Tapas & Paella Cooking Class with a Professional Chef in Madrid

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Join the most authentic Spanish cooking class in the heart of Madrid! Learn to make traditional tapas and paella with a professional chef in a cozy, private setting. This interactive, personalized and hands-on experience will have you preparing dishes while discovering Spanish culture through food.

Destination

Madrid, Spain

Category

Cooking Classes

Duration

3 hours

Cuisine

Spanish

Available languages

English, Español

Included

• Meals

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Lola.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at approximately C/ Valderribas , Madrid to start your culinary journey.

   View on Maps

2. Example menu

   This is what our dinner could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Second course

   Try the essential Spanish ham croquettes

4. First course

   Bacalao Ajoarriero: cod dressed in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers and garlic

5. Third course

   Russian Salad or Ensaladilla Rusa: a delicious mix of potatoes, carrots, mayo and tuna

6. Fourth course

   Black Rice: a variation of Paella with squid ink rice

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the menu? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Alecia🇺🇸 United States

20 February 2025

DO NOT leave Madrid without booking this experience with Lola. You will not regret meeting with her, only NOT meeting with her! We started our communication with Lola by being provided very good directions and instructions to reach her private dining space. Upon entering, not really knowing what to expect, all we could do was to stand and repeatedly voice, WOW, WOW, WOW! What was once a residence has been converted into a FABULOUS space with an monstrous wooden dining table long with a kitchen showcasing an immense island where her cooking class guests are seated. Our evening was joined with other guests who fast became friends throughout the course of the evening. We drank, laughed, prepped, cooked, stirred, sauteed, sliced, diced, laughed, drank, and so on. The experience was definitely a hands-on experience crafting truly authentic Spanish dishes using the freshest of foods. The dishes Lola selected for us to cook would have been quite daunting to the untrained cook, however, Lola had a knack for breaking down the recipe and turning the 'chore' of cooking in a wonderfully fun and amusing experience. We learned so much along the way, including how to fully prepare a piece of squid including de-boning, de-beaking and cleaning. We nibbled on the first two courses along the way and thoroughly enjoyed the two final main courses. The truffles served at the end of the evening capped off the magnificent experience in a beautifully sweet way. You will arrive as a stranger and be friends within minutes. What we truly appreciated with the experience was the Spanish way of life in how laid-back the culture is and looking at the art of cooking as an experience to enjoy with family and friends vs. a chore.

Anita

26 November 2024

A great time. Very good cook with fine food. Flexibel in the menu and a fine place te be. Good wine. We had a lovely evening .We had a great time with Lola.

Caragh🇦🇺 Australia

17 October 2024

We had a wonderful time in Lola's class. She was knowledgeable, clear in her information and instructions, and very accommodating of dietary requirements (including vegetarian). We walked away full of good food and keen to try making it ourselves! The small group size was also perfect. Fantastic meal and cooking experience!

Cameron

10 May 2024

Lola was exactly what we were looking for in an experience. We did the cooking class in Spanish and Lola was very patient in explaining everything and we made food that was worth the price (regardless of teaching being included). The kitchen is clean, the recipes are to remember — and most of all Lola makes sure everyone is having fun and learning at their own pace. Amazing class, great price!Amazing Chef — Amazing Class

Bobby🇺🇸 United States

14 September 2023

My wife and I were in Spain for our first time and Lola’s class was a fantastic introduction to making some staple Spanish dishes. Lola made the class fun and engaging for us and taught us a lot about Spanish culture even beyond the food. It felt like a locals experience more than a contrived tourist experience (being first time travelers to Spain, we’ve seen many of the latter too). We had a wonderful time and would recommend to anyone.Fun, approachable cooking experience!

Unknown

14 September 2023

Una actividad imperdible, aprendes mientras te diviertes, los platos que cocinamos quedaron deliciosos y Lola te demuestra que son súper fáciles de hacer en casa. Espectacular

Jean🇺🇸 United States

28 June 2023

Wow. What a perfect evening! Lola’s place was beautiful and the food delicious! We were a group of 6 - with my partner, two children their twenties and their friends. We all had an amazing time, including my daughter who is vegan ( Lola made accommodations). We enjoyed the company of the other participants as well. I loved that Lola explained the reasoning behind the how and what we were cooking. I feel like I can actually clean and cook a squid now! She also gave us great recommendations for local eating that we tried the next day - amazing. I can’t recommend this experience enough. A Highlight of Our Visit to Madrid

Michelle 🇪🇸 Spain

11 May 2023

Lola was a wonderful chef and hostess - knowledgeable and professional and personable. She made the experience very enjoyable and relaxing. I learned a lot also! Thank you, Lola! Fantastic

John🇺🇸 United States

17 March 2023

The food was wonderful.....the recipes clear for us to use in the future.....the background information on the food's history was great. Lola kept us moving through the stages of the meal smoothly and well entertained. She was a perfect host.A Great Time!

