Barbara
Cesarina from 2019My speciality: Ribollita
I live in: Florence
Spoken languages: Italian and English
Good to know
I offer vegetarian alternatives
Hi from Barbara!
The city of Florence is rich in history, art, and culture, but also good food.A good way to discover Florentine culture can be to taste the most authentic dishes of its culinary tradition: the specialties that you can find at Barbara's table are delicate and tasty, but also rustic and refined.Our Cesarina loves to bring friends and family together in her garden, or around the fireplace, in the colder months.Her menus are always enriched with good Chianti.
My specialities
- Tasting of crostini: colonnata lard, stracchino and sausage, black cabbage, black cabbage
- Ribollita
- 'Peposo dell'Impruneta' (Tuscan Black Pepper Beef)
Experiences
Cooking classes (10)
Reviews
5.0
15 reviews
- What an unforgettable experience! The cooking class in Florence was the absolute highlight of our trip. From the moment we met Barbara the atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and authentic. She was not only incredibly skilled but also patient and passionate about sharing traditional Florentine recipes and techniques. We shopped at a local market and learned step by step how to make homemade gnocchi and bruschetta using local, high-quality ingredients. Everything was hands-on, fun, and easy to follow—even for beginners. The best part, of course, was sitting down together at the end to enjoy the delicious meal we had created, paired perfectly with local wine. This class gave us more than just a taste of authentic Italian cooking—it gave us memories we’ll treasure forever. If you’re in Florence, don’t miss this experience. We highly recommended!
- Barbara was a fabulous host. Her home cooked dinner was delicious and certainly the best gnocchi my husband and I had ever eaten. Loved the whole experience of enjoying home cooking with a gorgeous host and beautiful daughter. Bellissimo! PS. I would love to know the gnocchi recipe to try at home!
- This experience was truly one of a kind! Barbara was AMAZING. Her home was beautiful, warm, and welcoming. She was kind, funny and a fabulous conversationalist. The food was so incredibly delicious and we will be recommending Barbara and the Cesarine to anyone we know who travels to Italia! Grazie Mille!
- Barbara was a superb hostess and an excellent chef. Our meal was exquisite, her home a lovely setting, and her warm personality very inviting. Our family felt relaxed, welcomed and very well fed. It was wonderful to chat about life in Florence with a native and hear how our lives are the same with some slight differences. Such a pleasurable experience. I would highly recommend either the home chef experience or if you prefer the cooking class experience.
- Barbara was a wonderful Cesarine. We really enjoyed her warm hospitality, friendly demeanor, and great food! She is a great cook that is easy to learn from and makes you feel at home. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience!
Tim & Eleni - October 2025
Lisa Grigg - October 2024
Julie & Mary Mazzei - March 2024
Hamilton Family - November 2023
Sandi Duplechin - October 2023