Como is more than a backdrop. From the sunset aperitivo to a day in Bellagio, these are the local rituals and small discoveries that make Lake Como worth slowing down for — the same traditions we bring to the table in every cooking class.
The genuinely local experiences in Como, beyond the villa-and-ferry loop: shop the food markets, learn hand-rolled pasta from a resident chef, settle into the aperitivo ritual, trace the city's silk heritage and take a slow morning in the old town. The most authentic of all is the simplest — make pasta with your hands and eat it together.
Planning tonight in Como? A practical guide to the evening: the aperitivo hour on the lakefront, a golden-hour passeggiata along the water, where to dine in the old town and the Borgo, and an evening cooking class where you cook and eat your own dinner with wine.
Where to head when the summer sun beats down or the off-season lake turns grey: the Tempio Voltiano, the Silk Museum, the Cathedral interior, historic cafés and a naturally indoor, hands-on cooking class. A warm, practical guide that complements our rainy-day piece.
How to spend a day in Como with friends: a morning boat to Bellagio, an afternoon aperitivo crawl through the lakefront and old-town piazzas, and a hands-on group cooking class as the social centrepiece. Sessions take up to 12 guests, with larger private groups on request — plus tips for planning a fun day out for the whole crew.
Planning a hen party, birthday or corporate team-building day on Lake Como? A private pasta cooking class is the flagship activity where everyone joins in, then you all sit down and eat together. Private groups and larger numbers on request at a special rate, with boat charter, aperitivo and villa gardens as easy add-ons.
Why winter is one of the loveliest times on Lake Como: the Christmas market and festive lights, a quiet crowd-free lakefront and villas, indoor museums and winter flavours — with a warm, hands-on cooking class as the cosy centrepiece (and a great Christmas gift).
Born in Padua in 1919 from the Barbieri brothers, Aperol is the bittersweet orange aperitif at 11% ABV behind the Aperol Spritz — its history, ingredients and the spritz lesson we teach on Lake Como.
Born in Milan around 1860 from a secret recipe of 60+ herbs, Campari is the bolder, more bitter aperitif behind the Negroni and the Campari Spritz we pour at our cooking class in Como.
Family-friendly things to do on Lake Como — the Brunate funicular, boat rides, parks, gelato and a kid-friendly cooking class.
The most romantic experiences on Lake Como — sunset at Brunate, a boat ride, dinner, and a cooking class for two.
How to get to Bellagio by boat, the lanes, the villa gardens, where to eat, and how to round off the day back in Como.
What aperitivo is, when to go, what to order and how to do it like an Italian, by Lake Como.
Fresh pasta, lake-fish risotto, pizzoccheri, polenta and tiramisù — the local specialities to taste in Como, and the one you can learn to make.
Raining on Lake Como? The best indoor things to do — a hands-on cooking class, museums, historic cafés, a glass of local wine and more.
A simple, food-friendly 2-day itinerary: the lake, Brunate, villages by boat, a cooking class and aperitivo.
A perfect food-lover’s day in Como: morning market, lakefront walk, Brunate funicular, aperitivo — and a small-group cooking class in the middle.