Luca Polverini

the cooking lab

I have a real passion for quality food and I am looking forward to sharing it with new people. Cooking and eating all together is such a good experience that I don’t want to keep it just for myself!

I’m really enthusiastic for the genuine Italian cuisine since childhood and I look forward to meet new “lovers” every day!

About

Hi! I’m Luca

Cooking has always been part of me: my grandparents were very good cooks and I always liked cooking with them. Over time I have refined the technique, experimenting and studying a lot. My house is very colorful, welcoming, with a kitchen and a dining room designed by me to be welcoming, practical and functional.

I started cooking when I was young, with my grandparents and parents. My grandpa used to hunt wild boar — he was very good in that. I enjoyed helping my family to cook. It was fun for me — pasta dough was like play dough! I also started volunteering in “sagras” (what’s a sagra?!?) and learned how to cook for a lot of people in a chaotic kitchen! I also used to share a house with friends, and I would invite friends over and cook for them. I started cooking as a side job, which eventually became full time. I do catering, teach cooking classes, and provide personal chef services. Cooking is my passion.

Experimenting is always my way of cooking, and I thought the name “The Cooking Lab” fit perfectly with what I do. Even though I focus on traditional dishes, every time you make the same dish, it will taste a bit different, but nevertheless delicious!  For catering, I currently serve groups of up to 40-50 people. For my cooking classes, I focus on tradition, fresh ingredients and cooking in the moment.

Cooking means good food. It’s like a video game — I disconnect myself from everything else and focus on the food. It’s the pleasure of good food and good times. When I see people smiling, that’s important too!

Where you'll be: in the hearth of Florence

Via Pasquale Villari 19, 50136 Firenze

With a very nice and practical kitchen and a dining room both looking at a private garden it’s the right place to learn the secrets of a real cooking day in Florence.

 

Other things to note

  • Duration: approximately 3 hours
  • We can customize the experience as you better see fit

Teaching

Cooking classes

– Please Note!
Let me know what you wish to learn to cook, and I will organise the perfect experience tailored to your needs according to the local tradition!

Where you'll be: in the hearth of Florence

Via Pasquale Villari 19, 50136 Firenze

With a very nice and practical kitchen and a dining room both looking at a private garden it’s the right place to learn the secrets of a real cooking day in Florence.

 

Other things to note

  • Duration: approximately 3 hours
  • We can customize the experience as you better see fit

Personal chef

Home restaurant

– Please Note!
The sample menu is only to give you an idea of what I might cook. We can decide together a menu. Or you could let me know any kind of food restrictions you might have or what you don’t like and then I’ll surprise you with a typical menu which includes family recipes and local traditional dishes.

What's included

  • Aperol spritz, chianti classico wine and more…
  • Coffee and/or Tea
  • A two/three/four-course meal depending on your choice

Other things to note

  • We can customize the experience as you better see fit

You can choose between a variety of menus

What's included

  • Aperol spritz, chianti classico wine and more…
  • Coffee and/or Tea
  • A two/three/four-course meal depending on your choice

Other things to note

  • We can customize the experience as you better see fit

Personal chef

Private Chef & Catering

Wherever you need

I can come to your house, to your company or where you need.

Contact me if you wish to organise a private party or dinner and turn your home into a restaurant. I can be your home chef for the day, and cook live any recipe you may wish so to enjoy a different evening with your family and friends comfortably from home.

– Let’s see some pics! –

Some options of what I might provide

Aperitivo

  • Bignè and pies, prosciutto, pecorino, bruschette (cherry tomatoes, mushrooms…), grilled vegetables.
  • Live cooking: fried vegetables or coccoli prosciutto and stracchino.

First course

  • Homemade  pasta, chitarra spaghetti (meat sauce or veg option with cherry tomatoes).
  • Live cooking: This kind of pasta can be cooked and stir-fried live so it’s always al dente.
  • Pasta fredda (homemade pesto, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella).
  • Lasagna with bolognese sauce and vegetarian with pesto (oven is necessary to heat up before serving).

Second course

  • Arrosticini (small meat skewers, typically lamb but also pork/chicken) or meat skewers. Veg option can be grilled tomino cheese.
  • Live cooking: barbecued meat and/or cheese can be grilled live.

