Cartagena: Cooking Class & Dance in Historic Restaurant Kitchen

Two hours in a working kitchen, learning to cook what Cartagena eats

You spend two hours in a working restaurant kitchen in Cartagena's old city with two professional chefs, learning to cook coconut rice, patacones, mojarra roja, empanadas, and a local drink. You wear aprons and hats, get your hands in the work, and there's a moment to dance to live music. At the end, you eat everything you prepared together while the chefs share the stories behind each dish. The class includes a professional guide and runs near public transport options.

Step-by-step itinerary

Cooking class in historic Cartagena

• Arrive at family restaurant kitchen
• Put on aprons and hats
• Prepare coconut rice from scratch
• Make crunchy patacones
• Prepare typical panela water drink
• Cook Mojarra roja al papillon fish
• Dance to typical music while fish cooks
• Prepare empanada dough and fillings
• Eat all prepared dishes together
• Share cooking experiences and stories

The experience

Hands move across the counter, peeling coconut, measuring rice, the kitchen filling with steam and the smell of something frying. Then you realize those hands are yours, and the chef standing next to you is pointing out the exact moment the patacones go from soft to crispy. This is what happens when you show up at a family restaurant in the heart of Cartagena's historic center, not as a customer, but as someone who gets to work the line for two hours with the people who cook here every day.

The kitchen itself is small and real. There's air conditioning, which matters in Cartagena heat, and the walls are covered with photos of people who've eaten here: travelers, locals, friends of the family going back years. Your two professional chefs walk you through the recipes in order: coconut rice first (the same one they serve at lunch), then patacones, then panela water, the drink that tastes like home to anyone from the city. You'll prep the dough for empanadas, learn the fillings, and somewhere in the middle of waiting for the mojarra roja (the local red fish they cook wrapped in banana leaf) someone will suggest dancing. The chef knows how to move, and the music is already playing. It's not a performance. It's just what happens in this kitchen.

At the end, you sit down and eat everything you made. The rice is yours, the fish is yours, the empanadas are yours. The chef sits with you, talks about where the ingredients come from, why the recipe matters, who taught them to cook it. It's the kind of meal that tastes different because you know what went into it, not just the ingredients, but the time, the technique, the story.

What’s included

Your class includes a professional guide, two hours in the working kitchen with two professional chefs, all ingredients and cooking equipment, aprons and hats, instruction in preparing coconut rice, patacones, panela water, mojarra roja, and empanadas, and a full lunch of everything you cooked together in the restaurant.

Before you book

Days and timesMonday, Wednesday, Friday and SaturdayDeparts at 15:30

AgesAdult (18 and older) · Youth (10 to 17 years) · Child (7 to 9 years) · Under 7: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 8 · max 7 per booking

Live guideEnglish and Spanish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Infant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Real Experience Cartagena

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to cook real Cartagena food with the people who cook it every day, not in a tourist kitchen but in the actual family restaurant. The two-hour format means you learn techniques and eat lunch without losing the rest of your day.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (10 to 17 years); Child (7 to 9 years). Under 7: they can't be included in the booking.

How long is the cooking class?

More than two hours, starting in the kitchen and ending with lunch.

What dishes do you learn to cook?

Coconut rice, patacones, panela water (a local drink), mojarra roja (red fish), and empanadas.

Is the restaurant in the old city of Cartagena?

Yes, it's located in the historic center.

Do you eat what you cook?

Yes, at the end of the class you sit down and eat all the dishes you prepared.

Is there air conditioning in the kitchen?

Yes, the kitchen is air-conditioned.

How many chefs teach the class?

Two professional chefs lead the class and share cooking techniques and stories.

Is there dancing involved?

Yes, while waiting for the fish to cook, there's time to dance to typical local music.

Are aprons and hats provided?

Yes, you'll wear aprons and hats while working in the kitchen.

Is there public transport nearby?

Yes, public transportation options are available near the restaurant.

Are infant seats available?

Yes, specialized infant seats are available if needed.