It is appropriate that this is my 1000th review…read more A total blast. They kept us busy for 5 hours between shopping, cooking, learning, eating and the graduation ceremonies. Everyone in the class makes a complete Paella. Each student gets to choose whether they want to make a veggie, seafood or chicken/rabbit paella. The facilities are great. The class size is small, so it requires advanced booking. We shopped for our ingredients at the Mercado Central in Valencia: chicken, rabbit, 3 types of fresh beans, roma tomatoes, periwinkles (sea snails), smoked paprika, saffron, fresh rosemary twig and Bomba rice. We were taught ingredient preparation techniques, frying techniques in the paella pan and how to make a paella in any size pan without the need for a measuring spoon or cup. The chef is involved in every step of the process and coaches each student. The process of getting to add all the ingredients is not fast as each ingredient needs to stay in the paella pan until cooked correctly. The last step was adding the water, not stock. While we waited for the water in our paellas to cook down (30 minutes), we were served a fresh salad and steamed mussels with plenty of wine to wash them down. We returned to our paellas and added the rice and cooked for 25 minutes more. When we heard our rice start to crackle, the dish was complete and we then all joined hands and did the paella dance around the kitchen. The result was a paella that could easily feed 4 people, so expect to get a take-home container. The evening ends with a "graduation ceremony" and they sent us home with a cooking apron, our chef's hat, certificate and a paella tasting spoon. A very memorable evening and a good value considering you get a great meal plus the instruction from a seasoned chef instructor who answers any questions.

I for once, did not want to come here. 50euros for teaching me how to make something that was…read morepretty obvious. It's just like an arroz con pollo but shallower right? God, was I wrong. And I am ecstatic my friends made it happen despite me being a total bitch about it. You just can't make a paella unless someone who knows the deal teaches you step by step and you get to see what magnificent chemistry occurs after each ingredient touches that sizzling huge ass pan. What better way to learn the Paella, with Valencians, in Valencia, in a school that specializes in rice dishes. seriously. There is no way around it. You wanna learn the paella valenciana? got 50 euros to eat up? this is your 4 hour tour. 4 hours??? as we have learned, Spanish are not on time. They do things as they come, whenever they feel like it, so even though we were there at exactly 10am, we didn't start until almost 11. So be sure you don't have any plans for the next 5 hours (cushion). We were offered drinks as we waited, cafe con leche por favor, the way to go. We left to the Central Market with a few stops on the way for some fun facts... smallest building in the world? check. Parrot on top of the market. check. oranges all around the market inside, check. The tour person, Lidia, spoke English. Although needs improvement. I think if you have some extreme foreign language, you may not learn or understand everything you should've been. Half a chicken, half a rabbit, saffron, smoked paprika, various beans and off to the school. The experience is fun and they have their photographer take pictures as you go, they email them to you in 4-5 days... The market ingredients are purchased by the tour guide, you don't need to shell anything more than the 50euros and be left with a ton of ingredients. Get your chef paper hat, an apron to take home and you've been inducted to the paella world. Cute. For every 2 of us there was a pan (for 2). My friend is a vegetarian so they had a separate pan and chef for her, loads of veggie action over there. They got points for accommodating her and it was great. Thank you. Each step is done, the teaching chef makes they're own paella as we go, so we could see what happens. Translated as we go. We cut our own beans, prep our own tomato, it is the entire process were you grasp the concept of paella. Lots of work. Magic in the end. If you like the slight burn on the bottom of the pan, slightly crunchy rice, they cranck up the heat at the end, letting the rice crackle. When you hear that, turn it off. They call the crunchy effect, Socarrat. It is beautiful. While we let the paella take a short siesta, we were offered 2 types of wine (both from Valencia) and a salad to start. Then an appetizer. Needless to saay, we were efull by the time the paellas came to our table. As tradition, you are supposed to eat the paellas straight from the pan. So we dug in and i kid you not, it was one of the best paellas we had. Not too salty. Not too saucy. I can't explain, but it was so damn good we nearly ate all of it. I have to admit this was the highlight of the Valencia part of my trip. I loved it. It probably happened for a reason, so glad that my friends made me do it. I am back in NY and have made 2 paellas 4 days after coming back, oh yea, i bought a paella pan, the heavy duty, semi fancy one. Broke my back bringing it back, but it makes me happy to feed people so it was worth every kilo of it. An excellent experience. Worth the money and the time. A new found love for starch. I would do it again in a heartbeat. Gracias a todos en la escuela.

This was a phenomenal experience. The instructors are SO warm and welcoming, and as a Type A, I…read moreappreciated VERY organized! We came away with a great experience, a great meal, and greater warmth for the cuisine of Valencia.

What an awesome experience. My wife booked this for my birthday and it turned out to be a memorable…read moreevent. There were only three others in the cooking class and we cooked both the classic paella and the seafood paella. It was a hands on experience. The staff was very welcoming as we learned first how to make sangria and the pitchers were endless. There was a sampling of tapas at the beginning before we began the cooking class. The space was deigned perfectly for the cooking class and the required individual interaction was a perfect experience. I would highly recommend this experience and know the staff will take care of you and your party. Checkout their website and book on your next adventure to Valencia. Enjoy!

I went to this place with a big group, and we had an absolutely blast! Plus the food was incredible.read more

We are a family of 7 that booked a private cooking class. This will be one of the highlights of a…read morefantastic trip. Chef William is delightful and they are so thoughtful in all the details. We cook a lot and still learned many good tips. Then ate our delicious paella. They even handled the 3 year old perfectly! The staff and facilities are A++!

There are far more famous markets in Spain like Barcelona's La Boqueria and Madrid's Mercado de San…read moreMiguel. However, this one stood out the moment we walked through the front door. First, it represents the largest produce market in Europe, spanning 86,000 square feet and housing over 1,200 stalls. With its towering dome (Photo 3) and basilica layout, this market feels huge... ...but not intimidating. This space is far less a tourist magnet than a daily functioning, community-focused operation heavily used by the local populace. We saw businesses specializing in fresh rabbit, snails, and specific bean varieties for authentic Valencian paella. There were entire stalls dedicated to freshly harvested saffron, local Valencian citrus, and local seafood like eel and cuttlefish. Of course, for your more immediate noshing needs, you can also find appetizing baked goods, Middle Eastern sweets, and Jamon by the slice. The Art Nouveau architecture is stunning with its iron-and-steel framework and stained glass roof panels. Located in the heart of the old city in Ciutat Vella, it's close to other key landmarks like La Lonja de la Seda (The Silk Exchange) and Catedral de Valencia. RELATED - Exploring Valencia? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/rKhLMgeCFK

Very big market in the heart of Valencia. There are lots of stalls selling local products, cooked…read morefood, seafood, and souvenirs. The prices here are pretty good I saw the paella for 6 or 7€ which is pretty cheap although the food is premade and just heated up. I would recommend a visit here when spending time in Valencia.