Private Italian cooking lessons in Milan’s storied wine cellar

Beneath the grand marble facades and gilt interiors of Excelsior Hotel Gallia in Milan, Executive Chef Vincenzo Lebano conducts private cooking classes in the hotel’s Wine Cellar, a subterranean sanctuary where earthenware and steel meet centuries of Italian gastronomic heritage. The space itself becomes the curriculum: low pendant lights cast amber warmth across polished countertops, while the chef moves with deliberate precision, his white chef’s coat bearing the hotel’s insignia.

What unfolds is neither performance nor demonstration but genuine tutelage. Guests stand at the counter’s edge, learning not only the mechanics of Italian cooking but the philosophy beneath it. A saffron hued risotto or creamy sauce emerges under Lebano’s guidance; his hands steady and practiced, revealing techniques passed through generations. The wine pairing, selected from the cellar’s considerable collection, flows into crystal glasses, each vintage chosen to illuminate rather than overshadow the dish.

This is cooking as conversation, set within walls that have witnessed Milan’s transformation from the city’s earliest days. The Wine Cellar’s intimate dimensions transform what might elsewhere feel like instruction into something closer to inheritance: a private transfer of knowledge between master and student, conducted in a room where every element, from light to temperature to proximity, has been considered.

To arrange a private cooking class, contact Excelsior Hotel Gallia directly. The experience is crafted bespoke, accommodating varying group sizes and culinary interests within the hotel’s dining programme.

Imagery courtesy of Excelsior Hotel Gallia (@excelsiorhotelgallia).