Italian Cooking Class: Cooking with Passion

Learn how to make traditional Italian dishes from scratch



6 hours 45 mins Location St Kilda Class size 1 to 6 guests   $295
Take your tastebuds on a trip to Italy with this cooking class in Melbourne and learn how to make mouth-watering dishes that will have your friends and family wanting to come back for dinner time and time again!
In this small, hands-on class, you'll get the chance to learn how to cook using classic flavours and fresh ingredients from expert cook Tonya. You'll begin with learning some basic Italian cooking techniques, in focaccia and pasta making, delicious and flavoursome sauces, risotto and arancini making, classic Italian desserts plus much more. All produce used is local and seasonal in keeping with the Italian style. Tonya will give you her own special tips and tricks to mastering Italian dishes. Let your inner cook take the wheel and enjoy this immersive, interactive, fun experience in the kitchen as you learn to cook with passion!
At the end of the class, you'll get to sit down and enjoy a feast of your own dishes! Sit back and relax as you munch away on some flavourful food and connect with like-minded people in a safe and fun environment.
If you're looking for things to do in Melbourne this weekend or unique group activities to do with friends, then this Italian cooking class could be a fabulous option for you! You will get the chance to learn how to cook delicious meals that you can recreate at home, and, more importantly, you'll leave feeling confident in your new skills and be inspired to cook from scratch at home too!
Dietary requirements are met where possible, so do email for more information on the class menu.

Upcoming dates for Italian Cooking Class: Cooking with Passion

Times are Melbourne time. Dates and prices as of 22 Oct 2026, 9:04am; availability and price are confirmed live when booking on this page.

4 upcoming dates between 12 Dec 2026 and 23 May 2027.

  • Sat 12 Dec 2026, 8:45am-3:30pm
  • Sat 6 Mar 2027, 8:45am-3:30pm
  • Sat 24 Apr 2027, 8:45am-3:30pm
  • Sun 23 May 2027, 8:45am-3:30pm
What you'll get
  • All ingredients and equipment provided
  • Recipes and guidance from an expert chef
  • Refreshments and welcome inhouse-made cake and biscuit
  • A feast of your own creations at the end of the class with wine!
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Knowledge required
This is a beginner-friendly class, great for any budding chef and also for those looking to learn more cooking skills and interesting dishes to create in the kitchen at home!
What to bring
Please make sure to wear enclosed shoes and tie up long hair.
Location

St Kilda, VIC

Exact location is masked for privacy. You'll automatically get the specific address after booking.

Italian Cooking Class: Cooking with Passion location
Verified reviews

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Recent reviews of Italian Cooking Class: Cooking with Passion