Valérie🇧🇪 Belgium

5 December 2022

We had a lovely evening at Lola's. She tought us about the typical Spanish tapas and Spanish culture. The food was delicious and also the wine was great. Lola is a really nice person, I would recommend this tapas cooking class! lovely experience

Linda🇺🇸 United States

28 June 2022

Our group of 6 (3 generations) loved this class. The teens stayed enthused for the entire 3 hours. Great hands-on experience and then we got to eat what we prepared. Lola is a true professional in cooking and explained what we were doing. We even had to clean squids to get the black ink for the black rice in the paella. Would highly recommend this tour and Lola.Cooking in Madrid

Mary

3 June 2022

One of the highlights of our trip was the cooking class with L’oleo. Great food, great instructor and a very relaxed and interesting setting. If you like to cook, like Spanish food or just want a great vacation experience this is it.Cooking with Lola

Jenna🇺🇸 United States

29 May 2022

This class was awesome. Lola guided the class as we collaborated on making 4 traditional spanish dishes. She gave great instructions, and also contributed a lot of interesting historical facts while we prepared the food. The wine was flowing, the food was delicious, and the group was engaged!!! One of my favorite things we did in Madrid. Great for any level. Amazing class with a knowledgeable chef!!

Lucas🇫🇷 France

22 May 2022

Definitely what you´re looking for when you book this type of activity. Great person Great food Great time with LolaPerfecto

Pamela🇬🇧 United Kingdom

13 May 2022

My friend and I went to Loa's Spanish cooking class on our visit to Madrid last week. I would definitely recommend you try and find the time to do her class. Lola herself is a lovely lady who made us feel very welcome. The choice of menu was great, we made 4 different dishes that we were able to enjoy with some lovely wine too, the dishes we learnt can easily recreate back at home. We also learnt a lot about the history of Spain and how a lot of there meals were created. First time I've ever tried anything like this on holiday but it won't be my last.Experience not to be missed

Unknown

10 May 2022

From the minute we entered Lola's lovely kitchen/dinning we were made very welcome, my friend had treated me to this experience for my birthday. We started our day off with a lovely glass of wine and got to know Lola while we waited on the other company who joined us for cooking class, lovely girls from France. We all joined in with preparation of food while Lola explained about all the ingredients it was very relaxed and Lola speaks good English. On our day we prepared Russian Salad, Ham croquettes and Cheese for girls that couldn't eat Pork, Black Rice and Ajoarriero Cod. We then all sat round to eat what we had helped to cook with fab Spanish white wine. We were offered coffee, beer , water. After eating and chatting nice little chocolate pieces were passed around. Great experience and Lola your lovely. Hope to do it again. Lovely Lola

h2drmk9hfs🇺🇸 United States

18 March 2022

My family -Me, my husband, kids 17 and 20, my Mother, Aunt and Cousin spent our last night in Madrid with Lola cooking, laughing and learning new things. Her studio was easy to find, comfortable and beautifully finished. The cooking was delicious and, unlike other cooking classes we have taken, easy enough to do that I am certain we can recreate the dishes at home. We left full of great food and wine and very fond memories. Next time we are in Madrid we will go back and learn how to cook more dishes with Lola. It was the perfect ending to our trip. Thanks for all! Fabulous experience, highly recommend!

Adrienne🇺🇸 United States

29 November 2021

A small group of three friends and myself had a fantastic time during Lola's tapas cooking class! We made four delicious recipes (which Lola gave us copies of for the future) - croquettes, russian salad, squid ink paella & meatballs. Since one of us does not eat seafood, Lola taught us to make meatballs instead of cod, but I'm sure the cod would have been amazing as well! As a teacher Lola was very patient and helpful. She let us do the work but answered all of our questions, made good conversation and gave us a fantastic evening learning how to cook while visiting Madrid. Definitely recommend Lola's cooking class!Fun, delicious cooking class!

Nathan🇬🇧 United Kingdom

4 November 2021

Lola was a great host. The space is nice and she gives instructions making it easy to find. Of course all the food we made was delicious. She even adjusted the menu to suit my three small children. There were a few other people in the class. Not a problem as it makes for more interesting conversation but just not quite what we were expecting. Overall we had a great time, highly recommend!Fun and Delicious Afternoon

Sasha🇫🇷 France

29 September 2021

My friends and I took a class to be able to cook Spanish dishes and it was fabulous. Lola is adorable and knows a lot about Spanish culture regarding history and food. We also had some white wine during all the course. All the ingredients to spend a wonderful time were there. It was simply delicious, I recommend!! Marvellous class!

