Experience
Cooking Classes in Greve in Chianti
Cook, Savour & Live
A Professional and Welcoming Experience
Description
Your experience takes place in Chef Barbara’s wine bar — a space that reflects her personality, creativity and passion for hospitality.
The experience is led by Chef Barbara, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London; the course combines expertise with a relaxed and engaging approach. – You won’t find any improvisation here, but an experience where every detail has been carefully considered, making it accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
It’s not your typical venue, but a space that has evolved over time: whether you’re a beginner or a cooking enthusiast, you’ll feel at ease, engaged and inspired.
- Vintage items collected over the years.
- Furniture made, restored or hand-painted.
- A space created with care, never chosen from a catalogue.
The result is a warm and cosy atmosphere, full of character — a place where you immediately feel at home.
What you will learn
In our cooking class you will learn how to make a real complete Italian meal, using seasonal and strictly local raw materials. You’ll then be able to go home and show off all the secrets you’ve learnt about Italian cuisine to your friends and family… and leave them speechless!
Each dish is paired with wines selected directly from Barbara’s wine cellar, creating a natural and authentic harmony between food and wine.
This isn’t just a cooking class, but a genuine food and wine experience in Chianti.
During this authentic Tuscan cooking experience, you will learn to:
- Prepare a full Italian meal from scratch.
- Learn traditional techniques that you can try at home.
- Using local and seasonal ingredients.
- Discover the simplicity behind great dishes.
- Enjoy every moment of the process.
From 150,00 €
VAT INCLUDED
NEWS
Check out our free shuttle service for a hassle-free experience!*
* For GiaBar customers only – This service is available only for bookings for lunch, dinner and cookery classes. It is not available for tasting menus.
Who is Chef Barbara?
Let me tell you my story — because no one can do it better than me.
I was born in Crawley to an Italian mother and a Polish father, and I spent part of my childhood in Canada. That’s why I speak both English and Italian fluently — something my guests really appreciate.
I trained in cooking and pastry-making at Le Cordon Bleu in London, and went on to specialise in various areas, including chocolate-making and cake design. I am also a FISAR-certified sommelier and have studied for the Masters of Wine.
My journey has taken me to various parts of the world — including Canada, France, India, the Netherlands and Italy — where I have worked in kitchens, taught and shared my passion for food and wine.
What drives me is simple:
to keep learning, experimenting and sharing what I love in an authentic and engaging way.
And even after the course, I’ll always be on hand to help you with recipes, tips or food pairings.
Choose one of our Courses
For an even more exclusive experience, Chef Barbara can come directly to your home to offer private lessons and culinary experiences, ideal for special occasions, holidays or celebrations.
Perfect for holidays, special occasions or simply to share a special moment.
Enjoy a Tuscan cookery class at your villa in Chianti or the surrounding area, featuring:
- A fully guided experience.
- Carefully selected ingredients.
- Wine pairings from Chef Barbara’s wine bar.
Tuscan Cooking Class
The experience begins at 10:00 am with a welcome coffee — a chance to relax and settle into the rhythm of the day.
Then we get cooking.
We start by making white bread, as its aroma fills the room.
It is then served with our famous platter of local specialities — a convivial start, just like in Tuscany.
We continue with handmade pasta, learning the techniques step by step.
Then comes the main course with a side dish, and finally a traditional dessert.
Once everything is ready, we all sit down to enjoy the meal — accompanied by selected wines.
Duration: 3 hours + convivial lunch
Local Products: YES
Spoken Languages: Italian / English
Score: 5 stars out of 183 reviews
Starting time: 10am
.
Included in the price:
Preparation of white bread with a platter of local specialities.
Preparation of handmade pasta.
Preparation of a main course with a side dish.
Preparation of a traditional dessert.
A convivial lunch featuring the dishes prepared.
Tasting of 4 wines.
Tasting of 2 extra virgin olive oils.
Price: €160 per person.
Pastry cooking class
If you are fascinated by the magic that hides behind the most delicious desserts, dream of mixing ingredients to create tasty works of art and wants to learn the secret techniques of professional pastry chefs, you are in the right place.
