Marta’s Famous Paella Cooking Class

Marta is a total character… She’s warm, friendly, witty and wise! And her Paella cooking class is an ABSOLUTE MUST!!! Once you take the elevator up to her lovely cozy Penthouse, the class takes place on her airy terrace with stunning views of the city! It was really fun… Everyone gets to participate, from chopping garlic to dicing the meat. Once the beautiful (And I do mean BEAUTIFUL) Paella is complete, the class turns into a dinner party. Out comes the wine and suddenly you’re having an exquisite Spanish meal with new friends, overlooking a sparkling Barcelona below! Much more special than I could have ever imagined! Enjoy!!!

My husband and I took Marta’s class while on our honeymoon and we had an amazing time! We went with our best man and his wife and the four of us had so much fun together. We had about ten people in our class and each person had an opportunity to contribute to a giant paella. Marta is so passionate about what she does and emphasizes the importance of making a paella that is not only delicious, but beautifully presented. We left with great memories and most importantly, a yummy recipe!

We spent a really nice evening with Marta in her Barcelona apartment making paella during our vacation. The apartment has stunning views of the city, which we enjoyed while cooking the paella on her balcony. After an introduction to paella, we all shared the tasks of chopping ingredients (there were 13 in the class that evening). Marta has a great way of teaching, as well as a friendly manner which made for a very nice experience. The paella was the best I’ve ever tasted. Marta speaks perfect English also, and makes her guests feel welcome and at ease. Since we had an apartment for our stay in Barcelona, we decided to make paella there with local ingredients from the market– really fun and delicious! Since returning home, I have cooked paella for 2 dinner parties, both of which were great successes. The principles learned in the class have demystified paella making for me. Even if one is not a cook, this would make for a fun evening and great dinner while in Barcelona. It really added a level of experiencing local culture to our trip. I highly recommend Marta’s class.

I booked this supper club via www. trip4real. com and it was amazing! Marta is a great host and my fellow dinner guests were lots of fun. Learning to make paella was a real treat and Marta made sure to buy the best ingredients. The prawns and fresh veggies were delicious! This is byob so pick up a bottle of vino and enjoy!
Natalie

Marta’s Cooking Class was a highlight of my trip to Barcelona, even a highlight of my entire European trip! Marta is fun and energetic and obviously loves what she does. We all felt so welcome in Marta’s home and it just made the whole experience so my more authentic!
The paella itself was divine! We all helped throughout the chopping and preparing whilst learning the best way to prepare each step. Marta does most of the cooking, but talked us through every step. We were able to interact and ask questions the whole time and it was so great to watch it all come together.
The end result was, as I said, amazingly delicious! Everything tasted so fresh, and everyone agreed that it was certainly the very best paella!
Such a great experience, would highly recommend Marta and her cooking class! The first thing I did when I got home was buy a paella pan to try at home! Cannot wait to try again for myself!

Paella is my favorite dish. I am in continuous pursuit of the perfect Paella. My prior restaurant experiences ranged from total disappointment to moderate satisfaction. Then, my wife and I started our cruise vacation in Barcelona. My sister-​in-​law found an excursion on the internet for a paella cooking class. We signed up. The class was given by Marta Perez, at her residence in Barcelona. With wine bottles in hand, we arrived at her quant upper level apartment with a wonderful balcony and view of the city. Marta greeted us as if we were long lost friends rather than the new found friends that we were. After some preliminary introductions and pleasant chat, she explained that we would all be invited to participate in the cooking of the afternoon meal of her paella recipe. She patiently explained her recipe and then we started, with each willing person helping in the preparation steps. Once the prep was completed, Marta took us through the cooking steps on her balcony using her outdoor gas burner and the traditional paella pan. In each step, Marta explained the reason for the order of the ingredients and then demonstrated the cooking process and time for each. Starting with the sofrito vegetable base to the ending of mussels (organized in the pan for proper paella presentation), Marta kept us entertained with detailed instruction interspersed with delightful stories and answers to our questions. The finished product was a colorful and aromatic dish that we all could hardly wait for.
Then the big moment — time to eat. Marta enlisted our help to set the table and pour the wine. She served us and made sure everyone had plenty to eat. The paella was absolutely delicious. The rice was moist and tasty yielding bite after bite that offered the variety of ingredients and tastes of great paella — the closest to perfection I’ve had so far. Our meal was like a family dinner with great conversation and over a great meal, a meal that I am sure I can make myself. We were all very happy to meet Marta and I recommend her cooking class to anyone visiting Barcelona as it was not simply a class but an enjoyable Barcelona afternoon with a delightful Spanish hostess and new friend.

One of the best evenings — and one of the best meals — I’ve had while traveling. Marta is a gem, and her paella is exquisite… can’t recommend her class enough!

This was at once the best experience AND the best meal I had during a trip to Barcelona. Marta is witty, whip-​smart, and makes a mean paella. She also speaks perfect English, if that’s a concern.
The class starts off with an explanation of the recipe (which you receive via email afterwards), after which we all (roughly 14 of us) got to work prepping a litany of fresh ingredients.
As for the cooking itself, Marta does most of the work, but everyone got to stand on her balcony and watch, mingle, drink wine (BYOB), and enjoy the fantastic view from her apartment. Once it was done, everyone got generous portions, and even seconds, and it was absolutely delicious.

If you want to learn how to cook a real Paella, this class is a must. Martha is a wonderful cooking instructor. She will teach you how to cook a paella that is easy to do. The taste and flavor of the paella is exceptional. So, if you want to learn how to make a delicious paella, then take a class with Marta. You will enjoy it and she is a wonderful host.

Decided to take Marta’s Paella Cooking Class as part of our honeymoon trip to Barcelona — it was an amazing class! You get to mingle with great people from all over the world, prepare the ingredients with the other attendees, cook it, and best of all, enjoy the delicious paella. Marta’s past history as a teacher really shines in how she guides you through the process. She definitely deserves all of her accolades. Definitely recommend as part of your trip to Barcelona — you have to experience it yourself!
We can’t wait to make our own Paella, once we’re back in Seattle.

Absolutely wonderful experience for two couples and two teens. Entertaining, educational and great eating! Marta is a charming host and a great teacher — this was a real highlight of a week-​long trip to the beautiful city of Barcelona!

Marta’s paella class was absolutely fantastic! She was so enthusiastic and you can really tell she loves what she does. It was a lot of fun to come together with other people from around the world. And her paella was so incredibly delicious. Better than all of the paella’s I have had. We cancelled a reservation at a fancy paella restaurant to come to her class, and it was totally worth it! Can’t wait to cook in my own home. Would HIGHLY recommend this class.

Awesome experience! Marta is a great teacher and makes this a really fun class. There is no better way to spend an evening in Barca!

I had a wonderful time. I can’t find a descent paella in NY and I’m incredibly excited that I am armed with a great recipe. Marta was a great host and explained everything in a clear and easy to understand way. I enjoyed her company and food. The ingredients were fresh and delicious. I especially enjoyed the class because it was in her beautiful apartment. We could enjoy the view from her terrace as we waited for the paella to cook.