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!

  •   Cooking with Luca was great! We really enjoyed our time and he was very accommodating and wanted us to have the best time. Highly recommend!

    thumb Savanna
    03/04/2022

      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
  •   Had a great time from getting fresh ingredients at the local market to making a variety of techniques for making pastas, gnocchi, and dessert. We also had great conversations... read more

    thumb Kristina
    02/12/2019

      We've taken cooking classes all over the world. Luca's is one of the best. He's a fine teacher - patient and great at explaining. He's also an excellent chef. Our... read more

    thumb Heidi
    14/11/2024

      Awesome, highly recommend

    thumb Mathey
    07/06/2022
  •   Taking a cooking class from Luca is a one-of-a-kind experience that was worth flying from Los Angeles to Italy for! Our expectations were blown away with everything. From the expert... read more

    thumb Christine
    21/11/2022

      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

      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
  •   Fantastic cooking class with Luca. He was very accommodative with our family’s dietary requests and the end meal was amazing. Luca was very personable and we enjoyed our... read more

    thumb Amish
    30/08/2022

      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

      Luca is a great host and teacher. He shares his passion for food and cooking with friendly enthusiasm. His home and especially his kitchen was welcoming and comfortable. I would... read more

    thumb Aki
    21/10/2019
  •   Great experience yesterday with Luca! Me and my significant other lucked out and had Luca to ourselves! It truly felt like we had a personal chef for the afternoon who... read more

    thumb Sarah
    22/02/2023

      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

      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
  •   We had lunch with Luca and his wife in his beautiful Italian home. It was a very home-y experience from the cooking to eating.

    thumb Jenn
    02/06/2022

      Luca was wonderful.

    thumb Terry
    18/10/2019

      Luca's cooking lab was an incredible experience. From shopping at a local market, to encouraging us to participate in the preparation of the dishes we prepared, to showing us... read more

    thumb Karen
    27/11/2019
  •   Fun, intimate and personalise class in the backdrop of Florence with a super friendly host who made you feel at home.

    thumb T
    06/12/2019

      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

      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
  •   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

      We had such a good night with Luca and his Family, He passed on many cooking tips for us, we had great food and lovely dinner conversation.
    Definitely a must do!!... read more

    thumb Brandon
    02/09/2022

      The cooking lab was great. We truly enjoyed our time with Luca and his family. He let us cook but was excellent at assisting and making sure our dishes were... read more

    thumb Joseph
    01/11/2022
  •   Luca was awesome!! So hospitable, patient with our kids, food was amazing!! Highly recommend!!

    thumb Carrie
    16/07/2022

      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 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
  •   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

      Luca is a wonderful chef and a great host. His cooking class not only taught me about making fresh pasta and gnocchi, but provided wonderful insight into his life experience.

    thumb Walli
    07/11/2019

      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
  • 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  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  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  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  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  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  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  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 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 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  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  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  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  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

    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  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  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  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  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 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
  • Luca joined us in our apartment in Florence for a cooking class / dinner over the winter holidays. Luca is a fabulous chef, patient teacher, and a wonderful host. He accomodated a wide variety of food restrictions and we were able to make GLUTEN FREE pasta for one of the people in our party!!! We had such a marvelous time learning some pasta making techniques. it was the best meal of our trip and a total highlight for our family (ages 12-grandparents). Very highly recommend!

    Katie Vivalo Rouse Avatar Katie Vivalo Rouse
    22/01/2023

    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

    The most amazing experience you can ever imagine. I wish I could give Luca 10 stars. I actually had a private experience learning his art of cooking two types of pasta and tiramisu in his beautiful home. Afterwards we had dinner together in the dining room. I felt more like a guest with my friend. You must experience this while in Florence. He is an amazing chef, teacher and Italian gentleman. Don’t miss this!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Sherri Loeb Avatar Sherri Loeb
    22/01/2023
  • The single best review I can write is that Luca managed to get a thumb up from my son, who is a super picky eater. We were a large group with different requests (one vegan, one gluten free) and Luca managed to accomodate all of us.

    Dr. Emme Ci Avatar Dr. Emme Ci
    22/03/2023

    Myself and a couple girlfriends booked a cooking night at The Cooking Lab and all our expectations were blown out of the water. We had such a great time and highly recommend!

    Ashley Beauford Avatar Ashley Beauford
    22/12/2022

    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

Contact Me Directly

Privacy acceptance

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Or As You Want

Phone

(+39) 351.9877006

Address

Via Pasquale Villari 19, 50136 Firenze, Italia