Mathilde🇩🇰 Denmark

6 March 2020

Lola made a cocking class with 24 students. She was very good at explaning the proces and involving the students. I give Lola my best recommendations. Fantastic experience

Vera🇳🇱 Netherlands

27 January 2020

Wat een toffe ervaring. Heerlijke gerechten bereid en gegeten. Lola spreekt goed Engels, ze is gezellig en leert je vanalles over de Spaanse keuken. Superleuk! Aanrader!

Niki🇬🇧 United Kingdom

11 December 2019

We booked our tapas cookery evening last minute - and are so glad we did!!! What a great evening! Lola made us really welcome and we had relaxed fun evening cooking 4 different tapas dishes .... and then ate them!!! She gave us recipes to take home and all the dishes were easy enough that we can (hopefully!) easily reproduce! Would highly recommend!! Fantastic!

Kathalina

10 December 2019

Great tour! Not only was she nice so was also was able to answer all my questions and more.Just4kat!

Chas🇺🇸 United States

4 November 2019

Lola was great. Really enjoyed the entire night. Made wonderful dishes. Great evening

DANNY🇺🇸 United States

30 October 2019

Lola was patient and informative. This is a real learning cooking class. A younger delightful couple were with us and Lola made it easy for us to interact. Good wine flowed and good food was produced. Highly recommend. Be sure to buzz for Lola at cooking class site. This was not well explained to us. Intimate class for learning Madrid cuisine

Michael🇺🇸 United States

29 October 2019

Lola was amazing! She picked great foods to teach, made the recipes seem very easy and was enjoyable to talk to. Highly recommend taking one of her classes!Great food and company

Francesco🇮🇹 Italy

21 October 2019

Bell'ambiente, grande esperienza e cortesia di Lola, che ci ha illustrato utilissimi trucchi per una cucina spagnola di successo e di qualità. L'unico motivo per cui non do' il massimo è che avevamo concordato una variazione rispetto al menu standard, ma questa richiesta è poi stata dimenticata. Per il resto ottima gestione dei tempi, delle dosi e della ripartizione delle attività tra tutti i partecipanti.Interessanti trucchi e segreti!

Sandy🇺🇸 United States

20 October 2019

I signed up for a cooking class and specifically indicated I wanted to cook tapas, not what was listed on the class listed. I was assured that the class would be customized to my request and we would learn how to make tapas. When I got there, I discovered the first hour was spent on tapas items and the next two hours would be spent making main dishes that included seafood. Since I am allergic to most seafood, I certainly did not want to be cooking it. I thought perhaps I made a mistake and misunderstood the class material. When I questioned the instructor, Lola, she informed me that all food can be considered tapas because it can be served in small bites. Then, the person next to me said she also thought this was a tapas cooking class and she too was allergic to some seafood and was not happy with the bait and switch. She also mentioned that she had search many cooking classes to find this one that focused on making tapas. I have taken dozens of cooking classes during the las 30 years and never have I been so disappointed in the misrepresentation of the class material. Disappointed by class

Michelle🇪🇸 Spain

10 October 2019

I took my mom and her friend who were visiting me in Madrid to Lola's class. We had an excellent time! Lola was great at both offering helpful cooking instructions and keeping us all entertained and engaged. Her kitchen was immaculate, modern and chic. I would highly recommend taking a class with Lola!Great Cooking Class!

Kate🇺🇸 United States

19 July 2019

My husband and teenage kids (15 and 13) scheduled a cooking class with Lola. We all had a fantastic time and enjoyed the class very much. Lola provided excellent instructions and hospitality. Her custom-built kitchen is beautiful and perfectly suited for the event. I highly recommend Lola for your next trip to Madrid!Amazing Experience

Jacqui🇦🇺 Australia

16 March 2019

I had a great time with Lola. The croquettes and paella were the standout dishes. The wine served was also very nice. The time flew by. Thanks for a fun night!Cooking class

Mary🇺🇸 United States

16 February 2019

Just finished a cooking class with Lola. Had a great time cooking appetizers, paella, fish and drinking some wine. Very hands on with excellent guidance along the way. Lola had the recipes printed out so we could add notes as we cooked. The kitchen and dining room were spotless!! Fun, relaxing evening in Madrid. Highly recommend booking a class. Perfect evening eith Lola

Mets

16 February 2019

off the beaten path, a short Metro ride from city then walk 4 blocks to her place. Lola’s kitchen is huge, modern and super clean but you wouldnt know it from the outside bldg. had 4 courses made, very interactive, well planned, well paced and well stocked place. it is like cooking with Giada or Nigella! prep the food, cook and voila! all the secret tips are revealed. what a wonderful experience. if you are visiting Madrid, cook like a local at her place which is big enough for 8-12 ppl to cook and entertain. Thanks Lola. A+++ cook like a local. Lola is the one!