Duration: 3 hours + Tasting of the sweets prepared
Local Products: YES
Spoken Languages: Italian / English
Score: 5 stars out of 62 reviews
Starting time: 10am
.
Included in the price:
Making a panna cotta flavoured with Mediterranean herbs and a accompanying sauce.
Making tiramisu, the world’s most famous dessert!
Preparation of classic Cantuccini, which we will make with a white chocolate and pistachio variation.
Preparation of a fruit tart with shortcrust pastry and lemon-flavoured custard.
A short course on fruit carving to decorate your desserts
Tasting of 2 paired dessert wines.
Price: € 150 per person.*
*Minimum of 4 people.
EXCLUSIVE cooking class
This exclusive food and wine experience will take you on a sensory journey through the flavours and scents of Italy. You will explore the basics of cooking by creating a complete lunch with simple techniques and top-quality ingredients. Only for true cooking lovers!
Duration: 3 hours + Exclusive lunch served
Local Products: YES
Spoken Languages: Italian / English
Score: 5 stars out of 27 reviews
Starting time: 10am
.
Included in the price:
Preparation of schiacciata to accompany the charcuterie platter.
Preparation of handmade pasta with a matching sauce.
Preparation of a main course with a side dish.
Preparation of a dessert.
An exclusive lunch served where you will sample your own creations.
Tasting of a platter of top-quality cheeses and cured meats, including many Italian and French specialities such as: Alpine cheeses, cheeses from Corzano and Paterno, Pata Negra, Culatello di Zibello, Riserva cured ham and much more.
Tasting of 4 top-quality wines paired with your dishes.
Tasting of 2 extra virgin olive oils.
Price: € 250 per person.*
*Minimum of 4 people.
Aperi Bite Lab
Create Your Perfect Italian Aperitif!
Discover the world of the Italian aperitif — a world of flavour, creativity and conviviality.
A hands-on workshop to learn how to create a genuine Italian aperitif.
We start at 3 pm, when the atmosphere becomes more relaxed.
We’ll prepare focaccia and bread, followed by:
- Handmade crackers;
- Homemade jam;
- Sweet and sour vegetables.
And finally, a dessert, before enjoying it all together during the aperitif dinner.
Duration: 3 hours + Tasting + Aperitif dinner
Local Products: YES
Spoken Languages: Italian / English
Score: 5 stars out of 62 reviews
Start time: 3.00 pm
.
Included in the price:
Focaccia and bread.
Artisanal crackers, jam and vegetables.
Dessert.
Full aperitif dinner.
2 glasses of wine + 1 glass of dessert wine.
Price: €150 per person.
Chef Babs will guide you in this exciting journey which includes:
- Welcome coffee.
- Detailed explanations and ongoing support.
- Ingredients and equipment.
- Digital recipes available to download from the GiaBar website.
- 5% discount on your first purchase from our online shop.
- Advice on cooking and food pairings, once you’re back home.
OUR COOKING SCHOOL
What are you waiting for?
Find out what people who have already tried our Cooking School say
Donald, USA
Rating
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
We recently enjoyed a wonderful cooking class with Babs to celebrate two birthdays. It was a wonderful experience and Babs was delightful. She is as authentic as the dishes she taught us to prepare and we highly recommend her.
Dan, USA
Rating
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
No trip to Tuscany is complete without experiencing Babs Kitchen!! My wife and I were on our honeymoon and this was not only the highlight of our trip, but one of the best overall travel experiences I can remember. Barbara is an amazing chef with an expert knowledge of desserts and wine. We made scratch raviolis with pear/onion filling and cream sauce, fried chicken with lemon sauce, tiramisu, coccoli and a few other dishes. Her facility is top-notch!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Lauren, USA
Rating
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
Barbara is excellent! We cooked a 5 course lunch with another couple and had a blast. Barbara speaks fluent Italian and English, offers a variety of recipes and her hospitality is top notch. We went to her industrial kitchen in her home and enjoyed lunch al Fresca with homemade lemoncello in her charming backyard dining room. Bab’s cooking class is a MUST!