Dessert

  • Tiramisù or cannoli siciliani with ricotta cream.
  • Live cooking: cannoli siciliani are always filled at the moment so that they maintain the fresh taste and crunchy consistency.

Information or book an experience

Contact me and find out more!

Asking is lawful, answering is courtesy.

Testimonials

Happy clients!

  •   The cooking class with Luca was incredible. We learned how to make fresh pasta, tiramisu, and cacio e pepe sauce. Luca helpfully did a vegetarian menu since one person in... read more

    thumb Carolyn
    08/03/2023

      This cooking class was wonderful! I learned how to make a few of the most popular dishes in half a day in an intimate home setting. A few of the... read more

    thumb Haruka
    01/10/2019

      I highly recommend this class if you find yourself in Florence either with friends or family. It’s a very personal class that will teach you things you can take back... read more

    thumb Isabella
    20/11/2019
  •   Authentic, enjoyable, and educational
    Luca does a great job sharing his passion while keeping three different entrees cooking. Sharing the food around his family table was the perfect way... read more

    thumb Denise
    02/06/2022

      Luca’s class was a great introduction to some of the local cooking and it was great to meet someone from the area. Highly recommended!

    thumb Chris
    01/05/2022

      Had the most amazing time with Luca. He welcomed us into his lovely home and was very informative during the entire process of making the pasta and desert. Would highly... read more

    thumb Alyssa
    19/10/2022
  •   Excellente expérience partagé avec Luca et sa compagne, qui sont très sympatique et chaleureux, et qui vous accueillent comme des amis.
    Moment de partage et de convivialité autour d'une... read more

    thumb Camille
    19/05/2022

      This was the best part of our Florence trip! Highly recommend this experience!

    thumb Lizzie
    25/10/2019

      Luca was a wonderful host and great teacher. My wife and I had a wonderful time and are really excited to try making our own pastas once we get home!

    thumb Eric
    12/12/2022
  •   A wonderful time learning the tips and tricks of excellent Italian pasta cooking. The right tools and process. The needed texture and how tos. So glad we selected Luca’s pasta... read more

    thumb Suzanne
    17/01/2023

      I would highly recommend! Luca was personable and a great teacher. It was so nice to feel at home in Florence. He definitely sparked my interest in cooking again and... read more

    thumb Kimberly
    23/09/2022

      My family of four loved our whole experience! Luca was a kind and gracious host, and we all agreed that the cacio e pepe we had, including our homemade... read more

    thumb Beverly
    05/08/2022
  •   This cooking class was fantastic - we really learned how to make fettuccine noodles, ravioli, & tiramisu. We enjoyed the company and guidance of Luca who was a great teacher.

    thumb Andrea
    23/09/2022

      Our group of four decided to take a cooking class while we were in Florence. We decided on the ‘Best Cooking Class - Firenze’ with Luca. Luca was... read more

    thumb Michael
    05/11/2019

      Luca is such a great host and a fantastic chef himself. His apartment is very clean and his process to make all of the wonderful dishes was also very clean,... read more

    thumb Eva
    08/11/2019
  •   This was absolutely a highlight of the trip - if you are even remotely interested in cooking, I'd definitely book this. Luca was fantastic both in making us feel at... read more

    thumb Tyler
    07/10/2019

      Where do we start? We booked this pasta cooking experience after reading other reviews online. Luca was magnificent. We traveled to Italy with our two daughters... read more

    thumb Rahul
    30/09/2019

      Luca and this experience are exceptional and absolutely worth every penny. He offers you an experience you’ll never forget, and its so personal! You’re invited into his lovely home and... read more

    thumb Taylor
    16/03/2023
  •   Fantastic authentic in home experience! Luca was a great host and the food was amazing. After preparing the food we sat down to enjoy the meal with his... read more

    thumb Lisa
    10/01/2023

      We had a wonderful experience with Luca! Our daughters thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Luca took care to include them in the whole process and made it fun for the whole... read more

    thumb Anjana
    25/07/2023

      This was a wonderful experience! It was very special from the moment Luca met us at the piazza. We went to the market to select the produce, stopped to get... read more

    thumb Marilu
    27/11/2019
  •   This was a great experience and one I will remember each time I cook Italian food in the future. Luca gave us some great information and showed us how to... read more

    thumb Kyle
    18/10/2019

      We came as family with 2 children (10,6). We all enjoyed it very much. Luca was very patient, and answered any question we had. At the end we ate dinner... read more

