Acquolina - Catering & Cooking School — Local services in Venice

To say that our day with Marika at Acquolina and in Venice was something we will never forget is not an overstatement.

My children (18 & 19) and I did the cooking class with the market visit and I can't say enough good things about it. We started with a market tour from Marika that included looking at all the seasonal vegetables, the freshest seafood and fish and, most important, what to look for and why. Marika then made suggestions on what to cook based on everything we had seen and we settled on seven (yes, seven) dishes! Next we visited several bars and sampled the best chicchetti and prosecco Venice has to offer. Marika was very specific about what to order in which place - things we would never know on our own and all delicious. We then headed to class at Villa Ines in Lido - a pure slice of paradise. It is as magical as shown on the website video.

Marika is a gracious host and teacher sharing what she knows, encouraging us to try things and ask questions, taking her time and making us feel at ease in her beautiful kitchen. We learned how to clean and prepare octopus, scallops, scampi, squid (two ways), bronzino, artichoke hearts, zucchini flowers and even vegetables from Marika's garden. We made an absolute feast, topped off with tiramisu, prosecco and several wines.

At every turn, her love of food and cooking and of her adopted home town come through - it is obvious this is a labor of love.

If you want a truly memorable experience and a slice of Venice few visitors experience, even if you aren't into cooking, take this class and have an unforgettable day.

We changed our itinerary to be able to make this class and I'm so glad we did.

The icing on the cake is that my children have already replicated some of the dishes we made with Markia - so far, the results are awesome.

Thank you, Marika, for this...

I cannot say enough positive things about my experience at Acquolina. From start to finish, this was a truly five-star experience. Marika and her team were wonderful communicative and helpful, working closely with me to find just the right class for a dear friend of mine and myself to take in May. Once there, we enjoyed a spectacular experience that left us not only feeling better prepared to tackled a multi-course meal with delicious as well as aesthetically pleasing results but also as though we had made a new friend in Marika. As a professor, I know how challenging teaching can be, whether with novices or experts. Marika is an absolute natural! Professional and precise, she brings not only general knowledge about ingredients and techniques but also subtle (but incredibly useful) tips on how to elevate your cooking game to the next level! Spending time in her gorgeous and immaculate kitchen situated within an elegant and historic liberty (art nouveau) style villa is a treat in and of itself! That said, watching and learning from her in real time was one of the most amazing experiences that I have had (and I say this having grown up with a mother who is a wonderful cook and former caterer). Run, don't walk, to Acquolina at Villa Ines! Finally, for those staying on Venice proper, the school is super convenient -- 7 minute walk from the Lido...

Highlight of our family trip to Venice! Marika is a fantastic teacher who gave personal attention to each of us and really made sure we learned skills while also having a lot of fun. She is thoroughly knowledgeable about not only Venetian but regional Italian cooking, so when you cook with her you get an education in cooking and in culture. We took the pasta class and we made four different doughs and five pasta dishes with unique sauces. She easily accommodated our dietary requests, too. As a surprise bonus we made a tiramisu that put all others we've ever eaten to shame. After cooking, we enjoyed a gorgeous meal outside in the lovely courtyard of Villa Ines, complete with very good quality prosecco and wine. I now want to take her fish and vegetables classes! We all highly recommend not only taking a class with Marika but staying at her...