Pintxos and Tapas Cooking Class in Bilbao: Learn from a Michelin-starred chef

Cook four Basque pintxos and eat them with wine and cheese afterward

A hands-on Basque cooking class in Bilbao where you prepare four traditional pintxos (tapas) with a local chef trained in Michelin-starred kitchens, then sit down to eat the meal you made alongside dessert, cheeses and charcuterie. The class runs two hours in a spacious cooking school five minutes' walk from the Guggenheim Museum, with unlimited wine and traditional Spanish drinks included throughout.

The Experience

You arrive at the cooking school near the Guggenheim with a free afternoon and no dinner plans. The chef—bilingual in English, trained in major Michelin-starred restaurants across Basque Country and Japan—walks you through the four pintxos you'll make: la gilda, el Bilbainito, spicy local mushrooms, and grilled cod with mayo. Everything is hands-on; you're not watching a demonstration. The kitchen is spacious with a large island where you work alongside the chef and other students, learning the stories behind each dish and the Basque culture that shaped them.

As you cook, wine and traditional alcoholic drinks of Northern Spain flow freely. Once the four pintxos are finished, the team adds dessert—a Basque classic—along with top-quality cheeses and charcuterie from the region. You move to the comfortable seated space and eat everything you've prepared, so there's no need to find dinner elsewhere. The whole experience takes two hours, leaving your evening open after you finish.

What’s included

• Two-hour hands-on cooking instruction with a Michelin-trained local chef.
• preparation of four traditional Basque pintxos.
• Basque dessert, local cheeses and charcuterie.
• unlimited wine and traditional Spanish drinks.
• the full meal you cook, eaten together after class.

Operated by Northern Spain Gastronomy

Is this one for you?The chef teaches in English, so you follow comfortably whether you speak Spanish or not—this works for anyone visiting Bilbao with a free afternoon and no cooking background.

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Top questions

What pintxos will I actually make in this class?

You prepare four: la gilda, el Bilbainito, spicy local mushrooms, and grilled cod with mayo. The team provides the Basque dessert and local cheeses and charcuterie to round out the meal you eat afterward.

Is this class really hands-on, or do I just watch?

It's 100% hands-on—you're preparing the pintxos yourself with the chef's instruction, not observing from the side. The spacious kitchen has a large island where you work directly with the ingredients and techniques.

Where exactly is the cooking school located?

The school is five minutes' walk from the Guggenheim Museum and within walking distance of Bilbao's main hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, so it's easy to reach from wherever you're staying in the city.

What drinks are included?

Unlimited wine and traditional alcoholic drinks of Northern Spain are included throughout the class, served as you cook and eat the meal you've prepared.

Do I need cooking experience to join?

No prior experience is required. The chef guides you through each step, and the class is designed for anyone interested in learning Basque cooking, regardless of skill level.

What's the minimum age for this class?

Participants must be at least 14 years old to join the class.