    thumb Natie
    04/11/2022

      Amazing amazing amazing! Great experience and great food! Luca did a phenomenal job teaching us how to prepare the food from beginning to end. It was great the he explained... read more

    thumb Joshua
    30/04/2024
  •   Luca is a superb chef and teacher. We did this as a family with 3 adults + 2 children, ages 7 and 10. Luca made the experience fun, educational, and... read more

    thumb Maggie
    06/04/2023

      What a great time with Luca and his beautiful family! We learned to make delicious pasta and had great conversation, would highly recommend! It’s like going for a dinner party... read more

    thumb Anna
    02/09/2022

      Realy useful and engage cooking session with Luca. We learned what was needed to not only make pasta, bit als tricks for better overal cooking. Luca was easy to talk... read more

    thumb Jelippens
    25/08/2022
  •   From ringing the doorbell at Luca’s house to saying ciao as we left, the experience was fun and interactive. We learned to make tiramisu, 2 fresh pastas-spaghetti & ravioli- ricotta... read more

    thumb Alicia
    18/11/2024

      Luca is a wonderful cook and very warm. Nice to be in a real local’s apartment and to learn how to make pasta with my family. Our kids loved it.... read more

    thumb Michael
    16/02/2023

      Had a great time at Luca’s cooking class. We made a great variety of foods and had a blast doing it! We met two other travelers as well and Luca... read more

    thumb Alyssa
    01/10/2019
  • star rating  We have a tremendous experience with Luca in his home. He was welcoming and kind and patient. He was tremendously good at teaching us the basics of Italian cooking. Moreover,... read more

    avatar thumb Steven B
    02/12/2022

    star rating  Luca and his family are wonderful! He guided us through several recipes and the results were great! Excellent food, wine and company - 100% recommended!

    avatar thumb Claudia
    04/06/2022

    star rating  This cooking class experience was everything my husband and I had hoped for. and then some!
    Lucca was incredibly gracious upon meeting us at the door and had an appetizer... read more

    avatar thumb Donna M
    13/10/2022
  • star rating  Luca was an amazing host and his cooking class was fantastic! He welcomed us with some appetizers while explaining how the class would have worked. Then he taught us how... read more

    avatar thumb Mary C
    15/05/2022

    star rating  An amazing day spent with Luca in his kitchen. Such a fun learning experience. Would definitely do this again when we come back and encourage all to visit Luca’s kitchen.... read more

    avatar thumb Toothy46
    27/09/2022

    star rating  This was a great experience to visit with the chef, see his processes, and enjoy a wonderful meal in a home setting in Florence. I highly recommend anyone to... read more

    avatar thumb Diane O
    13/12/2022
  • star rating  First and foremost, Luca is a very good cook, teacher and host at the same time. We really felt like home in his beautiful and clean kitchen that is decorated... read more

    avatar thumb Mara
    05/06/2022

    star rating  My partner and I absolutely loved this experience with Luca and his family. We were given an authentic taste of italy and learned how to cook some delicious foods along... read more

    avatar thumb WillParsley
    21/07/2022

    star rating  What a wonderful cooking experience! My wife is the cook in our house but I really enjoyed taking part in this and look forward to making these dishes at home... read more

    avatar thumb Nick M
    13/10/2022
  • star rating  Our Cooking Lab experience with Luca was amazing!! It was everything I was hoping for- an intimate lesson in an authentic/ family setting and amazing food! Luca invited us into... read more

    avatar thumb Julie K
    26/09/2022

    star rating  This was the best experience we have had in Italy. Luca was a fantastic instructor. He really helped us all get the feel for making pasta. His recipes were so... read more

    avatar thumb Michelle G
    17/07/2022

    star rating  This experience was AMAZING! Luca was awesome at teaching and very enthusiastic. It truly felt authentic from beginning to end. The class was one of our favorite things we did... read more

    avatar thumb Erin Lambert
    07/09/2022
  • star rating  This cooking class was the highlight of our trip! Luca is an amazing chef and teacher, happy to share tips and tricks on how to make traditional Italian food and... read more

    avatar thumb Carlotta N
    20/05/2022

    star rating  I have to say this was one of the highlights of the trip. Luca was fantastic. Very likable host with proffs skills. He was as enthusiastic about the cooking as... read more

