Market Food Tour In Florence + 4 Courses Lunch Cooking Class

The food was excellent. The other people in the group were so much fun and we actually had a very good time and learned a lot to take home. Be warned, though when you’re meeting at the Square, it’s very confusing. There were multiple groups meeting at the same time no identification of what our person was supposed to look like and where we’re supposed to stand and then the market is not actually for shopping it’s a tour and a great food tasting that was great, but we were unprepared for a 20 minute walk to the class for cooking. We were a group of older people and we personally were very tired from the day before and we’re not prepared to walk that far. We’re comfortable clothing, good shoes, and use the restroom before you meet..

Great tour, fun easy going atmosphere and our instructor was great. The market was amazing and we went back a couple times after. Worth it.

Really good cooking and markets activity. Our guide was an excellent chef and teacher. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Could have benefited from a better introduction at the meeting place (and also an on-time arrival), but the essence of the activity was excellent.

Incredible cooking and experience! Noemi greeted us in the square and took us on a tour of the market and explained so much about local foods, shopping habits and market offerings before we’re headed to chef school for our cooking lesson! WOW! So much more that we could have expected!! The menu was incredible and we were really able to cook ourselves! Noemi taught us to cook like real chefs! We made a full course meal! And we ate things I would never think to make and it was phenomenal! Winter bruschetta, chicken Marsala, spinach ravioli- (yes! Homemade pasta! And finished with tiramisu! Incredible!! So grateful were took the time in there this gorgeous city for such a special experience! Noemi was a GEM!!

There is a lot of standing and walking in this tour. The tastings at the huge market were interesting and the chef was fun to work with. Learned so much!

We loved doing the whole experience from going to the market buying produce, tasting, cooking and the finally eating!

Catalina was amazing! We had so much fun, we sample some of the best things EVER ! We had a blast and the market was so much fun! You will want to purchase items in the market , I recommend bringing a tote bag ☺️

Francesco was awesome. Very personable, friendly and informative. Shopping at tahe market was fun with tastings and interesting background information provided by Francesco. The cooking class was fun, we learned some knife skills and practical tips which help to shorten prep and cooking times. The 4-course menu we prepared was very tasty.

It is my second class in one week, which says a lot to how happy I have been with them. Learnt a lot from touring the market. The dishes are simple but very delicious!

This was my favorite tour while visiting Italy. Entailed a lot of walking, which I wasn't expecting. From the meeting location, the tour was broken up into 2 groups and we proceed to walk to the amazing market. All I can say is WOW! I wish I had one of these markets near me. After touring the market, sampling some stuff and picking up some supplies, it was a significant walk to Chefactory. We had such a wonderful time making a 4 course meal, which included making fresh pasta. Our tour guides/chefs were wonderful throughout the entire tour. Our absolutely delicious 4 course meal was server to us along with wine. Everyone in the group, including the men were talking about how much they enjoyed the tour and how good everything was. I would definitely recommend this tour and would do it again.

We both thoroughly enjoyed the market tour and the cooking class. It was one of our favorite meals in Florence! I can’t remember our chef’s name, but she was fantastic.

Chef was very friendly and informative. Enjoyed the tour of the market, especially the food tasting. Cooking class was just right and it was a great experience meeting people from all over Europe while making Tuscan food.

What a great time! We went to the local market which was huge, and saw where all the fresh ingredients came from. We were treated to a little tasting before we went to the school and made our meal. We made tiramisu, hand made fettuccine, a sundries tomato pesto sauce and a dish with chicken and vegetables. It was all delicious! They also provided some Chianti wine with our meal. This was supposed to be a lunch but we were all completely stuffed for the evening. Everyone in our party absolutely loved it!! Thanks Katrina and Stefano!!

