Italy · DINNER EXPERIENCES
Every trip has one free day too few. These 15 dinner experiences are worth giving it to — priced and timed so the decision takes minutes, not an evening.
Candlelit dinner on a Venetian galleon cruise through the lagoon, with Prosecco, wine, and views of Murano and Burano by night.
“Staff were excellent. My wife is in a wheelchair and they were super attentive.”
Make Roman pasta from scratch in Frascati, then enjoy DOCG and IGT wine tasting and dinner in a family cellar outside Rome.
“The whole experience was absolutely outstanding. The host was brilliant, really knowledgeable and engaging, especially during the wine tasting and pasta making parts. Getting to make the pasta from scratch and then enjoy it at the end was amazing. The class was shared with other families and couples, which made it even better. It was great getting to know people, hearing about their local interests, and where they were from. Overall, the afternoon was superb. Great value for money and such a fun, authentic experience. I’d highly recommend this to anyone visiting!”
A 3-hour Rome food tour in Trastevere with wine at four stops, a sit-down Roman dinner, and organic gelato to finish.
“Meeting location description was poor - us and others were waiting in the wrong place. Food was good but not enough of it. Couldn't hear most of what the guide was saying as walking through streets with no microphone or earpieces”
Hard Rock Cafe Venice with priority seating and a set menu. Get good value in a prime gondola location, plus an easy Rock Shop stop.
“The service was good, they got us seated straight away and the food came out pretty quick and was nice, there was a lot of food! We even had an extra drink and they didn’t charge us, we enjoyed the day.”
Make Roman pasta from scratch and taste two Frascati wines in a family cellar, plus a wine cave visit and dinner in Lazio.
“My partner and I had an amazing time with Rosa learning how to make pasta. This is a great option for a couple or group that wants a variety of things. We had a mixture of history, wine tasting and education and finally pasta making. It felt more intimate and authentic than some of the ones in the city center and was an easy train ride! Highly recommend.”
Learn Palermo pizza and chocolate gelato, then eat your creations with wine. 3-hour class includes recipes and certificate for $71.
“Highly recommend these cooking lessons! There were four of us attending and everything was explained so clearly and thoroughly. Even my mum, whose English isn’t the strongest, understood absolutely everything without any trouble. That really says it all. Lidia and Marcello are absolutely wonderful – warm, patient and genuinely passionate about what they do. We picked up so many useful tips that we’ll actually use at home (not just the fancy-chef kind you forget the next day!). If you’re thinking about booking, just do it. It’s such a brilliant experience from start to finish.”
Rome by night with hotel pickup, Colosseum-to-St. Peter’s sights, plus included Roman pizza and gelato in a small group.
“Not what we expected. It was a rushed tour, hopping in and out of a van to only see things from the distance for a couple minutes. No time to relax and properly see the sites.”
Hands-on Tuscan cooking class in Florence with a pro chef, 4-course menu, wine dinner, and take-home recipes. Small group, 4 hours.
“Fun night and the food we made was great. Our group took.all the cooking jobs so I just watched. Otherwise it was fine.”
A small-group Trastevere food and wine tour with 10+ tastings, Roman pizza, a sit-down dinner, and gelato, guided in English.
“Was a fab experience, Anna was a great guide, very charismatic, energetic and knowledgeable and took us to some hidden gems. Learnt so much also and good with kids also. A highly recommended experience.”
A Rome opera concert inside the Chiesa Valdese, then dinner at Enoteca Corsi. Intimate arias, great acoustics, and a handy walk.
“I signed up for this because I wasn't able to pack a tuxedo and otherwise attend a "real" Italian opera. I more than half-expected mediocrity in both music and dining, but it was something different to do. How WRONG I was! Both singers and the piano player were PHENOMENAL! The dinner; while not the top 5 star meal we enjoyed in Italy, was actually one of the highlights of our trip! We chatted up other people from the show and made some fast friends! In all, this was an absolute blast and was one of the highlights of our whole trip! Highly recommend!!”
Tuscan dinner in Piazza della Signoria, then an intimate Three Tenors style concert at Cattedrale dell’immagine, Florence.
“Gorgeous setting and the music and singing was lovely. Enjoyed.”
Verona’s food and wine walking tour with tastings, lunch, Amarone, and a funicular ride for panoramic views and city legends.
“Very enjoyable tour,got to see a lot more of Verona in the few hours with Diane than we would have on our own,mixing lovely food,wine,history and culture.Highly recommend this tour.”
Handmade orecchiette near Lecce in a family villa. Pasta class, Puglia dinner, and Salento wine tastings in about 3.5 hours.
“Relaxed family setting, more than accommodating. Very enjoyable, plenty of fun, would highly recommend.”
Late-afternoon Siena stroll plus two Chianti winery visits and a 4-course farmhouse dinner, paired with estate wines, from Florence.
“Lisa was fantastic! We learned much about Sienna and wine.🍷 The country side was beautiful! despite the rain. Loved the winery, its vineyards were huge really some thing. The winery inside and outside was very impressive. Loved the family and the wine was outstanding really! And the accompanying food was very delicious! Highly Recommended! Would do it again!!!”
Rome Pantheon wine pairing dinner: prosecco aperitivo, 3-course Roman meal, four regional wines, intimate 10-person group near the Pantheon.
“Our guide Clelia was delightful, the food was delicious, with perfect portions. Each course paired nicely with wine. Clelia guided us through the regions of Italy as she explained the wine and food choices. The Restaurant Choice was also perfect. I’ll be eating there again.”
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