  • 5/5 from Jasmin Dhillon, attended Jun 2026: Great class! Really learnt a lot and built up my confidence. Thank you Tonya for the very comfortable and engaging environment too!
  • 5/5 from Indran Purushothaman, attended Apr 2026: Another awesome cooking experience - last weekend’s Italian cuisine was the third one for me having done the French and Spanish classes recently - have learnt a lot from all three and it’s not just the specific cuisines but also cooking techniques, use of different ingredients and equipments! While it’s rather hectic day as we prepare 7 to 9 dishes, it’s all done in enjoyable and fun environment. Love it and highly recommend Tonya Jennings classes!
  • 5/5 from Helen Delimitros, attended Aug 2025: Had a wonderful Italian cooking class with Tonya. She has transformed her home into a beautiful, intimate cooking space with a sincere attention to detail from the food preparation, sharing hints and tips, recipes and 5 star table setting with amazing marina views! I love to cook and received this experience from a friend for a special birthday. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a personalised, professional cooking experience tailored to small groups.
  • 5/5 from Kathryn Noble, attended Feb 2025: Friends along with my husband and I attended the Italian cooking class with Tonya on Sunday. What a fun day lots of learning along with many laughs and amazing food! We had a great class, and all enjoyed the friendly banter! We learnt many tips and tricks in the kitchen which enhanced our food. It was all Italian and we made Focaccia, Salsa, Pesto, spinach and ricotta ravioli, tagliatelle puttanesca, panna cotta, limoncello sauce and almond tart! It was a busy but very enjoyable day!! So much delicious food that we will all be recreating.
  • 5/5 from Julie Broadhead, attended Oct 2024: What a fantastic experience!! We learnt to make totally sensational and delicious meals and then enjoy sharing our menu with a great group of new friends also attending this Italian Cooking Class in the most comfortable environment! Thank you, Tonya for a truly inspiring and wonderful day!
  • 4/5 from Catherine Braddock, attended May 2024: I was so excited and a little anxious going into the class but Tonya was so welcoming. She clearly knows alot about food and her passion and knowledge transcends in all that she says. I'm very grateful to have had the time with Tonya and will take away so much from her class. Also, the other ladies in the group were friendly and easy to get along with. It was a very enjoyable day. Thanks Tonya and Catherine
  • 5/5 from Sandra Plackett, attended Mar 2024: The occasion selected was to attend an Italian cooking class for a friends birthday. Our teacher could not have been better. Tonya was well organised and willingly shared her knowledge giving tips along the way. A wide selection of dishes catering for all tastes which we enthusiastically finally devoured. Working in pairs made for ease, convenience and sharing of ideas. Pasta making and Panna Cotta dishes were my choice of the day. A day to remember and new ideas to try!
  • 5/5 from Anne Manzoni, attended Jul 2023: Our cooking class was held in a beautiful space, with the best ingredients and equipment. Tonya our chef/instructor explained everything well, and the food we cooked was delicious. Would definitely recommend this course, as it was a very enjoyable day.
  • 5/5 from Simone Sampson, attended Feb 2023: The teacher Tonya was great. The location was very nice and relaxing. The food in both quantity and quality was perfect. Learnt so much! Great experience would recommend to anybody Thanks Tonya and Jean fir a great day
  • 5/5 from Anna Xia, attended Mar 2022: The class is from 8:45am in the morning to 3ish in the afternoon just in case you were wondering. We made pasta and focaccia from scratch. Porcini mushroom risotto with the leftovers made into arancini, there was a roasted capsicum salsa to go with the focaccia, we had stuffed figs as an entree as well. Finishing off with affogato with homemade vanilla ice cream and panacotta. Tonya and Joan were lovely and joyful. There were 5 participants in total and we all had a lovely time.
Your teacher

Cooking on the Bay
Cooking on the Bay

4.9 (95)
female Women-owned

Participants in classes have commented on how Tonya generously and enthusiastically enjoys sharing her knowledge, experience and ideas. There are interesting foodie hints, tips and musings both during the sessions and whilst sharing the delicious lunch that is taken ‘at the table’, overlooking the views of the bay and beyond.
Tonya’s vibrant and engaging personality will encourage you to want to share ‘the pleasure of the table’ experienced in the morning classes with your friends and family. You will be inspired to race home and repeat the dishes you have learned in the day’s class. Tonya is Melbourne trained at Holmesglen, in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu and the Ritz Escoffier and in Burgundy at La Varenne l’Ecole de Cuisine. She has taken culinary tours to France in the Dordogne and Provence, plus she has visited regional cooking schools in the Dordogne, Normandy and in Tuscany, Italy. She regularly takes culinary tours to Marrakech, Morocco, where she perfects many of the Moroccan dishes she discovers there, cooked to perfection by her friend and chef colleague, Edwina Golombek, who owns a culinary, residential cooking school riad in the heart of Marrakesh. A visit and her pilgrim's walk along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela found Tonya in love with the history and culinary traditions of Spain, so she has added these experiences to her Spanish cuisine cooking classes as well.
Before training as a chef, Tonya was a librarian, information manager, library trainer and library consultant. Cooking on the Bay proudly owns an extensive library collection of over 3000 cookbooks and books related to food, cooking, France, Italy Morocco and the Mediterranean.
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