Food & Cooking Tours in Rome

Tour was fantastic! I came by myself and had a great time with Selene and other guys, eating best italian specialties, discovering interesting stories and places about amazing Rome. Selene is full of positive energy, highly knowleadgable and very passionate about the city. I would reccomend this tour to everyone, don't miss it while in Rome! :) Laura

Dinner with Francesca and Pasquale was delicious and interesting. It was a tiny bit hard to find the right door to their building, but Francesca came out on her porch and called down to us, so we found it in the end. How nice it was to have a home cooked meal - we tried many new flavors and ingredients (such as a fresh raw curly chicory salad with anchovy dressing, whole Roman artichokes, a fava bean salad, and some soft green olives that were utterly distinctive and new to us!) and although our hosts were half our age, we had plenty to talk about. It was a very relaxing evening and I'm so glad we did it. Francesca was very good at answering questions in advance via email, and she was very, very helpful in general about things we wanted to do in Rome (especially vintage shopping!)

We met up with Francesca and Pasquale the next afternoon down in the Ripa (I think it was Ripa, anyway) neighborhood of Rome where we piled into their little car and drove out of the city. We went to the hill town of Frascati, and had we not gotten a late start, we'd have seen Carnivale in the charming little town's square. As it was, we saw the aftermath and confetti covered the cobblestones. We looked in on the churches, and also enjoyed the high vantage view of Rome in the valley below. We had a drink and a snack at a local pub, then we drove to Grottaferrata to a restaurant called L'Asino D'Oro (the golden ass/donkey) where we enjoyed some tasty regional cuisine and wine - it was relaxed, slow paced, and felt like a very authentic experience. And that was exactly what we were looking for! Thank you both! :)

Francesca i the perfect host. She lets you visit her in her home, invites two other really nice friends and serves fantastic food. And we got the best tips for restaurants and what to see.

The great thing about the evening was the possibility to learn more about living in Rome/Italy, at a personal level. We talked about differences between our countries, food, culture, politics, music and so much more.

Thank you Francesca:) The first thing we tell about, from our Rome trip, is the evening at your place:)

Max and his wife entertained us for hours with excellent food, wine and lots of great insights pertaining to Rome and it's culture. Six course meal was so wonderful , very tasty and beautifully presented. This was an unforgettable experience to take back home to the United States complete with pictures. Max picked us up from the hotel and delivered us safely so we would not get lost.
THANK YOU, PHYLIS AND MARY

My husband and I booked this dinner for our second day in Rome. When we arrived at Francesca we are stunned from the food smell and the beautiful design. Francesca cooked really delicious food and she hosted us with her partner Pasqello. we had such a good evening with them. they opened for us two bottles of great white wine. We had a nice conversation and really loved to be with them. I really recommend this meal. it was an amazing experience.

Francesca and Pasquale were great hosts! The meal was so well thought out and prepared perfectly. It really gave us a taste of how the locals eat in Rome. We got to try several local cheeses, as well as produce that is specific to the area. And the fresh pasta was amazing too! I would really recommend this to other people. Also, don't let the distance from city center discourage you because it was a very easy bus ride to get to her apartment.

Francesca and Pasquale were great hosts for our dinner at their cute and cozy home. They provided not only tips on what to do and where to go in Rome, but also great conversation and a delicious Italian meal lovingly created by hand. The dinner is a great way to see a side of Rome you might not get if you stick to the tourist traps, so definitely check it out!

Wonderful walking tour which includes fabulous food , history and places you would never find on your own! This tour ticked all the boxes for me.Julieanna,our guide, was very knowledgeable and delivered the tour in an entertaining way . The tour was great value for money! We did the morning tour and will definitely do the twilight tour next time we visit Rome.

We had a wonderful time at Francesca. we were a little bit late cause we take the wrong bus. her apartment were located on the other site of Rome than ours. after all Francesca welcomed us warmly and have had prepared a grandiose menu for us. we want and also have to recommend this option to look at the local side of Rome.

Francesca and her husband prepared a delicious dinner for us, everything tasted great and every dish was from original italian cuisine. We spent a lot of time talking about many different subjects including food and traveling. They are very friendly, Francesca is a great cook and I honestly recommend this event!

Our dinner was spirited and cozy, food delicious and conversation chirpy as there happened to be two other guests who, as Francesca, had a good sense of humor and we found to have much in common.
A great way to see another, very local, side of Rome. Recommend highly!

