Market Tour & Paella or Fideua Cooking Class in Barcelona

"We spent an unforgettable day with Chef Nicole Hooks through Traveling Spoon, learning to make traditional paella and Crema Catalana on her sunny rooftop terrace overlooking Barcelona. Nicole met us at a nearby café before leading us on a short walk through the Jardins de la Rambla de Sants, an elevated park full of murals and local life. At the Mercat de Sants, she shopped like a true local, explaining ingredients and sharing stories of the neighborhood. We loved the personal touches and storytelling along the way. Back at her apartment, we enjoyed wine, cheese, and olives before moving to her rooftop kitchen, complete with a double-ring paella burner and sweeping city views. Nicole guided us step-by-step through every stage—from chopping and browning to building the sofrito and achieving that perfect socarrat crust. The finished paella was incredible—rich, smoky, and perfectly balanced—and our Crema Catalana dessert was the ideal sweet finish. Nicole’s warmth, humor, and deep knowledge made the afternoon fly by. If you’re looking for an authentic, hands-on cooking class in Barcelona that blends culture, history, and great food, this is it. Highly recommended for anyone arriving by cruise or staying in the city—five stars all the way!"

"Cooking with Nicole will leave a lasting impression on my husband Greg and me . Not only was our food amazing , but it was an incredible experience. We felt like we were at home hanging out with a friend . We can not wait to go home and cook our new dish for our family ! Highly recommend cooking with Nicole!"

"This review is overdue! My friend and I decided to book a paella cooking class with Nicole and it was by far one of the biggest highlights of the trip! To start, Nicole’s flat and rooftop setup is the authentic setting we were looking for. It was the perfect balance of a cooking classroom (you can tell Nicole was a former teacher and details like a map of Spain that Nicole referenced throughout was a great, unexpected value add to the cooking classroom) /entertaining environment. Nicole herself was a delight. Not only was she a great instructor, but she is genuinely a kind, cool person who entertained our questions even if they weren’t entirely related to cooking. She really made the extensive process of cooking paella seem relatively easy. The paella and dessert were both beyond delicious and Nicole provided wine that paired perfectly with the dish. 10/10 - I highly recommend booking with Nicole if you’re seeking a fun, laid back, authentic and educational paella making experience. Also noting, while Nicole never rushed us, she was very good about staying on schedule to ensure we finished our session on time as not to impact other plans we had for the day. I greatly appreciated this as my friend and I both have ADD and needed someone to keep us on track. Thanks, Nicole for a great experience!"

"Our visit with Nicole to learn how to cook Fideua was truly a joyful experience. Fideua is similar to paella but with short thin noodles instead of rice. Better tasting and considerably faster to make, what is not to love. Being invited into her home was special. We talked Barcelona, cooking, living in Spain, and educational differences while cooking, learning, eat, and drinking wine. Highly recommend it!"