Beyond the Crowds in Italy with Cesarine: Where Culinary Magic Happens in the Homes of Liguria and Lake Como

When You’ve Been to Italy but Still Want More

There comes a point in every seasoned traveler’s life when the checklist destinations start to blur together. You’ve seen the Colosseum. You’ve walked through Venice in the rain. You’ve thrown a coin into the Trevi Fountain (maybe even twice). But this time, you're craving something different — something that feels less like tourism and more like coming home.

That’s the quiet beauty of traveling with Cesarine, Italy’s oldest network of home cooks. These aren’t guided food tours with headsets and photo ops. These are meals shared in real kitchens, stories swapped over simmering sauces, and secrets of nonna passed down not just through recipes, but through connection. And it all unfolds in two of Italy’s most breathtaking and often-overlooked regions — Liguria and Lake Como.

A Cliffside Table with Barbara in Riomaggiore

You arrive in Riomaggiore, one of the famously stunning villages that make up the Cinque Terre. But instead of weaving through a crowd of selfie sticks and gelato queues, you’re climbing a quiet path toward the home of Barbara— a local host with a view that belongs in a James Bond movie.

Inside her kitchen, it smells like garlic and fresh herbs. The windows are thrown open to the sea. Barbara greets you like an old friend, handing you a glass of crisp white wine and inviting you to tie on an apron. For the next few hours, you’re not a visitor. You’re a guest.

You knead gnocchi from scratch, roll out tender meatballs known as Tomaxelle, and whip up a Tiramisù laced with golden Sciacchetrà — a dessert wine made only in these coastal hills. As Barbara tells stories of her childhood and local festivals, it dawns on you: this is the Italy you’ve been longing to taste.

The Whisper of Mortar and Pestle in Manarola

Just a few cliff bends away, in Manarola, you meet Ivonne, a sommelier with a passion for pesto that borders on spiritual. Her kitchen is perched above the sea, where wild herbs grow in the garden and grapevines cling to the rock.

She teaches you to crush basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a mortar and pestle, the old way — no blenders, no shortcuts. The rhythmic scraping of stone on stone feels almost meditative. Then comes the wine tasting, a stroll through terraced vineyards, and a plate of cheese paired with more of that addictive Sciacchetrà.

It’s hard to believe that just downhill, the main square is humming with tourists. Here, in Ivonne’s kitchen, time slows down and your senses come alive.

A Garden Kitchen in Genoa and Aperitivo in Portofino

In Genoa, you’re welcomed by Tiziana, a culinary storyteller with a flair for history. Her classes take place in the grand Villa Serra di Comago, where ivy climbs the walls and recipes are written in the margins of family journals.

You make fresh Ligurian pesto in an 18th-century kitchen, its tiled walls echoing with laughter and the click of wine glasses. Or, on warmer days, you cook beneath a canopy of trees in the English-style garden, the scent of lemon blossoms in the air.

Later, as golden hour softens the coast, you head to Santa Margherita Ligure for an aperitivo at Villa San Giacomo — a frescoed seaside villa overlooking Portofino. Think focaccia still warm from the oven, heirloom tomatoes dressed in olive oil, and chilled Vermentino served beside the Italian Riviera’s most iconic view. It feels stolen from a dream — and yet, somehow, it's real.

The Stillness and Flavor of Lake Como

If Liguria is wild and rugged, Lake Como\is her poised older sister — elegant, reflective, a little mysterious. While paparazzi line up outside celebrity villas, Cesarine invites you past the velvet ropes and into the homes where real life unfolds with flavor and grace.

In Como, you meet Monica, a writer and food activist who makes ravioli with the confidence of someone who understands that food is history, politics, and poetry all in one. You fill pillows of pasta with herbs from her garden, sipping wine while talking about anti-waste cooking and the artists who gave this region its creative soul.

It’s not a class. It’s a dinner party with purpose.

Bellano by Moonlight with Patrizia

One of the most magical moments of your journey happens in Bellano, on the lake’s quieter eastern shore. Patrizia, a painter and gardener, welcomes you into her home where everything smells like lavender, fresh bread, and a little bit of wood smoke.

Together, you cook pizzoccheri, a traditional buckwheat pasta tossed with potatoes, cabbage, and Alpine cheese. You fry sciatt — crispy cheese fritters that melt in your mouth. You eat by candlelight under fig trees, the lake shimmering in the background, and wonder how you’ll ever go back to dining in restaurants.

Why the World is Choosing Cesarine

Cesarine is not just about the food. It’s about the moment when someone you just met pours you a second glass of wine and calls you “cara.” It’s the feeling of learning something ancient with your own hands. It’s that sweet spot where elegance meets earthiness — the exact kind of travel experience that lingers long after your return.

And for the savvy traveler, it’s an invitation to leave behind the overcrowded piazzas and discover the parts of Italy that still feel untouched.

How to Reserve a Place at the Table

Each experience is designed for intimacy and authenticity — whether you’re on a solo journey, a romantic getaway, or curating a group trip with friends who appreciate the finer things. You can explore dozens of locations and book your spot directly at www.cesarine.com.

With over 30,000 guests hosted last year alone, Cesarine continues to grow — not as a brand, but as a movement. One that connects people through pasta dough, shared laughter, and open doors.

When You Want to Travel Deeper

Italy has always been beautiful. But now, more than ever, travelers are seeking beauty with meaning. Whether you're sipping Sciacchetrà beside Barbara in Riomaggiore or folding ravioli in Monica’s Como kitchen, one thing is certain — you're not just visiting. You're becoming part of a story that’s been simmering for generations.

So go ahead. Skip the tour bus. Walk past the tourist menus. There’s a seat waiting for you at an Italian table — and it’s been set with love.x

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