Had a very delicious, Italian home cooked dinner with Max and his girlfriend. Max selected some great wines for our dinner. Great conversation and a warm and welcoming atmosphere. One of our best meals in Rome!! Definitely a “Must Do” !!!

You must do this. The nice girl Francesca cooked for us with a great passion. The simple dishes were marvelous and very tasty. It was very cosy and we can recommend this to everyone.

I spent wonderful evening at Francesca’s plase with my family. Francesca served delicious dinner in her small but nice apartment. Fully recommended.

Francesca’s home is so warm and welcoming, the food was delicious and tasty, Francesca is a charming hostess.

We had a lovely time eating with Francesca! I had contacted her a week before we arrived in Rome to see if it was possible to suggest a date for my mum's birthday, she was great! See arranged to have it on the day I had requested, and even though I wasn't sure if my brother would be able to make it or not, she was willing to go ahead even though her minimum number had not been reached! My brother did make it in the end though, which was great. The food, of course, was delicious! There was lots of it so make sure you don't eat too much before hand! I particularly loved the cheeses, and my brother wolfed down her pasta like he'd never eaten before! The location is quite far out of Rome, so be prepared for a long bus ride, but for us it was lovely to see this other side of the city and escape the hustle and bustle of the centre of Rome in the height of tourist season! Their home, while small was beautifully clean and well presented, with lovely touches like the vintage china and cabinates and views out to the mountains. This was a first experience for all of us so I sensed a little nervousness all round to start with, but then the wine started flowing and we talked about food and culture and life. It was really lovely to learn a little about real Italian culture. Thank you Francesca for welcoming us into your home and giving us a lovely and alternative experience in Rome! xxx

We were in Rome for 3 days this past July and decided to book this tour last minute, the morning of our tasting. Like a Local Guide was able to confirm the reservation by the afternoon. We met Stefano at a local family owned restaurant that had been a part of the family for 150 years. We started with a glass of wine and a local sparkling beverage for my mother and my sister as they were not drinking. Stefano was very knowledgable about Rome and Roman history. We went to places that I would not have gone into on my own.
My favorite part was the cheese tasting. I have a soft spot for cheese and wine in general and we went to this local cheese shop. The owners were so kind to let us come into their store. Stefano had a map of Italy and as we tasted the different cheeses, he talked about the region they came from. The owner let us try this soft blue cheese that was out of this world. Maybe it was the heat (we went during the heat wave), maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the passion with which the Stefano and the owner were discussing the cheeses, but it literally brought tears of gratitude to my eyes. An excellent way to spend the evening that I would not have been able to do on my own.

Gratitude, love, and light!

Words cannot express how much we appreciated what Francesca (with the help of her wonderful parents) did for a group of 16 strangers. It was like a big family party at a relative's house. The food was incredible -- from amazing cheeses, tarallini, olives and other appetizers -- to a great lasagna, chicken cacciatore in a white sauce, fabulous tiramisu, elegantly served in tea cups, after-dinner drinks, coffee, etc. But the best thing was just the hospitality and friendliness that this family showed to people who started as strangers and ended the evening feeling like a part of the family. Francesca even went so far as to line up a driver for all 16 of us, from our hotel on the other side of Rome, and make reservations for us in an enoteca for a before-dinner drink and experience. Then she gave us the name of a great pizzeria to look up the next night when we were in Trastevere. If you are in Rome, and you are thinking about whether Like A Local is a route you'd like to take, you absolutely must check out Francesca!!! Hands down one of the highlights of our two-week trip to Rome and Tuscany. Mille grazie, Francesca!!

My boyfriend and I decided to book this tour for our last day in Rome. We started off the morning on a different tour that was just awful and put us in such a bad mood. However, this tour was so wonderful and it just erased all the bad memories from the morning. Our tour guides were friendly, fun, courteous and SO knowledgeable! We toured some places located off sides streets just a little away from the touristy areas and discovered some amazing food. We got to try some authentic Sicilian pastries, wonderful cheeses, and other foods as well. In between the food we walked to some areas and learned some fascinating facts. To finish the night we had a WONDERFUL dinner. Another thing to mention is that my bf is gluten and lactose intolerant and they accommodated for him and the gluten free bread he tried that night was hands down the best gluten free bread ever. It was warm and fresh out of the oven. I just cannot recommend this tour enough. It was a beautiful way to end our trip to Italy.