    avatar thumb Kam R
    16/08/2022

    star rating  Absolutely amazing experience. We spent 4 hours (actually it was more as we stayed a bit after dinner chatting...) in really close contact with the food of these lands. Luca... read more

    avatar thumb Hans T
    05/05/2022
  • star rating  This was by far the most amazing night for my family! Luca was recommended by a friend. I contacted Luca and we set up a Night to cook! He did... read more

    avatar thumb Amy
    16/08/2022

    star rating  This was my 17 year old son's favorite thing we did during our whole trip to Italy! He was initially nervous that I had booked a cooking class in someone's... read more

    avatar thumb Tami75d
    26/01/2023

    star rating  Luca’s cooking class was a great way to experience the tradition of Tuscan cuisine. Fun, educational and fully hands on. I took away some special tricks and improved my everyday... read more

    avatar thumb Lorenzo
    02/06/2022
  • star rating  Luca is a fantastic teacher who made the entire experience fun and enjoyable. We learned so much about the quality and selection of foods offered and the knowledge of... read more

    avatar thumb Patti O
    16/11/2022

    star rating  I cannot say enough to express how amazing this experience was. We have been to Italy 3 times and this was by far the best experience we have done in... read more

    avatar thumb Gabriella M
    24/07/2022
  • Luca and his cooking class are exceptional and absolutely worth every penny. He offers you an experience you’ll never forget, and its so personal! You’re invited into his lovely home and his life. He tells you exactly what to do and it isn’t over complicated. He’s extremely friendly and makes you feel at home. I chose this course cause it felt small and intimate and that’s exactly what I got. Luca is the best and I’ll definitely be back for some more cooking lessons.

    Taylor Pool Avatar Taylor Pool
    22/03/2023

    This cooking class was an exceptional culinary experience: Chef Luca has a brilliant way of sharing the art and tricks of the Tuscan culinary tradition. We were greeted with a fresh Aperitivo and then we dove right in the cooking lesson. We learned how to make gnocchi, fettuccine and ravioli. Everything was delicious and the family style setting gave us a true authentic Italian food experience. We highly recommend The Cooking Lab!

    Lorenzo Berlincioni Avatar Lorenzo Berlincioni
    22/01/2023

    We had such an amazing night cooking with Luca and the Cooking Lab. We are a family of 4 with two teens and everybody had so much fun. This was a huge highlight of our trip to Italy. With Luca’s guidance and expertise, we learned how to cook cacio y pepe pasta, gnocchi with pesto sauce, and biscotti cookies. Like other reviews have stated, it was a pleasure to cook in Luca’s personal kitchen and dine with his family. It was such a personable and authentic Italian experience. I would absolutely cook with Luca again. Luca is extremely personable, knowledgeable, and loves to teach and entertain. Do not hesitate to book an amazing night with Luca and the Cooking Lab!!

    Andy Grasso Avatar Andy Grasso
    22/03/2023
  • I took the cooking class here when I visited Italy and it was the highlight of the trip! Luca was so welcoming and friendly, and the food was amazing! I would recommend The Cooking Lab to everyone!

    Gabriela Rivera Avatar Gabriela Rivera
    22/12/2022

    Our day at the Cooking Lab has been one of the best experiences we have had in Florence. Luca is an amazing host, and he does not only spread passion (and knowledge!) for the Italian cuisine, but also for people. We have enjoyed delicious, authentic food and shared lots of laugh. I was surprised by the quality of the ingredients and by Luca's sense of humour, which made cooking together even more fun. He has also a really nice website, from which it is super easy to book a class and you can get lots of information on what you can do at the Lab. I am now looking forward to try one of the recipes at home. Thank you Luca!

    Parnaso Elettronico Avatar Parnaso Elettronico
    22/02/2023

    One of the best experiences I had in Italy! Luca was amazing. He cooks with passion, love, and a smile on his face. What we prepared was so delicious, fresh, tasty. Genuine ingredients and kindness. I highly recommend The Cooking Lab Experience! Lovely and great memories that will last forever.

    Martina Medolago Avatar Martina Medolago
    22/01/2023

Contact Me Directly

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Or As You Want

Phone

(+39) 351.9877006

Address

Via Pasquale Villari 19, 50136 Firenze, Italia