“Torre del Tartufo is a magical place and one that will stay in our hearts forever!”

5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 18, 2011

My daughter and I love to cook together and have always wanted to come to a cooking school in Tuscany. My daughter travels every week for business and has a very stressful job. She needed to get away and we could not have picked a more perfect place for us both! Torre del Tartufo is magnificent, every view more gorgeous than the last. It literally took our breath away! The atmosphere of the cooking school was so perfect for us – relaxed but very professional. Both Victoria and I fell in love with Franco and Paola! Not only is Franco a skilled chef and excellent teacher but he is such a nice guy! His teaching style is serious yet not intimidating – he made learning so much fun! So we were relaxed and ready to work and learn rather than feeling stressed and intimidated. Also, we could not have done without Paola, Franco's assistant. She was always there for us and was so helpful and kind. And Barbara, who is the manager, met our every need - she is the best! Also, I can’t forget to mention Nelia. It was she who answered my first emails before turning me over to Barbara. It was so personal to have her answer my first inquiries - something that could have been done by her staff. But the fact that she responded herself was very impressive and it sold us on coming. So from beginning to end our experience was excellent and WAY beyond our expectations. We learned so much and couldn’t wait to try our hand at home with so many of the recipes we made while at the school. It was such a sense of accomplishment after an afternoon of cooking to be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor at dinner. And what dinners we had – all outside in an amazing setting and accompanied by so many wines and after dinner drinks! Just glorious! Due to a last minute cancellation, our class was small but we definitely benefited from that – we would not have changed a thing! We were able to really get to know the other ladies in our group and had so much fun with them! Our cooking sessions were from 3:00-7:00pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday with a Pizza making cooking session Tuesday for lunch. Wednesday, we were taken as a group on a glorious adventure - first, to the medieval town of Anghiari, then to an olive oil mill which included the most amazing lunch in a courtyard that looked like it was out of a movie! Then we went on to visit a goat cheese farm and finally, to a tour of a winery which included a wine tasting with a count, the owner of the winery! We highly recommend getting a car (GPS is a must). There are so many wonderful medieval towns to explore in the area and on days when we had some free time, we explored the towns of Cortona and Arezzo, both within each reach of the Villa. Friday, our free day, we enjoyed a full day in Florence. All in all, we could not have had a better experience or enjoyed ourselves more. From the beautiful Villa to the breathtaking scenery, to the amazing and talented chef and wonderful staff, to the delicious food we made and then ate (and the wines we drank!), Torre del Tartufo and the Tuscookany cooking school was an amazing experience for us and one that will stay in our hearts forever! We each left a little piece of ourselves in Tuscany!

Room Tip: We did not see all of the rooms but our impression from other guests was that there is not a bad room...

This photo of Torre del Tartufo Cooking Vacations Tuscany is courtesy of TripAdvisor
This photo of Torre del Tartufo Cooking Vacations Tuscany is courtesy of TripAdvisor
This photo of Torre del Tartufo Cooking Vacations Tuscany is courtesy of TripAdvisor
This photo of Torre del Tartufo Cooking Vacations Tuscany is courtesy of TripAdvisor
This photo of Torre del Tartufo Cooking Vacations Tuscany is courtesy of TripAdvisor
This photo of Torre del Tartufo Cooking Vacations Tuscany is courtesy of TripAdvisor
This photo of Torre del Tartufo Cooking Vacations Tuscany is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Stayed October 2011, traveled with family
5 of 5 stars Value
5 of 5 stars Location
5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
5 of 5 stars Rooms
5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
5 of 5 stars Service