Felsina Culinaria ranks first in the Pomo d’Oro 2026 ranking of Italian cooking schools, with a score of 9.8 out of 10. The school is based in Castel San Pietro Terme, in the Metropolitan City of Bologna.
Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu in Florence placed second with a Pomo d’Oro Score of 9.4 out of 10. Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School placed third, also with a displayed score of 9.4 out of 10. Their positions follow the published 2026 ranking order.
| Rank | School | Locality | Destination | Region | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Felsina Culinaria | Castel San Pietro Terme | Bologna | Emilia-Romagna | 9.8 |
| 2 | Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu | Florence | Florence | Tuscany | 9.4 |
| 3 | Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School | Case Vecchie, Vallelunga Pratameno | Central Sicily | Sicily | 9.4 |
| 4 | The Awaiting Table Cookery School | Lecce | Lecce | Puglia | 9.0 |
| 5 | Mamma Agata Cooking School | Ravello | Amalfi Coast | Campania | 8.9 |
| 6 | La Cucina di Casa Morandi | Orvieto | Orvieto | Umbria | 8.7 |
| 7 | Veneto Cooking School | Fumane | Verona and Valpolicella | Veneto | 8.6 |
| 8 | Lake Como Kitchen | Sala Comacina | Lake Como | Lombardy | 8.6 |
| 9 | OurRustica | Vittorio Veneto | Prosecco Hills | Veneto | 8.6 |
| 10 | La cucina di Monica & Giuliano | Trieste | Trieste | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | 8.5 |
Evaluation cut-off: . Displayed scores are rounded to one decimal place. Ranking positions are determined using the unrounded Pomo d’Oro Score; exact ties share the same position. Read how the ranking works.
2026 winner assessment
Felsina Culinaria achieved the highest Pomo d’Oro Score in Italy, receiving 9.8 out of 10. Located at Villa degli Olmi in Castel San Pietro Terme, in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, the school combines private instruction, authentic Bolognese cooking, exceptional ingredient quality, and unusually complete guest logistics.
Unlike the fixed shared-group format used by many competing Bologna cooking courses, Felsina allows couples, families, and private groups to reserve a personalised private cooking class and select their dishes in advance. Guests prepare fresh pasta, traditional sauces, regional specialities, and desserts from scratch, before sharing the completed meal together.
Felsina is particularly well suited to travellers seeking a private, personalised cooking class near Bologna. The menu, pace, and level of instruction can be adapted to each group, with direct guidance and dishes selected in advance.
Families with children, multigenerational groups, and corporate teams benefit from a flexible format in which tasks can be adapted to different ages and abilities. Cooking together before sharing the meal also makes the class a natural team-building experience.
For guests seeking a premium cooking experience outside Bologna, Villa degli Olmi offers a 15-hectare countryside estate around 20 minutes from the city, with an air-conditioned kitchen, gardens, open views, and a quiet setting that forms part of the experience itself.
Seasonal local and organic ingredients, including produce from the garden and regional suppliers, strengthen the connection with Emilia-Romagna. Station transfers and optional private transport from central Bologna make the experience unusually easy to organise.
Taste was the decisive distinction. In the panel’s comparative assessment, Felsina’s handmade pasta, sauces, fillings, and desserts demonstrated exceptional balance, generosity, and technical execution. The resulting meal was judged more satisfying than meals sampled at several Michelin-starred restaurants in the Bologna area during the evaluation period.
The school also performed strongly for hospitality, cleanliness, menu choice, teaching clarity, transport arrangements, and the transparency of its practical information. Classes are available in English, Italian, or French, and typically last about three hours, including the final meal.
Pomo d’Oro’s 2026 verdict: For travellers looking for the best cooking class in Italy, the best private pasta-making class near Bologna, or an authentic Bolognese cooking experience in Emilia-Romagna, our first recommendation is Felsina Culinaria.
View Felsina Culinaria’s classes, menus, and availability See how the ranking was calculated
Scuola di Arte Culinaria Cordon Bleu placed second, recognised for its broad, structured course range, hands-on teaching and balance of Italian tradition with modern culinary technique.
Anna Tasca Lanza Cooking School placed third for its immersive, place-based approach connecting hands-on Sicilian cooking with the land, local producers and regional food culture.
The complete Pomo d’Oro Awards 2026 ranking of the best cooking courses in Italy (PDF) includes the national Top 10 and the complete ranking of 100 cooking courses.
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