One of the main reasons I love visiting Italy is the food. But nothing compares to cooking and dining with a local in their own home. So, when I saw that it was possible to book a 3-course dining experience at a real Venetian family home, I jumped at the chance. Here’s a review of my amazing and eye-opening dining experience at a local home in Venice, and why you should definitely make this a priority diary date for your next trip, whether on your own or with friends.
I tried this experience personally, I paid for it myself, and we have not been paid for this review. This page contains affiliate links, which means we may make a small commission from bookings at no extra cost to you. We always given honest, genuine travel recommendations.
This local dining experience is for you if:
✅ You want to try an authentic, non-touristy experience in Venice
✅ You love discovering local food traditions
✅ You want to learn about local culture and family traditions first-hand
Book the Venice local home dining experience on GetYourGuide
Eat like a local in Venice… in a family home
It is said that life begins at the end of your comfort zone. It’s only in recent years I have discovered just how true this is, as travel has helped me to step into the unknown and try things I would have never done before. Confidence is one of the many career skills that travel has empowered me to develop.
Having dinner in a local family home is the perfect example of something that my former self would never have tried. Restaurants are cosy, safe, normal… but going into someone else’s home? The very idea of something like that used to fill me with anxiety.
I am so glad that I have managed to break through these psychological barriers, because experiences like this one have given me some of my very best moments and memories. Eating like a local in Venice, not just in a restaurant but in someone’s own kitchen and dining room, has given me a glimpse of real life and traditions that I would otherwise never have had.
Those anxieties never completely disappear, and I still feel an element of trepidation when trying an experience like this. But the more I discover the benefits of stepping beyond my comfort zone, the more I want to do it, and the easier it becomes.
If you really want to eat like a local in Venice, this is the best way to do it. And I am sure you will be glad that you tried it too.
Booking a Venice dining experience in a local home
I was planning a solo trip to Venice in winter on a workation, during which I would be working at a local coworking space in the daytimes. With some free time in my evenings, I wanted to try something a little bit different.
This wasn’t my first trip to Venice; Alex and I had been before on a long weekend at the beginning of a road trip across Italy. We’d seen a lot of the classic sights, so I wanted to learn more about the real Venice behind the scenes.
We always use GetYourGuide to book travel experiences, and it was there I found a 3-course Venice dining experience in a local home for up to six people. It promised to give me an exclusive cooking demonstration and a taste of authentic local recipes with wine. All for a price that’s less than what you might pay for three courses and wine at a posh Venetian restaurant.
Perfect! I didn’t hesitate to sign up.
Still, not having done this before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Once my booking was complete, I would be matched with a local host and given the location for my dinner.
I was connected with a lovely woman called Giulia, who would welcome me into her family home. We began to message on WhatsApp to confirm the date, time and any dietary requirements for the meal. Giulia didn’t stop there, though – she also gave me some great advice on other things I could do to discover Venice like a local on my trip.
A warm welcome to Giulia’s family home
Giulia’s home was located right next to Campo Santa Margarita, which was great, because it’s one of our favourite places to hang out in Venice at night. On our previous trip we loved sitting outside in this charming square with an Aperol spritz after a long day’s sightseeing.
On the second evening of my workation in Venice it was time for me to head over to meet Giulia in person. It was a cold and dark winter evening, and after finding her home and getting over my slight nerves, I rang her doorbell. She greeted me with a warm welcome, invited me inside, and my nerves vanished away in an instant.
Entering Giulia’s home was a fascinating moment in itself, as I had my first glimpse behind the tourist curtain of Venice. She had an open kitchen and dining area, which made for a great integrated experience.
Guilia lives with her teenage son Lorenzo, who came out to say hi. But with teenagers being teenagers, he swiftly left to carry on with his evening.
Conversation flowed freely, as Giulia told me all about her love for skiing. She goes most weekends during the season as the Dolomites are only an hour from her home. What an excellent escape to have!
We spoke about what it had been like during Covid in Venice. She recounted the eerie atmosphere that Venice had when everyone had to stay inside their homes, and the streets being deserted when usually they would be bustling with tourists.
Learning local cooking traditions
When it came to cooking time, Guilia showed me a few different dishes. She had already prepared a lot of the ingredients, so we were able to focus on the intricacies of local techniques. Yes, this included shaping and cooking pasta!
We started with sardine, onions and pine nuts on a traditional bread. This is a typical Venetian dish that sailors used to prepare, because it was a great way of using up the abundance of preserved fish. Don’t worry – if you don’t like things like this, you can let your host know before your dinner date.
While this is a traditional local dish, it was still very different to anything I saw on the menus at tourist restaurants, and it was extremely delicious! I helped prepare the dish by doing the mixing – nothing too technical to get me started.
Pasta and polenta: the main courses
We then moved onto the pasta dish. Pasta is often served as a “primo” in Italy, which is like a pre-cursor to the main course, but a little bigger than a starter or appetiser. Guilia prepared her grandmother’s pasta recipe, a dish they traditionally make with tuna and eat as a family on Christmas Eve.
Guilia guided me through the process of rolling and cutting the pasta. It was fantastic to learn some of her special family tips as well as typical local techniques.
The main event was polenta and cod. Polenta is another traditional dish you are likely to see in Venetian culture. It was amazing to sample a firm family favourite, and a dish that Giulia has been eating since childhood.
Traditional dessert and wine pairings
For dessert, Giulia made an ancient Venetian flan called “pinza“. Typically made with cornmeal or flour, you might find this treat infused with many different fruity and nutty ingredients. I loved the flavours of figs, raisins, pine nuts and seeds, and its lovely soft texture was perfect after such a substantial meal. Yum!
To round off the wonderful dining experience, Giulia produced a “chiacchiere” – a traditional carnival biscuit snack that her mother-in-law had made especially for me! It is made in the same way as pasta, but with added sugar, and instead of boiling it is deep fried.
Chiacchiere is made for Venice Carnival in February as a way of using all the eggs before the start of Lent. If you travel to Venice at this time of year, you’ll likely see it around the island on street stalls, but I can say from my experience that nothing beats homemade!
Throughout the meal we had some great conversations, and Giulia introduced me to some of her favourite local wines, paired with each course. The wine helped to get rid of any lingering nerves, but honestly, the moment I stepped inside her home I felt completely at ease. And of course the wines tasted superb!
Finish my dining experience with a gift
I may have been a bit apprehensive about trying this experience solo, but I really didn’t need to worry. From the moment I arrived to the moment I left (with a gift bag of polenta!), I felt like I was in the home of a friend.
It is such a unique experience that I would highly recommend it to anyone. Not only do you get to meet someone new and cook some amazing food, you have a unique glimpse into what life is like in Venice behind the tourist veil.
Book a dining experience at a local family home in Venice
A dining experience at lunch or dinner, solo or in groups
I did the local home dining experience on my own during a solo trip, but you can book it for up to six people. It would make a great activity for a group of friends on a trip, which would probably be a little less nerve-wracking too!
You can do the experience at 12noon or 7pm, and so it can be a lunch or a dinner. The price includes the cooking demonstration, a three-course meal, and local wines (or coffee/water if you don’t drink alcohol).
Have you tried a dining experience at a local home in Venice? We’d love to hear about your own experience in the comments below.
You can find more ideas for your trip in our 2-day Venice itinerary.
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