We expected much more cooking in this experience. We booked direct from their website and they described it as a “hands on cooking lesson” where “you will taste everything you made”. The reality is, after the market visit (where you try truffle oil, truffle paste, oil, balsamic vinegar & biscuit with wine - all at one location where a shop employee gives you samples and then you’re invited to purchase), then you try a tiny piece of cheese elsewhere, you walk back to the kitchen. In groups of 6 or so, you watch the chef prepare parts of a meal, your table of 6 then does the same thing- but not everyone does everything. It’s a community prepared meal where you might get to cut a tomato or an onion, stir some cream if you’re lucky. You’re then told how the meals are finished - you don’t get to see it because you go in another room where they being the completed meals to you. So our table of 6 cut some tomatoes, onion and garlic and basil - and the company then toasted bread, and one person then put the tomatoes on the bread - bruschetta done! For dessert, one person put gelatine sheets in water and then we watched the chef stir milk, add vanilla. One person then added the gelatine to the milk mix and another poured the mix into tiny cups- that’s desert finished. It was brought to us later with some compote on top (that someone else did). The pasta dish that the group made was in fact gnocchi. One person pushed pre-prepared potatoes through a sieve, another mixed pre-prepared flour into the potato mix. The one ball was cut into 6 and each person could roll it out and cut about 10 pieces of gnocchi. It was then put on a dish and we had nothing more to do with it. It was cooked by someone else (we didn’t see), combined with a sauce cooked by someone else (we didn’t see) and brought to the table in the other room where we were seated. We had a chicken dish which was more of the same. Pre cut chicken was seasoned and floured by one person, seared by another and veggies (that the group cut up between us all) were then added. Lid put on and the next time we saw it was when it was served to us in the next room. It’s simply not a cooking class, it’s more of a demonstration where participants get to do a few bits and pieces. Very disappointing!

My partner and i had a fun time doing the market tour and cooking class. The market tour was a good insight in to the produce they sell and cook with. We got to do some tastings. The cooking class was fun making 3 meals in 2 groups of 6

My husband and I had an amazing day with Chef Francesco. We easily met up with our group at the check in point. Chef Francesco guided us through the San Lorenzo Market and shared his expert tips for picking out meats, veggies, etc. We sampled items at a lovely truffle booth where we learned all about the various products available. After a caffe break, we then walked with Chef to his kitchen. Here we all worked together to create a delicious meal beginning with bruschetta, followed by fresh filled pasta with a delicious white ragu, the main course of chicken alla cacciatora, and ending with a creamy panna cotta. Oh and there was wine too! We learned so much during our class and enjoyed sharing our meal with visitors from around the world. Chef Francesco is full of passion for his craft, which is obvious in how he shared his expertise with us, explaining the "why" and "how" of each step. His manner allowed us to easily ask him for help when necessary and he was quite entertaining too! We had such a lovely day and highly recommend this special tour. Grazie mille, Francesco!

If you come to Florence and want to experience the Italian love for food, this is the place. Do not hesitate to book any class (I had two). What makes it so special? Francesco and his attitude towards food and people. In his words, food is the point of life; it is a religion. The lessons and the chefs will fill you with joy and laughter and make it so easy to work with real, beautiful ingredients. I promise you, you will remember this for years to come and will never look at food the same way again!

I did the Market tour with cooking workshop.... It was excellent. I learned so many things from Catherina and we had a really fun day. And of course I got to eat everything I cooked. I'm looking forward to many more cooking workshops at Chefactory. Great value for money as well.

Chef Francesco was phenomenal! We learned so much while going to the market…about dry aged meat, balsamic vinegar, truffles…with laughter and education. Once back at the school we learned how to cook all the things we’d purchased with so much interaction and fun. EVERYONE had the best time!! This had been on my bucket list forever….this school and chef literally made all my expectations and dreams come true! If you have a chance to go to Florence definitely put this place and chef as one of the top “must do” things. Thanks for the fabulous memories.

What a day!! Hayley and I were taken around the market to experience the splendour of local Italian produce. Then a gentle stroll to the academy to prepare wonderful food under the close guidance of the patient chef Caterina. I was not sure what to expect, but this has to be one of the best experiences. If you love food, cooking or meeting the real people of Italy this is a day for you. Then you get to eat your effort’s. Absolutely sublime.

What an amazing experience! My family and two friends booked this class not knowing what to expect, and we were blown away! Excellent guide who gave us a great tour of the Firenze market, helped us prepare the most amazing dishes, and had an awesome day start to finish. Can’t wait to replicate the gnocchi dish we learned and they even give you a recipe book!