to arrange. There is no online shop and no cart: you write to us, the voucher arrives by email with a reference, and the person you are treating books by writing to us with that reference.

The part that deserves some thought is the choice. A couple, a family with children, a group of friends and a team of colleagues each suit a different class, and a few house rules on language, gluten and pork are worth knowing before you write. This guide covers both, with the real menus and durations from our kitchen at Piazza Margana 22, in the historic center of Rome, 2 minutes' walk from Piazza Venezia and 5 from the Colosseum.

First, write to us. Send an email to [email protected], or a WhatsApp message if you prefer, and say you want to buy a gift voucher: tell us the class you have in mind, the number of people and the name of the person receiving it. No date is needed at this stage. There is nothing to add to a cart, because vouchers are not sold through an online shop.

Then the voucher arrives by email. It carries a reference, and the reference is what matters: forward the email, print it or copy the reference into a card.

Finally, the recipient books. Whoever receives the voucher writes to us quoting the reference when they are ready to book, and we reserve their place.

That is the whole process. The rest of this guide is about choosing well: who the gift is for, which class suits them, and what they need to know before they write to book.

For two people, the most personal option is a private class. It can be booked for just the two of them, they choose the language among English, Italian and Spanish, and the menu comes from our private classes: pasta and tiramisù, pizza and gelato, Roman pasta with carbonara, gelato, spritz and spaghetti, or the market tour.

Three that work well for couples. The private pasta and tiramisù class: three hours of fresh egg pasta, ricotta and spinach ravioli, amatriciana and tiramisù, marked vegetarian friendly. The private market tour and cooking class: four hours with a market visit, a customizable menu and a flexible pace. And, for a couple who loves wine, the wine tasting and cooking class: two and a half hours with a chef and a wine expert, run as a group session in English. For more ideas, see our guide to a cooking class in Rome for couples.

Families have two private formats. In the private family cooking class adults and children cook at the same table, in a room just for the family, with one menu chosen from our classes: fresh pasta, pizza or gelato by hand. Wine is included for the adults, and so is Italian espresso.

In the kids cooking class the children do the cooking, on a pizza, fresh pasta or gelato menu, with the chef beside them at every step, and then everyone eats what the kids made. Wine is poured for adults only. Both formats are private, so the class can be taught in English, Italian or Spanish.

Friends who like a lively table do well in the group classes, taught in English. Spritz and spaghetti is two and a half hours of fresh pasta, spaghetti alla Nerano and spaghetti and meatballs, with Aperol Spritz included, in a social class designed for travelers aged 18 and over. For meat lovers there is the Roman pasta class: carbonara, cacio e pepe and amatriciana on fresh tonnarelli, also two and a half hours. Pizza and gelato is the vegetarian-friendly choice: a margherita kneaded, stretched and baked from scratch, then pistachio and hazelnut gelato, with wines and soft drinks included.

If they would rather taste than cook, the Trastevere food tour is two and a half hours of Roman street food with a local guide, with all tastings and Italian wines included. And a group of friends can book any of our private classes too, just for them, in English, Italian or Spanish.

For a whole team, the team building cooking class is a private session where everyone cooks a full portion of one menu chosen from our classes, then sits at a shared table to eat what they cooked, with wines and Italian espresso included. The corporate cooking class works the same way, in a private room for the company, with one menu agreed in advance and the class taught in English, Italian or Spanish.

For a single colleague, as a leaving present or a thank-you, a private class or a group class in English is the simpler gift. Every format for companies is on the corporate events page.

Give them the market. The market tour and cooking class lasts four hours: a visit to the market at Campo de' Fiori, seasonal ingredients chosen on the spot, then a three-course menu with fresh pasta made from scratch, wines included.

For someone short on time, the gelato class takes 90 minutes: pistachio and hazelnut gelato made by hand with traditional techniques, no machine needed, with Italian wines, espresso and traditional cookies. And for a wine lover who would rather not cook, wine tasting and food pairing is two and a half hours of Italian wines matched with food, led by a wine expert.

Language. Group classes are taught in English. Private classes can also be taught in Italian or Spanish, so if the person you are treating prefers one of those, give a private class.

Gluten. A class cooked with gluten is never made gluten-free, not even for one portion and not even on request. For a celiac recipient the answer is one of the two dedicated gluten-free classes, both private: gluten-free pasta and tiramisù, three hours, or gluten-free pizza and gelato, two and a half hours. If the gift is a group format (a family or kids class, a school or university group, a team building, corporate or large group session), the whole group can choose one of the two gluten-free menus; for the largest groups this is not guaranteed and is arranged with our staff. A single gluten-free plate inside a class with gluten does not exist.

Pork. Every class can be made without pork except the Roman pasta class, with carbonara, cacio e pepe and amatriciana, which is never made pork-free: an amatriciana without guanciale is just pasta al pomodoro.

Vegetarian and vegan. The pasta and tiramisù and the pizza and gelato classes are marked vegetarian friendly. The carbonara is never vegetarian or vegan, and a vegan version of the other classes needs staff approval before booking. Our guide to a vegetarian cooking class in Rome goes into more detail.

No. There is no online shop for gift vouchers: you buy one by writing to [email protected], or on WhatsApp. The voucher is sent by email with a reference. If you are unsure which class suits the person, ask in the same message.

They write to us quoting the reference on the voucher to book their class. It helps if they read the class page first, so they know the menu, the duration and what is included, and mention any allergy or dietary need when they book.

In most of them, yes. Wines are included in the pasta and tiramisù, Roman pasta, spritz and spaghetti and market tour classes; the pizza and gelato class includes wines and soft drinks, the gelato class Italian wines, and the Trastevere food tour Italian wines. In the family and kids classes, wine is for the adults only. Italian espresso comes with pasta and tiramisù, pizza and gelato, the Roman pasta class, the gelato class and the family, team building and corporate sessions.

All the group cooking classes, with menus and durations, are on the cooking classes page.