Michelline, USA
Rating
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
Babs was so, so lovely, very knowledgable, so easy going and was so good in explaining not just how to cook but also why we would perform certain procedures and was very informative. We made a beautiful bread, delicious pasta, a juicy, tender pork dish and divine panacotta for dessert. Needless to say we were absolutely stuffed after our meal which we (with assistance) cooked. Babs goes above and beyond giving us info on where to go for meat, fruit and veg and even where I could get my hair done for a wedding I was attending. She was fabulous. Highly recommend this experience.
Travelgirl, USA
Rating
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
Our family was lucky enough to take a cooking class with Babs a couple of weeks ago – it was the highlight of our stay in Tuscany!
Babs tailored the class to our family and the wide range of ages of our 3 children (15, 12, and 9). We learn how to make several types of pasta, sauces and gelato. She was also kind enough to make a beautiful cake in honor of our oldest daughter’s 15th birthday. We enjoyed all of the delicious dishes in the retreat-like setting of her backyard.
Babs is warm and welcoming, a great instructor and was quite patient in answering the many questions of our kids. You can tell that she loves what she does and in sharing it with others. She even spent time researching and recommending local sites to visit while we were in the area. I asked our kids what their favorite part of the trip was, and all of them told me it was “making pasta”. Now that I have the confidence to try it on my own, I’m looking forward to recreating some of her recipes at home for a family pasta making party. Thanks again Babs!
Hanna, USA
Rating
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
My husband and I adored Babs and the cooking class experience. It was certainly a highlight of our honeymoon in Italy, and we felt so lucky to have stumbled upon the class.
The food were all classic tuscan dishes, and we had the whole nine yards: apertivo, primi, segundi, and dolci! Since it was our Honeymoon, Babs even offered to pop some champagne for us to enjoy at the start of our meal. On the warm evening outside we enjoyed a delicious Rosé after the champagne as we began per manjare (excuse the incorrect italian). To start we learn bread (tuscan focaccia went by another name) and pasta making (spaghetti), and Bab’s had great technique tips for us. Homemade pasta makes such a difference! The chicken dish we made was some of the best chicken we’ve tasted, and the panna cotta dessert was delicious too! A tasty salad with pecorino and apple was great on the side. As soon as we got home we started making some of the Babs inspired recipe’s she supplied us with, and we love it.
Bab’s instruction was great, you can tell she has great culinary training and really tries to impart all the tips she can while you cook each dish.
The evening and ambience were perfect.
Elinastreet, Italy
Rating
★★★★★ Rated 5 out of 5
Barbara is a talented, kind, friendly, warm and most importantly – an excellent teacher and chef! Her professional kitchen is extremely accommodating — and the whole experience quickly became a fun family experience (I was with my mother and younger brother). Barbara was patient and happily took us through all the steps of each dish. This was a once in a lifetime adventure for us as a family, and an exciting chapter in our life — thank you Barbara! PS: Barbara was also happy to talk us through all the different areas in Italy, and explain to us where we could find the best ingredients and why. It was a pleasure to work with her.
Book your Cooking Class
NEWS
Discover our free shuttle service for a hassle-free experience!
Frequently asked questions:
Welcome coffee is at 10.00. We ask you to be punctual.
The duration of the lesson, including lunch, is approximately 4 hours.
Our classes never exceed 10 participants, because we want to support you as best as possible during the lesson. If you are a larger group it is not a problem, just ask us by email at info@giabar.com
Of course, in case you write an email to info@giabar.com to get prices and conditions.
Yes, we will eat the dishes you have prepared during the lesson.
It is vital that you email us in advance to report any food allergies or preferences you may have, so we can let you know if we can accommodate you. We will not be able to accommodate special dietary requirements without prior notice as ingredients and setting are prepared in advance.
The recipes of all the dishes you have prepared will be sent by email and will be available on our website in a dedicated area.
Each dish will be served with a matching wine, chosen from our beautiful GiaBaR cellar.
Photos are allowed and encouraged! It will be a pleasure for us if you want to publish the photos on your social channels, tagging @gastronomiagiabar.
To cancel, write to info@giabar.com.
Comfortable clothing and shoes (you will stand during preparation). Rings and bracelets must be removed during preparation. If you have long hair, tie it back. We will provide you with a GiaBaR apron that you can purchase at the end of the course, without any obligation.
No experience required. Come with the desire to discover and have fun.
