Caldesi Cooking Class in Marylebone: Hands-On Pasta From £85

La Cucina Caldesi, at 118 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2QF, is the cookery school run by Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, and its London timetable for late October to November 2026 is almost entirely Italian. Prices on the dated listings run from £85 for a 90-minute evening street-food session to £180 for a full-day pasta workshop, and nearly every class ends the same way: you sit down and eat what you made, with Italian wine on the table.

The school grew out of the couple's restaurant. More than 20 years ago, Giancarlo and Katie were teaching friends and guests how to make fresh pasta on Sundays in the restaurant kitchen, and it proved popular enough that in 2005 they opened La Cucina Caldesi as a purpose-built school. They now run three restaurants alongside the schools and have written 19 cookbooks between them. The restaurant, Caldesi in Marylebone, shares the same street address, so if you are booking a class, use the school's own booking line rather than the restaurant's.

Every London class on the current listings names the same tutor, Stefano Borella. That consistency matters more than it sounds: the recipes, the pace and the jokes are one person's, and repeat students tend to work through his classes as a sequence, starting with pasta and moving on to regional menus. Most classes are hands-on. The school says any class that is a demonstration only will be clearly marked on the listing, so check the description before you pay if you want to cook rather than watch.

The flagship is the 1 Day Pasta Workshop, listed for Tuesday 27 October and again for 22 November 2026, from 10 am to 4 pm at £180. The price includes coffee and a croissant on arrival, the meal made from the dishes you prepare, two drinks each with that meal, a cotton apron to take home and a full recipe pack sent by email within 48 hours. Six hours is long enough to make several shapes and fillings from scratch rather than a single dough, which is why this class books up first.

If a full day is too much, Italian Street Food on Wednesday 28 October runs from 6 pm to 7.30 pm for £85, and is the cheapest way in. Perfetto Pizza! on Saturday 31 October takes four hours in the evening for £120. The Essence of Italy on 3 November and Sicily, Recipes from an Italian Island on 20 November are daytime classes at £170 and £145. 30 Minutes Italian Menus, on the evening of 10 November at £150, is aimed at people who want fast weeknight dishes. The Bella Notte evening on 30 October had already sold out.

The most distinctive class is Sunday Market Kitchen, on 1 November 2026 from 10 am to 3 pm at £140. It includes a visit to the Marylebone farmers' market before you cook, so the menu follows what is in season rather than a fixed recipe sheet. For anyone visiting London for a weekend, it is a good way to see a neighbourhood market with someone who knows which stalls to use, and then turn the shopping into lunch.

For scheduled classes the school aims for a maximum of 16 students. Wear comfortable, non-slip shoes, since you will be standing for most of the day. Aprons are provided, and the school suggests you bring a pen and notebook. If you have a dietary need, say so at booking, and with a serious allergy, contact the school before you book. There is no upper age limit for adults, and separate children's courses run for ages 6 to 12 and teenagers 13 to 16.

The cancellation terms are strict, so read them before booking. The school does not give full refunds. You can move a booking up to 28 days before the class for a £20 admin charge. Inside that window, cancelling with 7 to 28 days' notice costs 25 per cent of the course fee, 3 to 6 days' notice costs 50 per cent, and less than three days' notice costs the full fee. In that last case the school suggests sending someone else in your place.

Arrive hungry for the full-day classes, since the croissant is the only food before lunch. Take notes on dough texture and resting times rather than quantities, because the recipe pack arrives by email anyway. On pasta days, ask to try the machine and the rolling pin both, as the difference is the most useful thing you will learn. If you are coming as a pair, book together early, since the most popular dates fill quickly.

Marylebone Lane is one of the few streets in the area that still follows its old curving line, which makes it a pleasant approach on foot from Oxford Street. After a daytime class, the Wallace Collection on Manchester Square is a short walk west, with free entry and a courtyard cafe. Marylebone High Street, a few minutes north, has the cookware shops and delis where you can buy semolina and a decent rolling pin to keep practising at home.

Choose La Cucina Caldesi if you want regional Italian cooking taught by a school with a family restaurant behind it, in a central location. The full-day pasta workshop suits beginners who want to leave with a method, while the market and regional classes suit cooks who already make their own pasta. It is less suited to anyone wanting a non-Italian menu, and the cancellation rules make it a poor choice if your plans might change.

La Cucina Caldesi, 118 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2QF. Classes from £85 (Italian Street Food, 90 minutes) to £180 (1 Day Pasta Workshop, 10 am to 4 pm). Maximum 16 students on scheduled classes. Non-slip shoes advised; apron provided. Children's courses for ages 6 to 12 and 13 to 16. No full refunds; booking moves allowed up to 28 days ahead for £20.