Madrid: Spanish Paella & Tapas Cooking Class with Market

Cook paella and tapas in Madrid, then eat what you made with strangers who became friends

You shop for fresh ingredients at a local Madrid market, then spend two to three hours cooking paella or tapas in a small group (maximum 12 people) with an English-speaking local chef. You prepare the dishes in pairs, eat together afterward, and leave with a recipe booklet so you can recreate everything at home. Dietary needs are accommodated if you mention them when booking.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hands-on Spanish cooking class

• Visit local market for ingredients
• Team up in pairs with chef
• Prepare gazpacho starter
• Cook paella main dish
• Make sangria beverage
• Enjoy meal with classmates
• Receive recipe brochure

The experience

The kitchen smells like garlic and saffron before you've even tied your apron. You're standing in a Madrid cooking studio with eleven other people, most of whom you met ten minutes ago, and a local chef is already talking you through the first dish. If you came alone, you've been paired with someone: the class runs in twos, which means you're not watching from the side, you're actually holding the wooden spoon. The morning class includes a stop at a local market first, so you've already touched the vegetables, asked about them in broken Spanish, and carried them back to the kitchen. It feels less like a lesson and more like you've been invited into someone's routine.

The menu shifts depending on which time slot you book. Morning groups make paella, gazpacho, and sangria. Evening groups focus on tapas: potato omelet, garlic shrimp, chorizo in cider, patatas bravas, tomato bread with ham, and crema catalana for dessert. The chef speaks English and doesn't rush you through the steps. There's actual conversation happening between the cooking: how Spanish people eat differently than you do back home, why certain dishes matter, what the person next to you does for work. Nobody's performing for Instagram. You're just cooking, talking, tasting as you go. Dietary restrictions get sorted at booking, so if you need to skip the seafood or adjust the alcohol, the menu adapts to you.

Once everything's plated, you sit down with the group and eat what you made. The paella tastes different when it's yours, not because it's better, but because you remember the exact moment you added the stock, the way the rice sounded when it started to catch at the bottom of the pan. You take home a recipe brochure with every dish written out, which means the cooking class doesn't end when you leave the kitchen. You'll actually make this stuff again, probably badly the first time, and that's the whole point.

What’s included

• Your morning class includes a visit to a local Madrid market to select fresh ingredients, then a hands-on cooking session where you prepare paella, gazpacho, and sangria in pairs under the guidance of an English-speaking local chef.
• The evening tapas class covers Spanish potato omelet, garlic shrimp, chorizo in cider, patatas bravas, tomato bread with ham, and crema catalana.
• Both classes include the meal you've cooked, shared with your group, plus a recipe booklet to take home.
• Dietary requirements can be accommodated if you advise them at booking.

Options for this experience

2 options

Cooking class featuring tapas, held in the eveningGuide in English · 17:30Prepare your own tapas dinner with five famous Spanish tapas, a tasty dessert and sangria. Potato omelet and chorizo in cider...

Paella cooking class held in the morningGuide in English · 10:00Go to the local market to pick out fresh ingredients. Then, back at our school, make your own paella, gazpacho and sangria.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesMonday to SaturdayDepartures at 10:00 and 17:30

Book up to8h before

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (5 to 12 years) · Under 5: can't be included in the booking

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

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.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Cooking Point, S.L

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to actually cook Spanish food rather than watch someone else do it, and you're comfortable learning alongside strangers in a small group: the pair-cooking format and shared meal are what make it feel less like a class and more like you've been let into a local kitchen.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 12 years). Under 5: they can't be included in the booking.

Do I need cooking experience?

No. The class is hands-on but designed for beginners. The chef guides you through each step.

What if I'm traveling alone?

You'll be paired with another participant, so you cook together as a team.

Is the market visit included in the morning class only?

Yes. The morning paella class includes a stop at a local market to shop for fresh ingredients. The evening tapas class does not include the market visit.

Can I accommodate dietary restrictions?

Yes. Let the provider know your dietary needs at booking and they'll adjust the menu accordingly.

What's the group size?

Maximum 12 participants, cooking in pairs.

Is alcohol included?

Yes. Sangria is part of the menu. The minimum drinking age is 18.

Do I get to take anything home?

Yes. You receive a recipe brochure with all the dishes you prepared.