Italy | July 14th, 2025 — While Italy welcomes millions of visitors every summer, a growing number of travelers are looking for something deeper — a chance to truly connect with local culture, far from the tourist trails. This is where Cesarine, Italy’s oldest network of home cooks, steps in with a selection of authentic, intimate culinary experiences in two of the country’s most breathtaking regions: Liguria and Lombardy.
Liguria: The Hidden Tastes of the Cinque Terre and the Italian Riviera
In the iconic yet often overcrowded Cinque Terre, guests can unlock the true soul of the region with Barbara in Riomaggiore. Nestled on cliffside terraces with panoramic sea views, Barbara invites you into her home for a 3-recipe cooking class where you’ll prepare traditional Gnocchi, local meatballs (“Tomaxelle”), and Tiramisù infused with Sciacchetrà wine. It's a multisensory immersion that combines storytelling, food, and scenery — all in one unforgettable moment. Watch the video of Barbara’s stunning location overlooking the sea.
In nearby Manarola, sommelier and pesto expert Ivonne offers a tasting journey through the local wines and vineyards, including a walk through cliffside plots and a sweet finish with cheeses and Sciacchetrà. Her pesto-making ritual with mortar and pestle is both meditative and mouthwatering.
📍 Experience it here.
In Genoa, step back in time with Tiziana at Villa Serra di Comago, where you'll learn to make fresh Ligurian pesto in a 1700s kitchen or under the trees of an English-style garden estate.
📍 Learn more.
End your Riviera journey with a refined aperitivo overlooking Portofino at Villa San Giacomo in Santa Margherita Ligure, where you'll taste local wines, focaccia and pesto in an exclusive seaside villa with frescoed halls and Italian gardens.
Lake Como: Authentic Flavors with a View
Cesarine also invites travelers north to Lake Como, where Monica, a writer and food activist, hosts guests in her elegant home just steps from the water. Her cooking class — focused on fresh ravioli with local herbs and cheeses — is paired with lively conversation and stories of local artists, anti-waste cooking, and the region’s culinary legacy.
📍 Discover her class.
In Bellano, on the eastern shore of the lake, Patrizia — a painter and gardener — shares recipes passed down through generations, from buckwheat pizzoccheri to crispy sciatt. Her lakeside garden kitchen and wood-fired stove offer a timeless escape where guests dine outdoors under the stars.
📍 Experience Bellano
Why choose Cesarine?
Cesarine’s experiences are not only authentic and deeply local, but also intimate and crowd-free — ideal for those looking to escape the hustle of traditional tourism. Each class is held in a private home or unique heritage location, curated for cultural immersion, genuine hospitality, and gastronomic storytelling.
This summer, don’t just visit Italy. Live it — with Cesarine.
Cesarine is a food experience platform connecting travelers with Italian home cooks who organize authentic culinary experiences in their homes. Founded in Bologna in 2004, Cesarine connects travelers with passionate hosts who share their knowledge, traditions, and home-cooked meals. Offering hands-on cooking classes, traditional meals, and immersive food and wine tours, Cesarine has become Italy’s most widespread network of home cooks. For the platform, which originated under the shadow of Bologna’s Two Towers and now spans the entire country, the United States remains the main market, with over 30,000 guests in 2024. Following are Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Northern Europe (particularly Germany, France, and Switzerland). As a Slow Food Community and advocate of sustainable tourism, Cesarine preserves Italy’s culinary heritage while empowering local communities. Cesarine’s advisory board includes: Niccolò Branca, CEO of Fratelli Branca; Daniele Ferrero, CEO of Venchi, the Finalca Group of the Cazzola family, and CDP Venture Capital, Davide Maggi, executive director of the Digital Marketing & Communication Executive Program of the Bologna Business School, CEO of Home Food Srl, a Società Benefit, which owns the Cesarine.com platform, and the related Community of amateur cooks and chefs.